How perceived riskiness influences the selection of women and men as senior leaders

Abstract

This study investigates the role of perceived riskiness in senior leadership selection decisions. Perceived riskiness is defined as the degree of uncertainty and the significance of the outcomes from the selection decision. Hypotheses that perceived riskiness is a mediator between a candidate's qualifications and selection as well as salary offer, and that gender moderates those relationships, were examined through structural equation modeling and logistic regression. A sample of 253 individuals with prior experience in hiring and promotion decisions responded to an online survey where they read a job description and candidate profile summary of one of the following: a highly qualified female, a highly qualified male, a moderately qualified female, or a moderately qualified male. The results demonstrated a complementary mediating effect of perceived riskiness between a candidate's qualifications and their selection, and between a candidate's qualifications and their salary offer. In addition, gender moderates the pathway from qualifications to perceived riskiness in that highly qualified women were perceived as less risky for senior leadership than highly qualified men, while moderately qualified women were seen as riskier for senior leadership than moderately qualified men. We offer recommendations for human resource professionals and hiring managers to recognize and mitigate the perceived riskiness of women in the selection process for senior leadership roles.