Negative Experiences Shape Womens Decisions to Go for Executive Roles
Written by Raina A. Brands and Isabel Fernandez-Mateo Thursday 16 March 2017This paper proposes gender differences in responses to recruitment rejections as a previously unexamined mechanism contributing to women’s under-representation in top management. We show that women are less likely than men to consider another job with a prospective employer that has rejected them in the past. We build a theoretical model whereby, because of women’s minority status in senior roles, recruitment rejection triggers uncertainty about their general belonging in the executive domain. Belonging uncertainty, in turn, both leads women to place greater weight than men on fair treatment and negatively affects their perceptions of the fairness of the treatment they receive. This dual process makes women more disinclined than men to apply again to a previously rejecting firm. We test our theory with three studies: A field study using longitudinal archival data from an executive search firm, a survey of executives, and an experiment using executive respondents. The results, which are consistent with our model, have implications for theory and practice regarding gender inequality at the labor market’s upper echelons. In particular, we highlight that women’s supply-side decisions to “lean out” of competition for senior roles must be understood in light of their previous experiences with demand-side employers’ practices.
Helping L&D teams connect the dots as strategic business partners
Helen Marshall shares why the learning never stops, even for chief learning officers
Research into social enterprise and innovation celebrated by Management Publication of the Year 2024
Two books by business school academics made the shortlist in this category
Six things we learned at CMI Communities Live, Middlesbrough
The first CMI Communities Live event in the UK brought together both leaders and learners at Teesside University
Lauren Pope, CMI Student of the Year 2024
High flyer Lauren is no stranger to winning awards, having also taken home a prize from Nottingham Business School
Research
Our cutting-edge research and statistics explain the latest trends and challenges faced by managers in the workplace today.
Members See More
CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits
Join The Community
CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.