The impact of gender and ethnic stereotypes on women’s leadership evaluations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24231653 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Arief B Kartolo (0000-0002-7206-130X, University of Windsor), Catherine T Kwantes (0000-0002-7457-3018, University of Windsor), Saba Ghadiri (0009-0004-3346-3658, University of Windsor) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-20 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-30 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Equal Opportunities International (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1758-7093 • E-ISSN: 2040-7149 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/edi-06-2025-0444 |
| OpenAlex | W7140425471 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 54 |
Purpose Through an intersectional lens, this study explores the stereotypes women hold of eight demographic identities in leadership roles, intersecting gender and ethnic identities. Design/methodology/approach The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) (Fiske et al., 2002) was used as a standardized framework to understand the impact of demographic stereotypes on leadership expectations. A total of 125 employed female participants completed three questionnaires to assess stereotype content as well as their emotional and behavioural reactions to the stereotypes. Cluster analyses were used to determine the clusters of stereotypes along the warmth and competence dimensions, and differences between the clusters were analysed. Findings This study found that all leaders, regardless of demographic identity, were evaluated with high warmth and high competence. Despite overall positive ratings, however, biases persisted. Social implications Findings reaffirmed the pervasive impact of societal biases and highlighted the barriers that women and ethnic minority individuals must continue to navigate in the workplace. Originality/value Most research on stereotypes and their consequences has overlooked the complex interplay of multiple identity dimensions. This study is among the few that explicitly examine evaluations of leadership expectations through an intersectional lens, applying the SCM in leadership studies. It also focuses on women’s perspectives, amplifying a historically underrepresented voice in workplace research. Findings suggest that organizational roles can function as salient identity dimensions in their own right, indicating that understanding stereotypes of intersecting identities in the workplace should extend beyond demographic categories to include the influence of role-based identities.
ethnic minority women · ethnic stereotypes · gender stereotypes · Intersectionality · leadership assessment · organizational roles · stereotype content model · warmth and competence · women in leadership · workplace bias · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Social and Intergroup Psychology
Nations' income inequality predicts ambivalence in stereotype content
White fears and native apprehensions
Gender stereotypes have changed
A test of leadership categorization theory
Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders.
Backlash towards male versus female leaders' interpersonal emotion management strategy use
An intersectionality perspective of Organizational stereotypes and Interpersonal dynamics
Implicit bias, intersectionality, compositionality
Description and Prescription
Warmth and Competence as Universal Dimensions of Social Perception
Navigating the social world
The Multiple Dimensions of Gender Stereotypes
Introduction
Moving beyond the model minority
Women and women of color in leadership
A 10 Nation Exploration of Trustworthiness in The Workplace
An exploration of unspoken bias
Beyond gender role stereotypes and requisite managerial characteristics
Perceived gendered expectations
Prejudice against Women Leaders
Negative Stereotypes Deconstructed and Transformed in the Experience of Native American Academics
It's all relative
Cultural stereotypes as gatekeepers
Mapping the Margins
The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research
The Bias map
Putting the "affirm" into affirmative action
The halo effect
A model of (often mixed) stereotype content
Organizational culture, perceived societal and organizational discrimination
When Professionals Become Mothers, Warmth Doesn't Cut the Ice
Stereotypes as Dynamic Constructs
Stereotypes of Social Groups in Germany in Terms of Warmth and Competence
| Highly cited | No |
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