In Women we Trust? Gender-Status Mismatch and Trust in Professional Networks

Bibliographic Data

ID2368451
AuthorsEun Young Song (0000-0003-4443-3513, The Australian National University, Australia, corresponding author), Antoine Vernet (0000-0002-7546-9829, University College London, UK), Stephen Pryke (Deceased)
Year2022
Volume36
Issue6
Pages869-894
Publication date2022-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGender & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0891-2432 • E-ISSN: 1552-3977
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/08912432221128548
OpenAlexW4301603720
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited85

Although scholars have long acknowledged the importance of having effective networks in business, little is known about the role of women's professional status in the effectiveness of their networks. Drawing on gender-status beliefs theory, we examine how a woman's status affects levels of trust in the information that she shares with members of her professional network. We hypothesize that network members are likely to mistrust information from women because of a gender-status mismatch-a perceived mismatch between a woman's work-related high status and her low social status, due to widely held beliefs about women's lack of competence. By measuring three types of status and analyzing trust levels in 3,842 dyads from communication networks in a UK railway construction project from 2014 through 2015, we find that network members trust information from women who are in supervisory positions and are connected with central contacts less than information from low-status women. Our study extends the literature on gender-status beliefs and effective networks, and discusses practical implications

Social capital · Social status · Sociology · Structural holes · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Gender Politics and Representation · Psychology · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges

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