Study: Taking Gender into Account: Theory & Design for Women’s Leadership Development (Ely-Harvard Business School, Ibarra-INSEAD, Kolb-Simmons, 2011)
Finding: Subtle, “second generation” forms of gender bias operate in corporate culture, but skill building programs that recognize these biases and give women tools to address it, can help women move into leadership.
Note about The Woman Effect Research Index: This study was performed by researchers not affiliated with InPower Women. Our Research Index includes all relevant research to the subject of women, business and power. We do not influence how the research was conducted or reported by the researchers. In our abstracts, we focus on pulling out the most actionable advice for individual women. To suggest additional research we should index, or discuss our choice of abstract focus, please contact us.
InPower Insight: Bias still exists, but can be overcome with the right aproaches.
Summary:
The researchers identify “second generational” gender bias as less overt and sexist, but more cultural and systemic. While “first generational” biases have helped raise the glass ceiling, it is still firmly in place at the senior levels. They give evidence that women’s leadership programs that recognize this reality and equip women with tools to deal with it are more successful that giving women tips on how to fit into the male culture. The programs that work to help women ascend into leadership help them build skills around networking, negotiation, leading change and managing career transitions while raising their awareness of how suble forms of second generational gender bias can get in their way.
The researchers make a distinction about leadership which is pivotal. The researchers fame leadership development as “identity work” and focus on helping women develop their identities as leaders, including focusing on their purpose. Many women can overcome hesitancy and lack of confidence when they are focused on achieving a meaningful purpose.
The paper details examples of women’s leadership program activities that help women develop the skills to deal with second generation gender bias.
Career Coaching Tip: Leadership is identity work. If you want to lead, you must develop a self-definition of yourself as a leader. This will mean overcoming the cultural bias we all have that leaders “look like” white males. When you believe that you can be a leader, then you open the door to becoming one. This is true for women and men, however, women have to be cognizant that barriers still exist and develop strategies for addressing them that work. You can do this. If you’re running a women’s leadership program, you must be aware that while women need to have all the same leadership opportunities that men do, but also that they may be helped by also having the opportunity to explore the aspects of gender bias in the culture around them and devise personal strategies to overcome it.
Keywords: gender bias, leadership development, women in leadershipj, purpose
