BOSTON, Mass. --- A new study by Northeastern University published in the January edition of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin may show that men and women both form dominance hierarchies but act differently when first entering a new group as they seek to understand its power structure.
The study, authored by psychologist Marianne Schmid Mast, has implications for better understanding the way particularly women in power ally themselves with their colleagues and employees.
The study, conducted at Northeastern University and the University of Zurich in Switzerland, is the first to examine women's patterns in dominance structures. Mast says that the subject has particular relevance, given the increasing number of women in more powerful positions in businesses across the country.
"Hierarchical structures among women will become an important issue in the upcoming years, since more women will occupy high-status working positions in our society and will collaborate not only with male but with female subordinates," Mast says. "Many believe that women, often thought to feel uncomfortable in a traditionally male hierarchical environment, suffer professionally because of their reaction toward hierarchies and therefore don't often reach top managerial positions."
Mast's study showed, however, that women too build hierarchies among themselves naturally, but that the way they determine their structure is different from men. In a social setting like an office social or a large meeting or gathering, women begin relationships in a more impartial manner, waiting to form hierarchies long after their male counterparts who tend to enter a room and dominate others, Mast says. But far from the notion of a "wilting flower," women gather their power slowly and carefully and form alliances just as hierarchical and powerful as men do.
There is, however, an important difference between women and men in how they form these hierarchies. In the first couple of minutes of interacting with strangers, some men immediately take charge of the situation while others just contribute. In all-women groups, there is a more democratic style of interaction and it is only after some time passes that women form hierarchies.
"Women may feel more comfortable to form hierarchies after getting to know the people in any new group," says Mast. "When running a business, for example, a newly hired female executive may feel the need to interact with her group before assigning work, while many men would immediately take charge and would delegate from the get-go."
During her study, Mast invited same-gender groups (58 women, 58 men, average age: 37.5) to a 45-minute discussion session that was repeated after a week with the same individuals. Participants were all parents and discussed child rearing, and the discussion sessions were videotaped to analyze group members' behavior.
Northeastern University, a private research institution located in Boston, Massachusetts, is a world leader in practice-oriented education. Building on its flagship cooperative education program, Northeastern links classroom learning with workplace experience and integrates professional preparation with study in the liberal arts and sciences. For more information, please visit http://www.neu.edu
Journal
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin