The Power of Talk:

Who Gets Heard and Why

By Deborah Tannen

Linguistic Style

A persons characteristic speaking

pattern. A set of culturally learned
signals by which we not only
communicate what we mean but also
interpret others meaning and
evaluate one another as people

Linguistic Style

Features include

Directness or indirectness
Pacing & pausing
Word choice
Use of elements like jokes, figures of
speech, stories, questions & apologies
Turn taking

Linguistic Style

Every utterance functions on two

levels:

Language communicates ideas

Language negotiates relationships

The Kicker

Girls tend to learn conversational

rituals that focus on the rapport
dimension of relationships whereas
boys tend to learn rituals that focus
on the status dimension

Linguistic Patterns

One Up, One Down

Getting Credit
Confidence & Boasting
Asking Questions

Linguistic Patterns

One Up, One Down

Men tend to be sensitive to the power

and attain one up
Women tend to be sensitive to rapport
and will take one down

Getting Credit

Men say I where women say we

Linguistic Patterns

Confidence & Boasting

Women downplay certainty

Men minimize doubts

Asking Questions

Can put you in a one down position,

boys are more aware of this

The norms of behavior in the US

business world are based on the style
of interaction that is more common
among menat least American men.

Conversational Rituals

Conversation is ritual in the sense

that we speak in ways our culture
has conventionalized and expect
certain types of responses.
Apologies
Feedback
Compliments
Ritual Opposition

Conversational Rituals

Apologies
Women say Im sorry more often than men
Puts in one-down, even though other women
know they arent really sorry
Feedback
Differing Styles
Compliments
Women pay more than men, puts at a
disadvantage in the work place

Conversational Rituals

Ritual Opposition
An exploration through verbal
opposition
They put their ideas in the most
certain and absolute form they can,
and wait to see if they are challenged
Being forced to defend an idea gives
the opportunity to test it

Negotiating Authority

Actual authority has to be negotiated day to

day
Managing Up and Down
Boys are rewarded for talking up their
accomplishments, girls arent
Indirectness
The tendency to say what we mean without
spelling it out
Men are often more direct

What to do?

Become aware
Make sure everyone is heard
Be more flexible

Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Learning Module

Leadership
and Gender
Stereotypes
Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998

Leadership Perceptions

Leadership is hard to define

but we know it when we see it!

Leadership Perceptions Approach

people must first be recognized as

leaders.
then they are allowed to influence
followers.
followers determine the ultimate success
of leaders.
Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998

General Model of
Leadership Perceptions

Leader behavior determines follower

perceptions, which are associated with
positive or negative outcomes.
Outcomes such as success can also
serve to shape follower perceptions.
General Model:
Leader
Behavior

Follower
Perceptions

Individual,
Group, and
Organizational
Outcomes

Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998

Gender and Leadership

Perceptions
Leader
Behavior

Follower
Perceptions

Individual,
Group, and
Organizational
Outcomes

Identical behavior from men and

women is interpreted differently.
Perceivers attach different labels to the
same behaviors enacted by men and
women.
One reason is because of gender
stereotypes.
Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998

Gender Stereotypes and

Leadership
Perceptions
Stereotypes are expectations about

members of certain groups.

Gender-based stereotypes include beliefs
about:
expected interpersonal behavior
the types of roles or jobs best suited for
men and women.

The role of gender stereotypes in

employment was at issue in Price
Waterhouse v. Hopkins.
Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998

Gender Stereotypes and

Leadership Perceptions

Ann B. Hopkins was a high-performing, but

masculine acting, prospective partner at PW.
Hopkins alleged she was denied partnership
because of her gender.
PW countered that Hopkins had interpersonal
problems (e.g., she was "macho").
Court eventually ruled that gender-based
stereotyping influenced perceptions of her
behavior.
Because she was a woman in a nontraditional
role, Hopkins' behavior was seen as more
extreme than men who behaved similarly.
Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998

Controlling our
Stereotyping

Everyone (or nearly everyone) engages

in stereotyping.
Most recognize it is inappropriate to
judge others based on a stereotype.
How can we learn to control our
stereotyping?
One way is through conscious control.

Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998

How do I/O psychologists help

organizations control
stereotyping?

Identifying organizational consequences

that gender and race stereotyping have
Training employees to gather individuating
information about the stereotyped person
getting to know the person as an individual
understanding benefits of diversity

Training employers to effectively manage

diversity
Helping to minimize the effects of
stereotyping and unfair treatment of
employees
Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998

Sharing Perceptions

How would you describe each of

these leaders?
Was either of them more bossy or
dominating?
Which of the leaders had greater
skill, ability, or intelligence?
Did they both fit your image of a
leader? Why or why not?
Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998

Sharing Perceptions (cont.)

Previous research indicates that the

same behavior by men and women
leaders results in different perceptions.
Women are seen as more bossy and
dominating.
Men are seen as having greater ability,
skill, and intelligence.
Gender stereotypes influence our
reactions, even without our
awareness.
Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP 1998