Why do gender-based disparities in professional outcomes persist? How can they be mitigated?

Laura’s research makes significant contributions to understanding gender dynamics in workplace settings, combining theoretical advances with practical solutions to address persistent gender disparities. Her work illuminates how gender stereotypes continue to shape organizational behavior and decision-making, particularly in areas such as compensation, performance evaluation, and leadership opportunities.

Through an innovative methodological approach that pairs real-world data analysis with controlled experimental studies, Laura investigates the psychological mechanisms and contextual factors that create unique barriers for women in their professional trajectories. Her research has revealed several counterintuitive findings that challenge conventional wisdom about gender dynamics in professional settings.

Recent studies have overturned long-held assumptions about gender differences in negotiation behavior. While it was previously believed that women negotiated less frequently than men, Laura’s research demonstrates that contemporary women initiate negotiations at similar rates to their male counterparts. However, they face systematically higher rejection rates, suggesting that the root cause of pay inequity lies not in women’s negotiation reluctance, but in organizational responses to their attempts.

Her work also uncovers nuanced differences in how power is perceived and attributed across gender lines. For powerful men, recognition typically centers on their control over resources, while powerful women are more often acknowledged for their social status and ability to garner admiration. This distinction has important implications for how leadership is evaluated and rewarded across genders.

In scientific settings, Laura’s research documents persistent gender gaps in professional discourse. Women scientists participate less frequently in conference question-and-answer sessions, a pattern linked to concerns about potential backlash. Notably, the shift to virtual conference formats during recent years has not ameliorated this participation gap, suggesting that deeper structural and psychological factors are at play.

The research also reveals how gender stereotypes manifest in career progression. Women face particular challenges during mid-career stages, when their increasing agency and leadership roles conflict with traditional gender expectations of communal behavior. This incongruence appears in performance reviews, where gender gaps are most pronounced during these middle career phases. Backlash against assertive women diminishes when their ambition is attributed to status-seeking rather than power-seeking.

Even when women achieve management positions, structural inequities persist. Laura’s research shows that, at equivalent organizational ranks, women typically lead smaller teams than their male counterparts, contributing to ongoing pay disparities. These findings highlight how organizational structures can perpetuate gender inequity even in the absence of explicit discrimination.

Importantly, her work also evaluates intervention strategies, including a notable study at a Fortune 500 technology company. An intervention designed to enhance women’s sense of workplace belonging proved insufficient to address gaps in compensation and advancement, suggesting the need for more comprehensive approaches to organizational change.

Throughout her research agenda, Laura develops a sophisticated understanding of how gender stereotypes and organizational practices interact to create persistent barriers for women’s professional advancement, while identifying promising avenues for evidence-based interventions to promote greater workplace equity.