Rooting Out the Masculine Defaults in Your Workplace

Masculine defaults in the workplace aren’t new, but you may not always notice them. Masculine defaults are a form of gender bias in which characteristics and behaviors typically associated with men are rewarded and considered standard practice. But the evidence shows that effective workplaces require masculine and feminine behaviors (as well as non-gendered ones) to be effective. With masculine defaults, it may seem like there’s equal opportunity for men and women, but men are often more socialized to engage in stereotypical masculine behaviors and more typically rewarded for them. Based on their research, the authors identify how masculine defaults permeate organizations, and steps to address them: 1) Identify masculine defaults, 2) determine their necessity, and 3) dismantle or balance them. They also identify traps to avoid when addressing masculine defaults at work, like 1) believing that removing gender information is enough, 2) fighting masculine defaults with masculine defaults, and 3) seeing masculine defaults as culturally “good.”