RIT study finds workplace rudeness discourages women from sharing ideas

Rochester, New York – Workplace rudeness can prevent employees from sharing valuable ideas, with women particularly likely to remain silent in environments where disrespectful behavior is common, according to research co-led by a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology.

The study, titled Silenced by Incivility, found that women were more likely than men to withhold their opinions in groups characterized by incivility. However, researchers found that the gender difference disappeared in groups where respectful behavior was the norm.

Kristin Bain, an associate professor of management at RIT’s Saunders College of Business, helped lead the research, which examines how workplace culture and gender expectations influence employees’ willingness to speak up.

The findings suggest that organizations may lose important perspectives when employees feel that expressing their views could expose them to criticism, dismissal, or other negative reactions.

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Bain explained that women can experience backlash when demonstrating qualities commonly associated with leadership, including assertiveness, decisiveness, and taking charge.

Although these characteristics are frequently valued in professional settings, women who display them may be judged differently from men exhibiting similar behavior.

“It’s usually in terms of finding the woman less likable,” said Bain. “This is where you get people saying that ‘she’s bossy.’ Women are trying to show that they have these masculine traits that we associate with leadership, but doing so violates how we expect women to act.”

Such expectations can create additional challenges for women seeking to contribute ideas or assume leadership responsibilities.

Rather than placing responsibility on women to become more assertive, Bain argues that employers should examine the organizational practices and social expectations that allow these inequalities to persist.

“Advice often frames this as a woman’s problem, ‘the women are broken, it’s their fault for the situation,’” Bain said. “When in reality, we need to be aware that there are these larger structural things in place and shift the focus to how we address the culture, norms, practices, and policies that create these inequalities that we’re trying to get over.”

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The research also offers practical considerations for managers interested in building more inclusive workplaces.

One important recommendation is that supervisors should not interpret employee silence as agreement. Instead, they should create opportunities for employees to express concerns, offer suggestions, and participate in discussions without fear of being dismissed.

Managers should also respond to disrespectful behavior when it occurs, including interruptions, eye-rolling, and dismissive reactions that can discourage participation.

Establishing expectations for respectful communication early can help teams develop a workplace culture in which different perspectives are welcomed.

Coworkers can also contribute by challenging unfair descriptions of colleagues. For example, when a woman is labeled as overly assertive for making a decision, others can emphasize the practical benefits of her leadership.

“Knowing that someone has your back can make a really big difference,” she said.

Bain incorporates these findings into her undergraduate and graduate courses at Saunders College of Business, where students examine workplace bias, leadership expectations, and managing diverse teams.

One classroom exercise asks students to evaluate candidates for a university presidency without receiving information about the candidates’ gender. Bain has observed that students frequently refer to the hypothetical candidates using male pronouns, illustrating how unconscious assumptions can influence perceptions.

“It’s really powerful, because it helps to highlight how these unconscious biases affect us in ways that we really can’t anticipate,” she said. “There are no easy solutions, but I think there are definitely things we can do, at least in our little microcosms, to make things better.”

The study was co-authored by Kathryn Coll and Elizabeth Tenney of the University of Utah and Tamar Kreps of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

Additional information about the research and its implications is available through RIT’s original report.