What Works for Women at Work WhatWorks%% Practical% …

© Copyright 2014. Joan C. Williams, Center for WorkLife Law.

What Works for

Women at Work

What Works for Women at Work— Individual Strategies and Institutional Solutions Joan C. Williams Hastings Foundation Chair Director, Center for WorkLife Law University of California, Hastings College of the Law

Practical Advice

Real-‐life Situations

Social Science


What Works for

Women at Work

1. INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES How bias plays out in everyday workplace interac5ons—and strategies individuals can use to navigate it successfully 2. INSTITUTIONAL SOLUTIONS Harvard Business Review, Oct. 2014 Organiza5onal change to address subtle bias


What Works for

Women at Work

Tightrope

96%

127 interviews: Recited experimental 9indings “Any of that sound familiar?”

Prove-‐It-‐Again!

Maternal Wall

Tug of War 73% 60% 59% 55%

Williams & Dempsey (2014)

Four dis5nct kinds of bias


What Works for

Women at Work

Overview

. 1.  How bias plays out and individual strategies

2.  Bias Interrupters model: InsJtuJonal soluJons


What Works for

Women at Work

4 Patterns & Individual Strategies

Prove-‐It-‐ Again! Tightrope Maternal

Wall Tug of War


What Works for

Women at Work

Prove-‐It-‐Again! 68%


What Works for

Women at Work

equity partners

15% Lack of Fit

NAWL, 2013


What Works for

Women at Work


Women need to provide more evidence of competence than men to be judged equally competent

Knobloch-‐Westerwick, Glynn, & Huge, 2013; Moss-‐Racusin, Dovidio, Brescoll, Graham, & Handelsman, 2012; Roth, Purvis, & Bobko, 2012; Davison & Burke, 2000; Biernat & Kobrynowicz, 1997.


What Works for

Women at Work

“


I was constantly told, ‘You have the network, but you don’t have the work.’ Whereas a man could just take clients out to dinner or golWing…he was given credit for that.”

Williams & Dempsey (2014) SupporJng evidence: Barsh & Yee, 2011.

Potential vs. Performance


What Works for

Women at Work


She’s lucky.

Kulich, Trojanowski, Ryan, Alexander Haslam, & Renneboog, 2011; Garcia-‐Retamero & López-‐Zafra, 2006; Swim & Sanna, 1996; Igbaria & Baroudi, 1995; Greenhaus & Parasuraman, 1993; Taylor, Fiske, Etcoff, & Ruderman, 1978.

Men’s vs. Women’s Successes Con9irmation Bias

He’s skilled.


What Works for

Women at Work

Prove-‐it-‐Again! Women’s v. Men’s Mistakes: Con9irmation Bias

How quickly do you take her hero robe off?” Women’s mistakes are more likely to be noticed and remembered…

“


What Works for

Women at Work


Duncan, Riana. Cartoon. PUNCH Magazine 8 January 1988: 11.

The Stolen Idea: Con9irmation Bias


What Works for

Women at Work


When a man loses a big client when a woman does…

Brewer SupporJng evidence: Biernat, Fuegen, & Kobrynowicz, 2010; Bowles & Gelfand, 2010; Bauer & Baltes, 2002.

Leniency Bias: Objective Rules Applied Rigorously to Women but…


What Works for

Women at Work

Prove-‐it-‐Again!

Black women Asian-‐American women Latinas?

Source: Williams, Phillips & Hall (2014)

Double Jeopardy?


What Works for

Women at Work

Prove-‐It-‐Again! Individual Strategies and Interrupters


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Prove-‐it Again!

Let’s go back to the top of the pile.”

How to Intervene on Behalf of a Colleague

Double standards


What Works for

Women at Work

“


I’ve been pondering that ever since Pam Wirst said it.”

How to Intervene on Behalf of a Colleague

Stolen Idea


What Works for

Women at Work


Nine requirements for promotion?

Individual Strategies


What Works for

Women at Work


Keep careful, real-‐time records Memory and impressions? Handle with care



What Works for

Women at Work

Prove-‐it-‐Again!

Sponsorship is so important How you can help you sponsor

Source: Brewer, 1999.

Sponsorship


What Works for

Women at Work

Tightrope 73%


What Works for

Women at Work

The Tightrope

Liked but not respected “too feminine” or

Respected but not liked “too masculine”

Source: Nadis, S. (1999). Women scienJsts unite to bagle cowboy culture. Nature, 398 (6726), 361. SupporJng evidence: Biernat, Tocci, & Williams, 2012; Okimoto & Brescoll, 2010; Phelan, Moss-‐Racusin, & Rudman, 2008; Rudman & Phelan, 2008; Bowles, Babcock, & Lai, 2007; Rudman & Glick, 2001; Burgess & Borgida, 1999; Costrich, Feinstein, Kidder, Marecek, & Pascale, 1975.

That brilliant lawyer?


What Works for

Women at Work

The Tightrope

• Doing the ofWice housework • Taking notes • Organizing parties • Cleaning up the debris

Allen, 2006; Williams & Dempsey, 2014

Pressure to Behave in Feminine Ways


What Works for

Women at Work

The Tightrope

•  “Organizational citizenship behavior”

• Women expected to do more; men get more credit for doing it

• Service partner • Organizing off-‐sites • Committee work

Allen, 2006; Williams & Dempsey, 2014

Pressure to Behave in Feminine Ways


What Works for

Women at Work

The Tightrope

• Direct • Outspoken • Assertive • Competitive

Phelan, Moss-‐Racusin, & Rudman, 2008; Rudman & Phelan, 2008; Rudman & Fairchild, 2004; Rudman & Glick, 2001; Costrich, Feinstein, Kidder, Marecek, & Pascale, 1975.

Too Masculine Problems


What Works for

Women at Work

The Tightrope

Source: Williams, J.C. (2007). [Focus group interviews for NSF ACE grant, San Francisco, CA]. Unpublished data. SupporJng evidence: Rudman & Phelan, 2008; Breg, Atwater, & Waldman, 2005; Rudman & Fairchild, 2004; Rudman & Glick, 2001; Costrich, Feinstein, Kidder, Marecek, & Pascale, 1975.

Too Masculine Problems

“So if you’re stern… or you say no, your immediate reaction is to call that woman a b*tch, right? If you’re a man, it’s just a no.”


What Works for

Women at Work

The Tightrope

Source: Brescoll, V.L. & Uhlmann, E.L. (2008). Can an angry woman get ahead?: Status conferral, gender, and expression of emoJon in the workplace. Psychological Science, 19(3), 268-‐275. SupporJng evidence: Gupta, 2013; Kring, 2000.

Respected But Not Liked, Anger

Showing anger tends to increase the perceived status of a man, but decrease that of a woman.


What Works for

Women at Work

The Tightrope

Rudman & Phelan, 2008; PrenJce & Carranza, 2002; Rudman, 1998.

Respected But Not Liked, Self-‐Promotion

“You think highly of yourself, don’t you?”


What Works for

Women at Work

The Tightrope

Rudman & Phelan, 2008; PrenJce & Carranza, 2002; Rudman, 1998.

Double Jeopardy?

Asian-‐Americans Blacks Latinas


What Works for

Women at Work

Tightrope Individual Strategies and Interrupters


What Works for

Women at Work

The Tightrope

Not a team player

Sharp elbows What a witch!

She really flew off the handle

A real self-promoter The money’s not that important to her

How to Intervene On Behalf of a Colleague


What Works for

Women at Work

“

The Tightrope

Would we be saying this if she were a man?”



What Works for

Women at Work

If it ain’t broke, don’t Wix it.

But if people don’t take you seriously, you’re stuck with office

housework or are gepng pushback….


What Works for

Women at Work

Individual Strategies, Too Feminine? Of9ice Housework

Do not volunteer Make a rotation

Allen, 2006

Of2ice Housework?

Tightrope


What Works for

Women at Work

Individual Strategies, Too Feminine? Of9ice Housework

The strategic “No” Your sponsor can help!

Allen, 2006

Of2ice Housework?

Tightrope


What Works for

Women at Work

Tightrope Individual Strategies, Too Feminine? Speech Patterns

“ When he is almost done, you start to make your point, and if he doesn’t stop, you just say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were done.’”


What Works for

Women at Work

Individual Strategies, Power Posing

Carney, Cuddy and Yap, 2010

Power posing

Tightrope


What Works for

Women at Work

Individual Strategies, Too Masculine? Gender Judo

"Be warm Ms. Mother 95 percent of the time, so that the 5 percent of the time when you need to be tough, you can be.”

Are women leaders more communal?

Tightrope


What Works for

Women at Work

Tightrope Individual Strategies, Too Masculine? Negotiation

Make the request communal

Express concern for relationships

‘Blame’ it on someone else

Sources: Bowles & Babcock, 2013; Amanatullah & Morris, 2010; Bernard, 2010.


What Works for

Women at Work

Tightrope Individual Strategies, Too Masculine? Self-‐Promotion

Form a posse

Praise your team


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Tightrope Individual Strategies, Too Masculine? Anger

If I look angry, it’s because I am angry because you’ve jeopardized (insert shared goal here).”

Gupta, 2013; Brescoll & Uhlmann, 2008.


What Works for

Women at Work

Tightrope Sponsorship

Your sponsor is part of your posse

…Is it weird? No.


What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall 59%


What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall Motherhood triggers the strongest form of gender bias

•  79% < likely to be hired • ½ as likely to be promoted •  Offered $11,000 less •  Higher performance & punctuality standards

Source: Correll, S.J., Benard, S. & Paik, I. (2007). Gepng a job: Is there a motherhood penalty? American Journal of Sociology, 112 (5), 1297–1338. SupporJng evidence: Heilman & Okimoto, 2008; Cuddy, Fiske, & Glick, 2004; Fuegen, Biernat, Haines, & Deaux, 2004.


What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

Indisputably competent and committed mothers •  Seen as less likeable •  Held to higher performance standards

Correll & Benard, 2010; Correll, Benard, & Paik, 2007; Cuddy, Fiske, & Glick, 2004; Fuegen, Biernat, Haines, & Deaux, 2004.

Hostile Prescriptive Bias


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Maternal Wall

I know this is not a good time for you…”

Hebl, M. R., King, E. B., Glick, P., Singletary, S. L., & Kazama, S. (2007). HosJle and benevolent reacJons toward pregnant women: complementary interpersonal punishments and rewards that maintain tradiJonal roles. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1499. Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (1996). The ambivalent sexism inventory: DifferenJaJng hosJle and benevolent sexism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 491-‐512; Schneider v. Northwestern University, 925 F. Supp. 1347 (N.D. Ill. 1996).

Benevolent Prescriptive Bias


What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

For women… For men…

Williams, Glass, Berdahl, 2012.

Flexibility Stigma


What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall Individual Strategies and Interrupters


What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

Remember that time….? She’s not here again!

She’s only part time Her husband supports her



What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

“You’d be perfect… Is it a good time for you? If not, no worries….”

How to Intervene


What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

Counter bias with information.

Davison & Burke, 2000; Seta, Seta, & Goodman, 1998; Fiske, 1991; Prago & Bargh, 1991; Glick, Zion, & Neslon, 1988; Heilman, 1984; Locksley, Hepburn, & OrJz, 1982; Locksley, Borgida, Brekke, & Hepburn, 1980.



What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

When you return from maternity leave...



What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

If you are willing to travel, say so.



What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

If you are the primary earner, say so.



What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

If your partner is willing to follow you, say so.



What Works for

Women at Work

Maternal Wall

Time norms con9late face time with commitment

Making the business case for PT Don’t apologize When is it important to be there?



What Works for

Women at Work

“

Maternal Wall

My wife could never leave her kids.”

Tolstoy was Wrong

I’m sure that’s right for her but…


What Works for

Women at Work

Tug of War 55%


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Tug of War

The [older] women…always very encouraging, very helpful and very kind to me.”

Hall, E.V. (2012, June). [Interview for NSF Tools for Change Project]. Unpublished data.


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Tug of War

Opportunities for women are very zero-‐sum. If one woman gets a prized position…another woman won’t. And so it breeds a sense of competition.”

Source: Williams, J.C. & Dempsey, R.W. (in press). What works for women at work: Four pagerns every working woman needs to know (forthcoming NYU, February 2014. SupporJng evidence: Zatz, 2002; Ely, 1994a & 1994b; Keller & Moglen, 1987; Kanter, 1997a & 1997b.

Tokenism


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Tug of War

I’m not a girl at Google, I’m a geek at Google.”

Derks, Ellemers, van Laar, & de Groot, 2011; Derks, Van Laar, Ellemers, & de Groot, 2011; Ellemers, Heuvel, Glider, Maass, & Bonvini, 2004.

Women Who Experience Discrimination Early in Their Career

-‐ Marissa Mayer


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Tug of War

“Females are harder on their female assistants, more detail oriented, and they have to try harder to prove themselves, so they put that on you.”

Prove-‐It-‐Again Pass-‐through

www.abajournal.com/news/article/not_one_legal_secretary_surveyed_preferred_working_with_women_lawyers_prof_.


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Tug of War

I’ve seen lots of senior women behave that way, [not only] working long hours, but even adopting male mannerisms [and being] really aggressive…”

Huang, P.M., (n.d.) Gender bias in academia: Findings from focus groups, San Francisco, CA: The Center for WorkLife Law. Retrieved February 14, 2013, from hgp://worklifelaw.org/pubs/gender-‐bias-‐academia.pdf.

Tightrope Pass-‐through


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Tug of War

I’m on kind of a backlash mission …I wear dresses, I bake cookies for my group meetings, I bring my child to class with me.…I’m not going to compete as a boy because I’m not a boy.”

Huang, P.M., (n.d.) Gender bias in academia: Findings from focus groups, San Francisco, CA: The Center for WorkLife Law. Retrieved February 14, 2013, from hgp://worklifelaw.org/pubs/gender-‐bias-‐academia.pdf.

Gen(d)erational Issues


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Tug of War

I worked long hours and my kids are Wine.”

Mommy Wars

“They are just reinforcing stereotypes.”

“I had to make hard choices.” Childless:

Childfree:


What Works for

Women at Work

Tug of War Individual Strategies and Interrupters


What Works for

Women at Work

Tug of War

ConWlicts among women? Black women less likely to feel women support each other

Ask yourself: Are they a symptom of gender bias?

How to Intervene


What Works for

Women at Work

Tug of War

Recognize the limits of sisterhood


… do men always support men?


What Works for

Women at Work

“

Tug of War

Make an enemy into an ally.


My sense—and I may be wrong– is that you do not always see me in the best light …”


What Works for

Women at Work

Tug of War

Senior Women


Remember younger women’s experience is different.


What Works for

Women at Work

Tug of War

Younger Women


Remember senior women may not have as much power as you think.


What Works for

Women at Work

Tug of War Individual Strategies

Get women working together with women, and not just on women’s issues.


What Works for

Women at Work

Tug of War Individual Strategies

With your admin… Black and white “It’s personal…”


What Works for

Women at Work

Organizational change

Institutional Interrupters


What Works for

Women at Work

Metrics-‐Driven Bias Interrupters

Tightrope Maternal Wall

Tug of War

Joan C. Williams, Harvard Business Review Oct. 2014


What Works for

Women at Work

Organizational Change

1.  Do a 4 patterns assessment: is bias playing out in everyday work interactions?

2.  Develop an objective metric 3.  Implement a bias interrupter 4.  If metric doesn’t change, ratchet up

Williams, 2014


What Works for

Women at Work

Example: Promotion Rates

1.  Assessment 2.  Metrics showed difference in promotion

rates 3.  Bias interrupter: have someone trained

to spot bias read all performance evaluations

4.  Redesign evals/provide workshops

Williams, 2014


What Works for

Women at Work

Example: OfWice Housework

1.  Assessment 2.  Metric: glamour work/housework 3.  Gentle interrupter: training 4.  See if metric changes; if not, ratchet up

Williams, 2014


What Works for

Women at Work

Want To Take This Information Back To Your Organization? Visit www.womensleadershipedge.org/ to learn about WorkLife Law’s new membership program. Email Chelsey Crowley at [email protected] for details.

An Initiative of the Center for WorkLife Law at UC Hastings College of the Law

What Works for Women at Work WhatWorks%% Practical% …

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