Essay on Leadership and Workforce: Congruity Theory Analysis

This essay delves into the application of the congruity theory in workforce management, particularly focusing on the dynamics of gender roles and leadership. It explores how societal perceptions and stereotypes influence attitudes toward female leaders, often leading to prejudice due to the perceived incongruity between female gender stereotypes and leadership characteristics. The essay examines the impact of these biases, highlighting the association of men with agentic qualities deemed ideal for leaders and women with communal features. It further discusses how the theory can be applied to address the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, emphasizing the need to prioritize facts over personal beliefs to foster a more equitable view of women's leadership capabilities. The essay references several studies to support its arguments, offering a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and biases women face in leadership positions within the context of the congruity theory.

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Managing a workforce
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The congruity theory runs on the idea that the human mind strives for harmony (Health
Research Funding, 2019). This means that there should be consistency in individual thought.
Roles that involve influence and power in society have normally been perceived to be held by
men rather than women. On the other hand, women have been perceived always to hold lower
status roles. This form of division of labor gives birth to a belief of what women and men are
supposed to do in regards to their gender roles (Hoyt and Burnette, 2013, pg. 3). In relation to the
congruity theory, one of the outcomes of the gendered social roles is reduced complimentary
attitudes towards women in leadership and power.
Besides, the social roles of women are said to match some general characteristics;
therefore, any inconsistencies may create a prejudice (Hoobler, Wayne, and Lemmon, 2009, pg.
941). Women in leadership mostly experience this form of prejudice. The reason for this is
because the characteristics of the female gender stereotype clash with the “standard”
characteristics of a typical leader. Therefore, the evaluation brought forth about women in
leadership tends to be negative. The prejudice seen above comes from the incongruity among
associated stereotypes, perceived leadership requirements and the female gender role.
The biased evaluations acquired from gender stereotypes in leadership are resilient and
pervasive since they maintain men must take charge and women take care (Hoyt and Burnette,
2013, pg. 3). Men are viewed to have features that emphasize self-reliance, dominance and
confidence while women are connected with communal features primarily for showing concern
to other people. Therefore, men are considered to have the perfect traits needed in a leader due to
their agentic qualities which qualify them to have leadership prototypes.
According to the congruity theory, the perceived mismatch between female gender
prototypes and leader prototypes is the reason for more negative attitudes and prejudice towards

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female leaders and women in leadership (Elsesser & Lever, 2011, pg., 1556). This explains the
reason why women are underrepresented in leadership roles. In addition, the theory of congruity
may tend to be inconsistent in regards to women in leadership if people place personal beliefs
ahead of facts (Eagly & Karau, 2002, pg. 575). However, if people decide that facts must
outweigh personal beliefs, the theory of congruity can be consistent such that the success of
women in leadership can be an evidence that women have the ability to lead and assume more
leadership roles.

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References
Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders.
Psychological Review, 109(3), 573-598.
Elsesser, K. M., & Lever, J. (2011). Does gender bias against female leaders persist?
Quantitative and qualitative data from a large-scale survey. Human Relations, 64(12), 1555-
1578.
Hoobler, J.M., Wayne, S.J. and Lemmon, G. (2009) Bosses’ perceptions of family-work conflict
and women’s promotability: Glass ceiling effects. Academy of Management Journal, 52(5), 939-
957.
Health Research Funding. (2019). Congruity Theory Explained - HRF. Retrieved from
https://healthresearchfunding.org/congruity-theory-explained/
Hoyt, C.L. and Burnette, J.L., 2013. Gender bias in leader evaluations: Merging implicit theories
and role congruity perspectives. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(10), pp.1306-
1319.