No one likes to feel like their identity is being threatened. Whether someone makes a flawed assumption about your religion, sexual orientation, or even just your favorite sports team, being treated like you’re something you’re not can really sting. And that feeling is only natural — but there are better and worse ways to react to it.
Research: What Fragile Masculinity Looks Like at Work
A large body of research has shown that when men feel that their gender identity is being questioned or threatened, they are much more likely than women in similar situations to respond by engaging in harmful behaviors. But how does the fragility of masculine identity impact the workplace specifically? The authors share insights from their recent research with employees from across the U.S. and China, in which they found that men (but not women) tend to respond to perceptions that their gender identity has been questioned with a wide variety of harmful workplace behaviors, including withholding help, mistreating coworkers, stealing company property, and lying for personal gain. To address this effect, the authors argue that men must acknowledge that it exists, learn to recognize it in themselves, and proactively embrace a healthier version of masculinity, while managers and leaders can take steps to dismantle the structures that may be driving men to feel that their masculinity is being threatened in the first place. Ultimately, the authors suggest that a workplace culture in which everyone feels that their gender identities are validated, rather than questioned or threatened on the basis of outdated stereotypes, will benefit everyone — both helping men feel more comfortable at work, and reducing the destructive behavior that so often follows when they don’t.