New tool to measure gender bias in the workplace may help finally eliminate it
A new way to measure the causes and magnitude of gender bias against women leaders in the workplace should make it easier to identify the sources of this kind of sexism and even help eliminate it, according to just-published research I co-authored. We surveyed more than 1,600 women in four industries—higher education, faith-based community organizations, health care and the legal profession—to better understand how women experience 15 common gender barriers, such as working in a male-dominated culture, the glass cliff and queen bee syndrome. We then used the findings to create a 47-item gender bias scale, which companies and other organizations can use to survey their women employees to more accurately and reliably measure their experiences with and perceptions of gender bias.