The Impact of Gender Emotional Display Stereotypes on Leader Evaluations

Abstract

The present study tested the hypothesis that gender and emotional display (anger, sadness, or neutrality) affect how leaders are perceived. Participants watched a Zoom meeting clip that demonstrated an emotional message from a male or female leader. Then, participants rated the extent to which they found the leader likable, respectable, and effective. A 2 x 3 multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed statistically significant leader emotional display effects. The MANOVA also revealed a statistically significant interaction between gender and emotional display, such that male leaders who expressed anger received higher ratings than female leaders who expressed anger, while female leaders who expressed sadness received higher ratings than male leaders who expressed sadness. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.