Good for the goose and good for the gander: Examining positive psychological benefits of male allyship for men and women
Warren, M. A., Bordoloi, S., & Warren, M. T. (2020, October 23). Good for the goose and good for the gander: Examining positive psychological benefits of male allyship for men and women. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/9y5pk
Abstract:
Allyship is increasingly promoted as a tool to support gender diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, including in higher education institutions. Male allyship toward women can be a useful expression of men’s positive/caring masculinity, but little empirical research has examined if and how male allyship benefits men and women psychologically and socially. Using women’s other- and self-reports and men’s self-reports from 101 male-female colleague dyads in male-dominated departments, we tested a model involving men’s allyship, women’s inclusion and vitality, and men’s growth and work-family enrichment. As hypothesized, men’s growth mediated the link between their allyship and work-family enrichment, and women’s perceptions of men’s allyship predicted women’s vitality, both directly and through inclusion. However, men’s allyship was weakly associated with women’s perceptions of their allyship, and men’s benefits were unrelated to women’s inclusion or vitality. Findings highlight the importance of male allyship rooted in positive masculinity while underscoring disconnect between women’s and men’s experiences. The implications for promoting gender inclusion and diversity in male-dominated departments of higher education are discussed.