Running Head: IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION OF TRADITIONAL POWER

IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION OF POWER21

Implicit Association of Traditional Power Characteristics with Males

Elizabeth A. Deters, Alexander A. Salgat, and Claire E. Thelen

Central Michigan University

Abstract

This paper looks into the view of power in the business world through both primary and secondary research. Specifically, the idea of the role that gender plays in power was researched. Through secondary sources, a survey, and interviews, the authors were able to discover more about the perceptions of power in the business world and how it differentiated between men and women. The team discovered that there are certain characteristics associated with power, some of the characteristics are associated with different genders, and that if women attempt to embody male power characteristics to become more powerful, it is often ineffective. Comment by a.bruins14@gmail.com: I think you guys would be safe to use we and other first-person indicators, since you did so in the rest of your paper.

Implicit Association of Traditional Power Characteristics with Males

Introduction

She worked so hard in college to attain this degree. She feels confident in her abilities, yet she still has that nervous ache in her stomach that she isnt good enough--that this isnt the right job for her. The field is dominated by men. She should have listened to all the people that told her this wasnt a womans job. Stop. She shakes off the doubts and worries and walks into the plant that she is going to be working in. She isnt quite sure where she needs to go, but she sees a group of men ahead. She approaches the group and asks, Excuse me, but does anyone know where I need to go? For a few seconds that feel like hours, the room is silent. Then, one of the men speaks up. He smiles and says, Oh sweetheart, the secretaries are upstairs on the left. She is taken aback. She doesnt remember anyone calling her sweetheart since she was a child. And, did he just advise her to join the secretaries? She replies the only way she knows and says, Oh, Im an engineer. Again, silence. And then, the men laughed at her.Comment by a.bruins14@gmail.com: This introduction is great! As a reader, I feel compelled to continue and want to hear more about what youre going to say.

You might be thinking that this is a gross exaggeration. And, in some instances, you would be correct. But, in others, this isnt far from the truth. Certain positions are associated with certain genders[footnoteRef:1]. If you hear secretary, you think of a woman. If you hear engineer, you think of a man. This works the same for hairdresser, nurse, caretaker, soldier, mail carrier, and construction worker. We have a picture in our mind of what these individuals look like, and they are usually the stereotypical gender of the position. This is not all bad. However, it gets interesting when we move onto abstract words like power and leadership. These words are often gendered as well and associated with men; we might not want to admit it, but these implicit gender biases often lurk under the surface. Do our implicit associations of power with the male gender contribute to the shortage of females in high positions in business? Possibly. If this is a cause, we must first identify the characteristics of a powerful individual and seek to understand how these associations are formed and nurtured.Comment by a.bruins14@gmail.com: This almost seems like too hefty of a topic to tackle for the short page length requirement of this project. But maybe I will be proven wrong.(: Perhaps try to refine the wording of this paragraph to make it a little more specific? [1: We recognize that gender is not binary, but we will be focusing on the differences between men and women for the scope of our research.]

Women have always been underrepresented in positions of power such as in executive roles and management positions. Compared to population statistics, power positions (specifically the position of chief executive officer but also other chief officers as well) filled by women are extremely low. This trend has continued in the business realm until recent times when gender equality within firms has become an important, well-discussed topic. Although gender equality in the business environment has recently improved, only 4% of firms comprising the S&P 500 currently have females in the CEO position (Women, 2016, par. 1). Certainly, this statistical difference is necessary when considering factors which contribute to male and female equality in the workplace. Business giants such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and others have published research and conducted conferences to better understand this difference (Fraczak, Krzywosz-Rynkiewicz & Winiewska-Jusczak, 2012).Comment by a.bruins14@gmail.com: Wow. This is mind-boggling to me.

Because of such a difference in the division of power between males and females in business power positions, we expected that men and women would have drastically different perceptions of power. We used methods such as a survey, interviews, secondary research, and authorial analysis to investigate personal perceptions of power between the genders and identify the characteristics traditionally associated with power. Understanding of personal perceptions of power proves important in that it provides a basis for the statistical equalizing of gender in business power positions. A greater awareness of our implicit gender power biases will hopefully help eliminate these biases.Comment by a.bruins14@gmail.com: I get what youre trying to say in this sentence, but the wording is a little awkward.Comment by a.bruins14@gmail.com: A solid beginning for explaining the relevance of your research. I would suggest you expand upon your ideas maybe add another paragraph because this seems too significant of an issue to convince your audience of its importance in just two sentences.

Background & Secondary Research

Power Defined

When it comes to power in the business environment, the characteristics which repeatedly share space with it are to be expected. Knowledge and the ability to influence others both organizationally above and below an employee are often the most commonly associated characteristics; their presence made itself known both in the primary and secondary areas of research. Fraczak, Krzywosz-Rynkiewicz, and Winiewska-Jusczak, professional researchers with Deloitte, one of the worlds top five financial services firms in terms of revenue, argue the following:Comment by a.bruins14@gmail.com: I had to dig a little to figure out what this was trying to say. You may want to clarify the meaning of this paragraph a little so your reader doesnt have to work too hard.

Power is the ability to influence others, to build your position within the structure and to adapt to the environment and circumstances in such a way so as to be able to take decisions, push through your ideas, put into action your concept of work and cooperation within and outside the company. This perspective makes power more familiar for business organisations (p. 5).

Defining power strictly in terms of a business atmosphere allows for the deletion of such denotations that concern power in terms of physical strength (physical strength as a form of power may be more relevant within an athletic atmosphere) and other situationally dependent forms of power that are not extremely relevant in the world of business. The definition of power provided by the researchers is also rather broad and vague even though it narrows the definition of power down to a business environment. The term position refers to the organizational level which an individual holds within a business and position is extremely relevant to power. A top level executive, for example, may retain more decision-making say-so than an entry level staff member and may therefore be able to push decisions through based solely on that factor. The influence of that executive compared to the ability of the staff member to influence peers could very well be in favor of the latter yet the position of the executive, and the power that accompanies the position, is what ultimately allows the decision to be pushed through. Comment by a.bruins14@gmail.com: A good overview of these definitions! Its especially helpful for non-business oriented audience members to get a thorough background.

Influence can portray itself in a variety of ways. It can, for instance, be a forced tactic of manipulation or it can be observed in more peaceful manner through constructive, democratic discourse. Whatever the case, influence, and therefore power, begins first-most with knowledge. To adapt to the environment and circumstances requires that knowledge of a differing environment must first be available. The bare minimum of recognizing a need for adaptation is certainly a form of knowledge; past recognizing that need, the necessity for more and more knowledge only grows as an individual attempts to conform to environment-specific rules, regulations, and customs. Knowledge is associated with power because it allows for an individual to be more influential. One who recognizes a different environment and is able to evolve to fit in with that environment is more likely to have his or her word taken more seriously than one who stands out in the crowd as an outsider. Knowledge, therefore, is necessary for influence--which defines power. Comment by a.bruins14@gmail.com: Great logic! It might help a bit to add some examples to help your reader internalize your concepts.

Characteristics of Power & Gender

Individuals described as powerful often embody certain key characteristics in addition to having knowledge and influence. These characteristics range everything from financial success to directness