Week 4: Role Congruity Theory of Prejudice Toward Female Leaders

One of the most interesting (and personally I think wonderful) things about Solari is that fact that they have such a high representation of women in leadership positions. Of the four “bosses” of the company, 3/4 of them are females. This is contrary to the role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. This theory states this belief that a perceived incongruity between female gender roles and leadership roles gives rise to the following two forms of prejudice: viewing women less favorably than men in regards to a leadership position and rating the acts of a woman in a position of leadership as less favorable or less effective in comparison to a male.

While I understand that this theory is still prevalent in our society, and many large companies specifically throughout the U.S., I am so fortunate to be a part of a company that does not fit the norm of society. This company is filled with women who walk into the room and are heard everywhere they go. They make decisions and are able to do so with confidence due to the fact that they are respected by their co-workers and clients. Customers do not degrade these women because they understand they they are able to bring value and beauty to their businesses.

This environment where women head a company and are regarded as equals in every sense of the word is most definitely a modern movement, and I am thankful that I am able to experience changes like these. Mrs. Byrne is respected as a reputable businesswoman by all of her co-workers, men and women alike, and this is an interesting thing to note. As the business world is generally considered a male dominated workforce, it is amazing to see a woman in charge of a company’s finances and to see her male subordinates respect her entirely.

Part of me does wonder what these women would act like if the company was not filled with a majority of female employees. I would be interested to see if these women would change their actions to fulfill certain stereotypes in majority male offices, as suggested by the role congruity theory. While there are certainly many strides that have been taken (and still are being taken) to combat gender roles in the workforce, women still struggle to maintain a leadership position without males questioning their authority.

I am very fortunate to be an intern at a company where I do not have to experience blatant sexism in the office, however as I hope to one day enter the professional sports realm I do understand that this issue is something I will be facing for the rest of my life. Solari’s women have taught me how to consistently work in order to prove that you can compete with your opponents. Their confidence in their own abilities and works have inspired me and this confidence is something I will look to bring to every professional setting in the future. The best way to fight sexism is show you can do the exact same thing as a man, and even do it better.