March is Women's History Month. As far as we have come in 2024, gender stereotypes continue to impede women’s career advancement.
In a 2024 Annual Reviews article, Heilman, Caleo, and Manzi highlight research on the gender stereotypes that continue to include beliefs about women’s “incompetence in male gender-typed settings” and “the kinds of workplace behaviors that are deemed suitable for them (women).”
I’ve highlighted some takeaways below to promote the strategies the authors encourage organizations to use, in supporting women at work.1
Women in the workplace are viewed negatively when they engage in stereotypically masculine behaviors (e.g. displaying dominance, being assertive) and when they don’t engage in stereotypically feminine behaviors (e.g. being agreeable, being helpful).1 This bias may come from societal norms and second-generation bias.
Heilman, Caleo, and Manzi, 2024, describe organizational changes needed to alleviate the negative effects (bias and discrimination) of stereotypes including:
Consider sharing these strategies with your organization to create a more equitable environment.
References
1. Heilman, M. E., Caleo, S., & Manzi, F. (2024). Women at work: pathways from gender stereotypes to gender bias and discrimination. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11, 165-192.
2. Berdahl JL, Cooper M, Glick P, Livingston RW, Williams JC. 2018. Work as a masculinity contest. J. Soc. Issues 74:422–48