Study: Ambitious women struggle to survive in workplaces
What you need to know:
- Women reported to have been belittled because they were working hard and, in some cases, told that they were making others look bad.
- The findings were that the Tall Poppy Syndrome hurts ambitious, high-performing women, with many of them opting to leave their workplaces.
Men in managerial positions are undermining ambitious women and this is affecting gender equality in the workplace, a study suggests.
The Tallest Poppy 2023 has revealed that close to 90 per cent of women have experienced macroaggressions and jealousy at work because of their achievements. Successful women are more likely to be impacted, making them a target for attacks, resentment and even criticism.
They reported to have been belittled because they were working hard and, in some cases, told that they were making others look bad. The findings were that the Tall Poppy Syndrome hurts ambitious, high-performing women, with many of them opting to leave their workplaces. The syndrome refers to a situation where people sabotage or criticise those believed to have achieved success in a given area.
“Top talent will burn out, check out, and ultimately leave. When ambitious workers find themselves in an environment where excelling is penalised, their productivity will be impacted, and they will have one foot out the door. This not only negatively impacts the individual, but the organisation as well.”
Resentment
Of the women interviewed, 67.8 per cent said they were looking for a new role, while 50 per cent revealed that they had left their previous job. Aside from feeling isolated and burnt out, the desire to share or celebrate their successes or accomplishments decreased among women who experienced the Tall Poppy Syndrome.
Besides men, the study found, women also undermine their female peers or colleagues because of their achievements, by, for instance, downplaying their achievements, leaving them out of meetings and discussions, ignoring them, dismissing their achievements and having others take credit for their work.
Also read: Toxic co-workers: 4 ways to deal with them
Seventy-five per cent of the women agreed that experiencing such toxicity at work had hurt their productivity. Some 73.8 percent said they suffered mental health problems, while 66.2 per cent cited a low self-confidence as a result.
The study recommended that companies hold individuals perpetuating the vice to account while raising awareness and setting a standard of transparency. Additionally, it called for investment of more time and money in women’s training, retention and sponsorship. Respondents were working women from different populations and professions in 103 countries.
