Gender in the Workplace: Experiences and Challenges

The four papers in this symposium highlight the complex ways in which gender, leadership, and individual and organizational dynamics are intricately tied. Despite the strides that have been made, organizations seem to persistently face challenges concerning gender, leadership and identity barriers (e.g. Catalyst, 2022; Heilman et al., 2024; Leslie & Flynn, 2022), calling for research that addresses how to manage those challenges. In navigating these multifaceted dynamics, our symposium highlights the need for organizations to recognize the complexities associated with gender, leadership, and both the promises and potential challenges arising from diversity policies and initiatives (Carli & Eagly, 2011; Leslie, 2019; Lyness & Groto, 2018). We therefore aim to enhance an understanding of women's career advancement and their experiences at the workplace by investigating how leader identity and leader behaviors are differently perceived and enacted by men and women (Papers 1 and 2). Further, we aim to offer insights into the effects of gender diversity to understand how organizations can promote gender equality and female representation in leadership position while accounting for both intended and unintended effects of these organizational initiatives (Papers 3 and 4).