Higher standards expected of women bosses

Women managers face a “double bind” because female colleagues expect them to show far higher levels of emotional support than a male boss, according to a Massey University study.

It found that women were often expected to meet higher standards as managers in building work relationships and accommodating the pressures of external demands, such as family life.

Massey school of management postgraduate Jane Hurst did the research as part of her PhD on workplace gender equality issues. She conducted a series of workshops and interviews at the Auckland campus, asking women about their expectations of male and female managers.