Gender, Risk, and Leadership

Abstract

Daily human interactions are likely to bear the weight of society’s gendered expectations. Gender stereotypes (i.e., descriptive beliefs) manifested through such gendered expectations, garnered throughout history across cultures, define ideal male and female characteristics and dictate how exemplary men and women should behave. Gender roles are the sum of these stereotypes. Agentic (e.g., competitive, aggressive) characteristics are commonly considered typical male traits, whereas communal (e.g., warm, kind) characteristics are associated with the female. Without even consciously knowing, human minds learn how to view members of society based on these gendered traits, even though people usually have a mix of both agentic and communal characteristics regardless of their gender (e.g., Hyde, 2005; Larsen & Seidman, 1986). What happens when women do not comply with these deep-rooted gendered beliefs? The three essays comprising this doctoral dissertation explore women’s deviations from these shared expectations. Women are seen as defying societal expectations by acting agentic, such as taking risks and being in a top leadership position. Drawing upon behavioral economics, management, and applied psychology literature, this dissertation investigates women who do not fit into stereotypes.