EXPERT Q&A
Women and minority leaders often face intense scrutiny upon reaching senior executive roles, necessitating that organizations share information about these leaders to mitigate biases. Research suggests providing stakeholders with insights can reduce negative perceptions.
Aparna Joshi, a management professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, advocates for organizational strategies emphasizing what companies and stakeholders can change to facilitate progress rather than focusing on women altering their behavior.
Joshi revisits assumptions about reactions to women in leadership and how organizations can use findings to ease tensions.
How does workplace polarization affect women leaders?
The overlap between organizations and broader society is significant, evident when politicians label women leaders as “DEI hires” or influencers, known as “conflict entrepreneurs,” influence narratives during crises.
While crises are common in organizations, women leaders often face intense, personal negative scrutiny compared to men, leading to higher turnover and hindering inclusion efforts.
What distinguishes traditional approaches from your stakeholder-first strategy?
Traditional methods, like implicit bias training, have not effectively addressed gender bias. Our approach suggests organizations and stakeholders should drive change by mapping stakeholders based on their engagement and investment in the company’s success.
We propose tailored strategies to combat gender biases, considering stakeholders’ relationships with the organization and leadership.
How should organizations handle misinformation in polarized settings?
Identifying stakeholders who are engaged and invested in the leader’s success is crucial as they can become valuable allies. It’s also vital to recognize those more prone to misinformation.
Stakeholders who don’t work closely with leaders but are invested in their success might be open to information about leaders’ capabilities from senior peers.
Our research outlines methods to communicate with different stakeholders, focusing on their motivations and uncertainties, to reduce biases during crises.
Are there different strategies for hiring versus supporting current women leaders?
An outgoing leader plays a pivotal role in the success of an incoming woman leader. Research on Fortune 500 incoming women CEOs shows the predecessor influences stakeholder responses.
Successful transitions often involve predecessors who support the new leader. Conversely, outgoing leaders can hinder smooth transitions, affecting the new leader’s success.
The role of the outgoing leader is crucial in differentiating the success of new versus incumbent leaders.
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