It Is Not My Place! Psychological Standing and Men’s Voice and Participation in Gender-Parity Initiatives

What is it about?

Attempts to improve gender parity in the workplace are more effective when organizations mobilize their entire workforce, including men, to participate by contributing ideas, volunteering, or serving as champions in gender-parity initiatives. Frequently, however, men avoid participating in such initiatives. Importantly, even men who show positive attitudes toward such initiatives often hesitate to participate. This paper explains one reason for such hesitation and suggests ways organizations can address this challenge. Four studies indicate that men often believe they have a lower psychological standing with respect to gender-parity initiatives, that is, they believe they don’t have the legitimacy to participate. Quite simply, they think, “It’s not my place.” In our studies, we show that low psychological standing explains men’s poor participation even when accounting for possible sexist or discriminatory attitudes toward gender parity. Recognizing this phenomenon, organizations can increase men’s participation in gender-parity initiatives by specifically inducing psychological standing, for instance, by stating how men’s participation is critical to the initiatives and the organization itself. These overt actions can give men the psychological standing—and permission—to participate and enhance their involvement.

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