Gender and Leadership in Organisations: The Threat of Backlash

Abstract

Decisions made by leaders please some people and upset others. We examine whether the possibility of backlash has a differential impact on men’s and women’s self-selection into leadership roles, and their decisions as leaders. In a laboratory experiment that simulates corporate decision-making, we find that women are significantly less likely to self-select into a leadership position when they can receive backlash. Once in a leadership role, women get more backlash. There are some gender differences in leaders’ decision-making and communication styles under the threat of backlash, but little difference in final outcomes. An online experiment sheds light on possible mechanisms.