Efforts to allyship can face pushback in the workplace. We explain why this happens and what leaders can do about it.

When leaders visibly champion diversity and equality in the workplace, they send a clear message that such values ​​are not only encouraged, but essential to the organization’s culture. Allyship can significantly improve the workplace experience of marginalized employees by amplifying their voices and addressing inequities.

One of the key focuses of allyship is addressing gender disparities in the workplace. Women face many challenges in the workplace, including being underrepresented in leadership positions and experiencing higher rates of harassment. Gender collaboration from leaders is especially needed given the barriers that women continue to face in the workplace.

But how do male employees react when they witness acts of gender allyship by their leaders? Will they follow suit, or will their reactions undermine these efforts? ? This question is especially important because male employees typically outnumber allyship-oriented leaders in organizations. As a result, their reactions to the alliance can significantly influence its effectiveness.

How do male employees respond to alliances?

To better understand this issue, our research examined how male employees respond to their leaders’ cooperation across three studies. 946 male employees from various industries participated in the survey.

We used an experimental design to systematically investigate the factors that shape male employees’ responses to cooperation with their leaders. This approach allowed us to isolate the influence of situational and individual factors on responses.

To study gender alliances, participants were shown scenarios in which a leader spoke in support of gender equality, and their subsequent reactions were measured. This scenario features a statement by Marc de Bersens, an executive at the French bank BNP Paribas, which clearly expresses support for gender equality.

We found that a key factor shaping how male employees respond to alliances is the sense of connection they feel with their leaders. This sense of connectedness, in turn, is influenced by the context and credibility of the leader’s commitment to the alliance. This connection can amplify or weaken a leader’s influence, highlighting the spillover effects of alliances.

Alliances can spread, or they can backfire.

Our research shows that whether male employees feel connected to their workplace leaders determines whether they respond positively to their leaders’ cooperation. Employees who feel connected to their leaders are more likely to trust and respect them, and are more likely to imitate their leaders’ behaviors. Thus, leader allyship can encourage male employees to act as allies to their female colleagues.

However, the opposite effect can also occur. When male employees feel isolated from their leader allies, this alliance can backfire and reduce male employees’ support for their female colleagues.

The context in which alliances take place is important. In male-dominated industries and teams, alliances can seem out of place or insincere. For example, at a technology company with few female engineers, allyship efforts can appear forced and be met with skepticism and even backlash against female colleagues.

Our findings show that in workplaces with fewer women, male employees are more likely to feel isolated from alliance leaders, which leads to actions that undermine alliance relationships, such as excluding women from work-related projects. may cause.

The credibility of the alliance also plays an important role. Leaders who back up their allyship statements with concrete actions to advance gender equality foster strong connections with male employees and encourage them to become allies themselves.

However, even true alliances often fail to inspire male employees in male-dominated contexts, and alliance efforts can still be perceived as insincere or misplaced. This highlights a contradiction. Alliances are most needed in male-dominated environments, where they are most likely to backfire.

Prevent alliances from backfiring

To encourage male employees to become allies without risking backfire, our research suggests three practical strategies for workplace leaders.

1. Foster connections. Leaders must prioritize building authentic relationships with their teams. When male employees feel connected to their leader allies, they are more likely to emulate their behaviors.

Leaders can foster connection by listening to employees’ concerns, demonstrating humility, and soliciting employee input on workplace issues. Involving employees in diversity decisions builds a sense of inclusion and purpose.

Ultimately, employees are more likely to follow leaders they see as empathetic and committed to their well-being. Our research shows that leaders who already have strong connections with their employees are in the best position to foster alliances.

2. Reliability of modeling. True alliances are characterized by consistent actions, not just words. Leaders who take concrete steps, such as mentoring women, supporting flexible work policies, and addressing bias, are seen as trustworthy and foster connections. This connection is key to fostering alliances among male employees.

Authenticity not only fosters connections, it also reinforces an organization’s values ​​and makes alliances a visible priority rather than a superficial gesture. But even true alliances can be difficult in male-dominated environments.

On the other hand, performative alliances, where leaders talk about alliances but don’t act consistently, can backfire and lead to decreased support for female colleagues. Therefore, it is important for leaders to align their actions with their expressions of support.

3. Use storytelling. In environments where employees are resistant to alliances, storytelling can be an effective tool for making alliances more familiar.

Organizations such as Microsoft feature articles about alliances on their websites. Our research supports this approach. By sharing relatable stories about male employees who participate in allyship, leaders can normalize allyship behavior.

For example, a leader might share a story about a male employee who spoke up about a biased promotion process. This approach is especially impactful when your story features allies, making alliances more accessible and encouraging others to mirror this behavior. Such stories can bridge the gap between ideals and everyday practices and show how alliances can unfold in everyday scenarios.

Promoting equality in the workplace

Alliances of leaders have the potential to advance gender equality in the workplace, but their success will depend on how well leaders can work with employees, the credibility of their actions, and the implementation of these efforts. It depends on the situation.

By fostering authentic connections, acting consistently, and using storytelling to normalize alliances, leaders can help ensure that alliance efforts spread without backfiring.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.