When leaders visibly champion diversity and equality in the workplace, they send a clear message that such values are not only encouraged, but integral to their organization's culture. Allyship can significantly improve workplace experiences for marginalized employees by amplifying their voices and addressing injustice.
Authors
- Zhanna Lyubykh
Assistant Professor, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University
- Natalya M Alonso
Assistant Professor in Management and Organization Studies, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University
- Nick Turner
Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Future Fund Chair in Leadership, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
One critical focus of allyship is tackling gender disparities in the workplace. Women face many challenges in the workplace, including being under-representated in leadership positions and experiencing higher rates of harassment . Given the workplace barriers women continue to face, gender allyship from leaders is especially needed.
But how do male employees respond when they witness acts of gender allyship from their leaders? Do they follow suit or react in ways that undercut these efforts? This question is particularly important because male employees typically outnumber allyship-focused leaders in organizations. As a result, their reactions to allyship can greatly affect its efficacy.
How male employees respond to allyship
To better understand this issue, our research explored how male employees respond to leader allyship across three studies. A total of 946 male employees from various industries took part in our research.
We used experimental designs to systematically explore the factors shaping male employees' responses to leader allyship. This approach allowed us to isolate the influence of contextual and individual factors on their reactions.
To study gender allyship, we exposed participants to scenarios where a leader made statements supporting gender equality and then measured their reactions. The scenario featured a statement from Marc De Belsunce , an executive at French bank BNP Paribas, that explicitly expresses support for gender equality.
We found that a critical factor that shapes how male employees respond to allyship is the sense of connection they feel with their leaders. This sense of connection is, in turn, influenced by the context and authenticity of their leader's allyship efforts. This connection can either amplify or weaken a leader's impact, underscoring the ripple effect of allyship.
Allyship can spread - or backfire
Our research shows that male employees' sense of connection with their workplace leaders determine whether they react positively to leader allyship. Employees who feel connected to their leaders tend to trust and respect them and are more likely to emulate their behaviours. In this way, a leader's allyship can inspire male employees to act as allies to their female colleagues.
However, the opposite effect can also occur. When male employees feel disconnected from ally leaders, this allyship can backfire, reducing male employees' support for female coworkers.
The context where allyship takes place matters. In male-dominated industries or teams, allyship can seem out of place or disingenuous. For example, in a tech company with few women engineers, allyship initiatives might appear forced, leading to skepticism and even backlash against women colleagues.
Our results show that in workplaces with few women, male employees are more likely to feel disconnected from ally leaders, which can trigger behaviours that undermine allyship, like excluding women from work-related projects.
The authenticity of allyship also plays a key role. Leaders who back up their allyship statements with concrete actions to promote gender equality foster strong connections with male employees, inspiring them to become allies themselves.
Yet, even authentic allyship often fails to inspire male employees in male-dominated contexts, where allyship efforts may still be perceived as disingenuous or out of place. This highlights a paradox: allyship is most needed in male-dominated settings, yet is most likely to backfire there.
Ensuring allyship doesn't backfire
To encourage male employees to become allies without risking backfire, our research offers three practical strategies for workplace leaders.
1. Fostering connections. Leaders should prioritize building genuine relationships with their teams. When male employees feel connected to an ally leader, they're more likely to emulate their behaviours.
Leaders can foster connection by listening to employees' concerns, showing humility and seeking input from them on workplace issues . Involving employees in decisions around diversity can build a sense of unity and purpose.
Ultimately, employees are more inclined to follow leaders they see as both relatable and committed to their well-being. Our research suggests that leaders who already have strong connections with employees are best positioned to encourage allyship.
2. Modelling authenticity. Authentic allyship is marked by consistent actions, not just words. Leaders who take tangible steps - such as mentoring women, supporting flexible work policies and addressing bias - are seen as trustworthy and inspire connection. This connection is key to promoting allyship among male employees.
Authenticity not only fosters connection but also reinforces organizational values, making allyship a visible priority rather than a superficial gesture. However, in male-dominated settings, even authentic allyship can be challenging.
Performative allyship, on the other hand, where leaders speak about allyship but fail to act consistently, can backfire, eliciting reduced support for female colleagues. As such, it is critical for leaders to align their actions with their declarations of support.
3. Leveraging storytelling. In settings where employees are resistant to allyship , storytelling can be an effective tool to make it seem more relatable.
Organizations like Microsoft have featured stories about allyship on their websites . Our research supports this approach: by sharing relatable stories about male employees engaging in allyship, leaders can normalize allyship behaviours.
A leader might share a story about a male employee speaking up about a biased promotion process, for instance. This approach is especially impactful when the story features a peer, making allyship more accessible and encouraging others to mirror this behaviour. Such stories can bridge the gap between ideals and daily practice, illustrating how allyship can unfold in everyday scenarios.
Advancing equality at work
Leader allyship holds promise for advancing workplace gender equality, but its success depends on how well leaders connect with their employees, the authenticity of their actions and the context in which these efforts are made.
By fostering genuine connections, acting consistently and using storytelling to normalize allyship, leaders can help ensure their allyship efforts spread rather than backfire.
Zhanna Lyubykh receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Beedie School of Business (Simon Fraser University).
Natalya M Alonso receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Beedie School of Business (Simon Fraser University).
Nick Turner receives research funding from Cenovus Energy Inc., Haskayne School of Business's Future Fund, Mitacs, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
