The Power of Talk Who Gets Heard and

The Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why By Deborah Tannen

Linguistic Style n A person’s characteristic speaking pattern. A set of culturally learned signals by which we not only communicate what we mean but also interpret others’ meaning and evaluate one another as people

Linguistic Style n Features include Directness or indirectness n Pacing & pausing n Word choice n Use of elements like jokes, figures of speech, stories, questions & apologies n Turn taking n

Linguistic Style n Every utterance functions on two levels: Language communicates ideas n Language negotiates relationships n

The Kicker n Girls tend to learn conversational rituals that focus on the rapport dimension of relationships whereas boys tend to learn rituals that focus on the status dimension

Linguistic Patterns n n One Up, One Down Getting Credit Confidence & Boasting Asking Questions

Linguistic Patterns n One Up, One Down Men tend to be sensitive to the power and attain one up n Women tend to be sensitive to rapport and will take one down n n Getting Credit n Men say ‘I’ where women say ‘we’

Linguistic Patterns n Confidence & Boasting Women downplay certainty n Men minimize doubts n n Asking Questions n Can put you in a one down position, boys are more aware of this

n The norms of behavior in the US business world are based on the style of interaction that is more common among men—at least American men.

Conversational Rituals n n n Conversation is ritual in the sense that we speak in ways our culture has conventionalized and expect certain types of responses. Apologies Feedback Compliments Ritual Opposition

Conversational Rituals n n n Apologies n Women say I’m sorry more often than men n Puts in one-down, even though other women know they aren’t really sorry Feedback n Differing Styles Compliments n Women pay more than men, puts at a disadvantage in the work place

Conversational Rituals n Ritual Opposition n An exploration through verbal opposition n They put their ideas in the most certain and absolute form they can, and wait to see if they are challenged n Being forced to defend an idea gives the opportunity to test it

Negotiating Authority n n n Actual authority has to be negotiated day to day Managing Up and Down n Boys are rewarded for talking up their accomplishments, girls aren’t Indirectness n The tendency to say what we mean without spelling it out n Men are often more direct

What to do? n n n Become aware Make sure everyone is heard Be more flexible

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Learning Module Leadership and Gender Stereotypes Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©

Leadership Perceptions n Leadership is hard to define n n but we know it when we see it! Leadership Perceptions Approach people must first be recognized as leaders. n they are allowed to influence followers. n followers determine the ultimate success of leaders. n Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©

General Model of Leadership Perceptions n n n Leader behavior determines follower perceptions, which are associated with positive or negative outcomes. Outcomes such as success can also serve to shape follower perceptions. General Model: Individual, Leader Behavior Follower Perceptions Group, and Organizational Outcomes Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©

Gender and Leadership Perceptions Leader Behavior n n n Follower Perceptions Individual, Group, and Organizational Outcomes Identical behavior from men and women is interpreted differently. Perceivers attach different labels to the same behaviors enacted by men and women. One reason is because of gender stereotypes. Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©

n n Gender Stereotypes and Leadership Perceptions Stereotypes are expectations about members of certain groups. Gender-based stereotypes include beliefs about: expected interpersonal behavior n the types of roles or jobs best suited for men and women. n n The role of gender stereotypes in employment was at issue in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins. Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©

Gender Stereotypes and Leadership Perceptions n n n Ann B. Hopkins was a high-performing, but masculine acting, prospective partner at PW. Hopkins alleged she was denied partnership because of her gender. PW countered that Hopkins had interpersonal problems (e. g. , she was "macho"). Court eventually ruled that gender-based stereotyping influenced perceptions of her behavior. Because she was a woman in a nontraditional role, Hopkins' behavior was seen as more extreme than men who behaved similarly. Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©

Controlling our Stereotyping n n Everyone (or nearly everyone) engages in stereotyping. Most recognize it is inappropriate to judge others based on a stereotype. How can we learn to control our stereotyping? One way is through conscious control. Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©

How do I/O psychologists help organizations control stereotyping? n n Identifying organizational consequences that gender and race stereotyping have Training employees to gather individuating information about the stereotyped person getting to know the person as an individual n understanding benefits of diversity n n n Training employers to effectively manage diversity Helping to minimize the effects of stereotyping and unfair treatment of employees Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©

Sharing Perceptions n n How would you describe each of these leaders? Was either of them more bossy or dominating? Which of the leaders had greater skill, ability, or intelligence? Did they both fit your image of a leader? Why or why not? Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©

Sharing Perceptions (cont. ) n n Previous research indicates that the same behavior by men and women leaders results in different perceptions. Women are seen as more bossy and dominating. Men are seen as having greater ability, skill, and intelligence. Gender stereotypes influence our reactions, even without our awareness. Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP ©