Semester of Graduation
Spring 2025
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
As Black women gain representation in business and entrepreneurial leadership, it is important to consider how these women will be perceived as leaders. Role congruity theory (RCT) posits that women’s gender roles do not align with the leadership role which often negatively impacts leader evaluations. However, RCT is often employed without a racial context where women are presumed to be White, and thus, it is unclear if the same assumptions can be applied to Black women. Leadership scholars have identified the ways in which attributions and expectations of leaders are shaped by both demographic characteristics and behavioral events. Because Black women possess a more masculine stereotype content, their gender role may align better with a leadership role, when compared to White women.
By integrating RCT with MOSAIC as an intersectional theoretical framework to assess the differences in stereotype content between Black and White women, I tested the boundary conditions for RCT, as its assumptions heavily draw upon research reflecting White women. By also studying race as a factor, I tested whether race moderates leadership incongruence for women (in comparison to men). Lastly, I extended work on the multifaceted nature of agency by adding a racial component and assessing agency (dis)advantages. The pilot study validated vignettes to test this multidimensional operationalization of agency. The main study found that the type of agency behavior impacted leader evaluations, such that competent and diligent behaviors received higher evaluations, regardless of gender and race. Additionally, exploratory analyses revealed that race in isolation as well as the interaction of race, gender, and behavior, may play a role in “first impression” leader evaluations.
Date
12-2-2024
Recommended Citation
Roux, Sydney, "Addressing Agency in Intersectional Leadership: The Consequences of Agentic Leader Behaviors for Black and White Men and Women in Leadership" (2024). LSU Master's Theses. 6077.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/6077
Committee Chair
Burke, Vanessa
