Strategies that Male Allies Use to Advance Women in the Workplace

Although Utah research has shown that there has been slight progress in terms of women and leadership in some sectors, national sources continue to rank Utah as one of the worst states for women’s equality. Clearly there is still work to be done to “move the needle” so that more Utah women become leaders. Research continues to show that most managers and top leadership teams do not fully realize the value of having women in key positions. Yet, organizations benefit more when both women and men hold top positions in all types of settings (e.g., business, government, political, nonprofit, education, religious, and community).

Study Background

In terms of demographics, the age of participants was spread fairly equally among those in their 20s (21.2%), 30s (26.9%), 40s (26.1%), and 50 and older (25.8%). Most of the participants had bachelor’s degrees (36.7%) or master’s degrees and higher (55.3%). Further, 74.6% of those who answered the demographic questions self-identified as married, 88.5% as Caucasian, and 78% as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In terms of location, 41.8% worked in the Salt Lake area, 38.4% in Utah County, and the rest in other parts of the state. Next, 43.6% of respondents said they were in education settings, 34.5% in business, and the rest in government, nonprofit, or other types of work environments. Finally, 17.7% identified themselves as top leaders, 25.3% as managers, 35% as professionals, and 9.3% as individual contributors, supervisors, or support staff.

Men's Perceptions: How Utah's Male Allies Advance Women

In this study, men were asked to share behaviors and strategies they used, or that they had seen other men use, that they perceived were helpful in the professional development and advancement of women in the workplace. Eighty men responded to at least one of three questions in this section of the survey, and their comments were analyzed and coded to separate unique strategies or ideas. Five primary themes emerged from the data (in rank order of the most commonly mentioned):

1. Developmental Relationships
2. HR (Human Resources) Processes
3. Leadership Development
4. Recognition
5. Treating Women as Equals

Women's Perceptions: How Utah's Male Allies Advance Women

The survey questions for women in our study were similar to those asked of men. Women were asked to share ways men had helped them advance personally as well as behaviors or strategies they had seen men use to help other women. Of the 181 completed surveys of female participants, 163 included answers to open-ended questions, and these were analyzed in order to determine the most relevant themes. Many behaviors and strategies mentioned by women were similar to those mentioned by men. Yet, despite the overlap, there were differences in the frequency that the top themes were mentioned, in addition to some nuances in tone and varied emphases between men’s and women’s responses generally. The top five themes mentioned by women were are follows:

1. Developmental Relationships
2. Recognition
3. Challenging Gender Discrimination and Treating Women as Equals
4. Leadership/Professional Development
5. HR Processes

Qualitative Research Summary

Two striking concerns or factors were noted by both male and female study participants. First, Utah’s distinct religious culture was mentioned by a number of respondents. Twenty women (12.3% of all those who answered any open-ended question) expressed the notion that a significant source of inequity in workplace settings is an outgrowth of Utah’s religious culture specifically, with the idea that meaningful change in business settings would only come as a result of similar changes in public attitudes about women within a religious context. A small percentage of male respondents (2.5%) made similar comments. In addition to responses that mentioned the religious climate specifically, other comments referred more generally to the challenge that Utah’s conservative, traditional culture can be for women looking to advance and excel professionally.

Gender Differences in Perceptions

According to the results of this study, Utah women believe that there is a greater problem with women’s advancement in workplaces than men do. Women feel men are less supportive, care less about the issues, and are engaged less than men think they are. It is important to remember that the men who took this survey were some of the most supportive men in Utah related to these issues. Hence, if the sample had included a broader representation of the general population of men in Utah, there most likely would have been an even greater spread between the statistical means.

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To learn more about Strategies That Male Allies Use to Advance Women in the Workplace read the entire brief.