Gender and Leadership (scene 1)
​(in English)

The setup described here was initially developed for a program in language, rhetoric and communicative leadership, and the course module dealt language pragmatics and communication. The focus of the exercise is on communication and leadership, and how gender stereotypes may influence our impressions of a communicative event. The speech sample is inspired by dialogues described in Holmes (2005), and consists of a workplace interchange where a boss (Robin) tells an employee (Kim) off for not doing his/her job properly.

Unlike other cases under the project, this case was presented as  a so-called open-guise set-up (Soukup, 2013), where the respondents are informed of the design and purpose prior to the exercise. Respondents thus listen to both/all versions of the recording, but with some time lapse (a day) between each listening in order to avoid inter-text interference. For further descriptions of the set-up see Deutschmann & Steinvall forthcoming.

For practical reasons, we have so far only trialled comparative scenarios exploring differences in impressions of mixed-sex setups (F-M vs M-F). In addition, the primary focus of the quantitative analysis (statement responses) so far has been on the leader (Robin). Of course various other comparative combinations are possible, including a comparison of all four versions with focus on both Robin and Kim. Based on previous experience from the project (see Lindvall-Östling et al. 2019), however, we have found that trying to include too many aspects in one scenario lessens the pedagogic impact of the exercise and causes confusion. 

​see script below   

gender_and_leadership_script.pdf
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Version A: Male boss, female subordinate

Version B: Female boss, male subordinate

Version c: Female boss, female subordinate

Version D: Male boss, male subordinate

The scenarios can be combined in any fashion that you want. We do however advice you to leave time (a day or so) between each survey so that one does not remember and refer to what one has said in a previous survey. Want to try?

If you want to try out the case with your own class use QR-codes/links below for ready packages, but contact [email protected]  if you want to do this with a group so that we can set up a specific group for you and give you access to the results.

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Four versions

Version A: (Do this first) Male boss; female subordinate.
www.surveymonkey.com/r/9LMZ9Y2

Version B: Female boss, male subordinate.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DDY6N7K​

Version C: Female boss, female subordinate.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W9CVXFN​

Version D: Male boss, male subordinate.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W2BDPRR​​

Feel free to use the template for debriefing below - note that figures etc. should be replaced with your own results.

debriefing_template_leadership.pptx
File Size:	845 kb
File Type:	pptx

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Link to post-survey. Please let participants answer this after the seminar discussion!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R7N92JX

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Some Results from Previous Trials
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We have run the case as an open guise experiment whereby participants (N=63 so far) evaluate the boss in two mixed gender constellations (M-F and F-M). The overall results suggest that the male version is conceived as more rude and arrogant than the female version, which in turn is conceived as more professional and sympathetic.

​Figure 1. Open guise responses

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The above findings were also confirmed by the free text responses on the first impressions of the boss (Robin) and the subordinate (Kim). Below are wordcloud images of the adjectives and descriptive phrases used to  describe the two characters in the two versions.  ​

Figure 1. Word clouds of descriptions of male boss (Robin) and female subordinate (Kim)

Figure 2. Word clouds of descriptions of female boss (Robin) and male subordinate (Kim)

References
Holmes, Janet. 2005. “Leadership Talk: How do Leaders “Do Mentoring”, and Is Gender Relevant?”. Journal of Pragmatics 37 (11): 1779–800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2005.02.013

Soukup, Barbara. 2013. “On Matching Speaker (Dis)guises – Revisiting a Methodological Tradition. In Language (De)standardisation in Late Modern Europe: Experimental Studies edited by Tore Kristiansen and Stefan Grondelaers, 267–85. Oslo: Novus.

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