How Gender Bias Shapes Promotion Aspirations

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between employees' gender biases, defined as the belief that men are better suited for managerial positions than women are, and promotion aspirations using online survey data ( N = 939). Probit and instrumental variables approaches are used to address the potential endogeneity of gender bias. The results suggest that this relationship may differ between men and women: gender bias is negatively associated with women's promotion aspirations and could be positively associated with men's. These findings are consistent with the self‐stereotyping hypothesis and suggest that employees' gender bias may be associated with gender differences in promotion aspirations.