Gender and Leadership in Organisations: The Threat of Backlash* Report uri icon

abstract

  • Abstract Decisions made by leaders please some people and upset others. We examine whether the possibility of backlash has a differential impact on mens and womens self-selection into leadership roles, and their decisions as leaders. In a laboratory experiment that simulates corporate decision-making, we find that women are significantly less likely to self-select into a leadership position when they can receive backlash. Once in a leadership role, women get more backlash. There are some gender differences in leaders decision-making and communication styles under the threat of backlash, but little difference in final outcomes. An online experiment sheds light on possible mechanisms.

author list (cited authors)

  • Chakraborty, P., & Serra, D.

complete list of authors

  • Chakraborty, Priyanka||Serra, Danila

publication date

  • 2022