A new study led by Ashleigh Shelby Rosette, an associate professor of management and organizations at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, found that in business settings men and women who ask for help from colleagues are perceived differently by their peers.
In two experiments the researchers found that men in leadership positions who asked for help were considered less competent by their associates. But women in leadership positions who asked for help were not considered less competent.
Dr. Rosette holds bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned a Ph.D. in management and organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
The study, “Are Male Leaders Penalized for Seeking Help? The Influence of Gender and Asking Behaviors on Competence Perceptions,” was published on the website of the journal Leadership Quarterly. It may be accessed here.