January 20, 2013

Charting New Routes for Women at Work: Looking to the Home and Classroom




When mom is the boss at home, she may have a harder time being the boss at work. New research suggests that women, but not men, become less interested in pursuing workplace power when they view that they are in control of decision-making in the home. This shift in thinking affects career choices without women even being aware.

"Women don’t know that they are backing off from workplace power because of how they are thinking about their role at home,” says Melissa Williams of Emory University. "As a result, women may make decisions such as not going after a high-status promotion at work, or not seeking to work full time, without realizing why,” explains Williams who will be presenting her findings today at the Society of Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) annual meeting in New Orleans.