Those who excel at behaving in this way can have an edge over their peers. But because these behaviors are traditionally seen as “masculine,” women often feel ostracized from the conversation.
The emphasis on male behavior extends to business schools — a trend that has drawn attention Nicole Stephens when he went from working in psychology to vocational school.
“It was very striking to me how masculinist some of the norms are in classroom cultures in business school settings, especially compared to other disciplines in the social sciences or humanities,” says Stephens, a professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School.
Along with a team of researchers, she studied how this male role model affects classroom dynamics among business school students. They found that, on average, it was associated with women participating in the class less often than men.
“Even when you have about 40 percent women in a trade school class, which is pretty much balanced, you still have this gender gap [in participation]says Stephens. “Men are more comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions and take up more airtime than their female peers.”
However, this was not the case in every class. In classrooms where teachers behaved in ways that deviated from the male norm—conveying more warmth, accessibility, and responsiveness, for example—student participation was about even between men and women. In other words, the elements of teachers’ behavior and the culture that their behavior promoted ultimately shaped how willing students were to participate in the classroom.
“It’s really fascinating that subtle behavioral differences on the part of the professor can make such a profound difference in who feels able to speak up and share their voice,” says Stephens.
Business standards
With the business world long dominated by men, it’s no surprise that business culture tends to reflect traditionally male behavior – assertive, competitive and agentic. But when Stephens noticed how this rule prevailed even in business schools, long before most students had a chance to establish themselves in business, she was motivated to understand what might be driving this trend.
So he teamed up with a team of researchers—including Mindy Truong from the University of California, Riverdale. Hannah Birnbaum of Washington University in St. Louis. Andrea Dittmann and Sarah Townsend of the Marshall School of Business. Lydia Emery of the University of Chicago; and Rebecca Carey of Princeton University—to take a closer look at the dynamics of business school classrooms.
The researchers examined video recordings of 76 MBA courses at a Midwest business school, with 3,159 students and 46 faculty members.
After tracking each instance of student engagement, the team found that women participated disproportionately less often than men, suggesting that women likely felt less welcome to participate in the classroom. The pattern held even after accounting for differences in class size, gender diversity, and opportunities for participation.
And the pattern, Stephens says, could have a domino effect.
“If you feel included, comfortable and have a voice, then you’re more likely to speak up,” she says. “And if you speak up, you’re more likely to get a better grade, and that can then shape how you see yourself in the classroom or professional environment and the types of jobs you have access to.”
Subtle cues, big impact
As part of their study, Stephens and her colleagues also monitored teacher behavior. They rated the teachers’ warmth, likeability, comfort, and formality to determine whether they used more masculine or feminine cues, regardless of their gender.
For example, teachers who used an approachable speaking style, made eye contact with students, and used humor or disarming language were characterized as showing more feminine behavioral cues than teachers who maintained a flat, formal style. And teachers who exhibited these feminine behaviors were rated as warmer.
Although many of these behavioral cues were subtle, the researchers found that they were related to student engagement. When items of teacher behavior in the classroom were more masculine during the lesson, men participated significantly more often than women. But this gap in participation completely disappeared when teachers’ behavior during class was more feminine.
“These are small, subtle differences; it’s not like there’s been any drastic change in class structure or the type of teachers,” says Stephens. This suggests that, “in theory, there are small changes that teachers could make that could instill a much more inclusive climate where everyone feels like they can share the classroom space more equally.”
The researchers conducted a follow-up study to test this idea. They asked 458 vocational school students to imagine themselves in a vocational school classroom. Students were randomly assigned to read a description of a teacher who displayed either more feminine behavioral cues (“friendly smile,” “relaxed posture,” “dynamic tone”) or more neutral behavioral cues (“steady, flat voice,” “neutral expression”). Students then suggested how they might react.
Overall, when the teacher used neutral cues, women were less likely than men to say they would participate. But when the teacher used feminine cues, women and men were equally likely to say they would participate, and both were more likely to say they would feel included.
A culture of inclusion
The findings show that even small, everyday behaviors by teachers can have a significant impact on students’ experiences. The effect can be particularly strong in gateway environments such as universities that are generally meant to prepare the way for people’s future success.
It further speaks to the importance of a culture of inclusion, where people feel they have a voice and can participate in their classroom or work to the best of their ability, Stephens says. When it comes to addressing gender differences within institutions, “it’s not enough to let people in the door; we also need to think about what happens after people gain access.”
Although these lessons emerge from a classroom setting, Stephens believes the same dynamic is also likely to occur in business meetings or other organizational interactions. And assuming that’s the case, leaders should consider what kind of culture they’re creating and whether their team feels safe enough to speak up in critical moments.
“Rules set early on about who has a voice and who is respected when they speak can have long-term consequences for people’s engagement and outcomes over time,” she says. “So I would encourage us to be more aware of how our behavior reflects these rules and [how we can] create a culture that is more welcoming and open to everyone’s perspective.”
