How we can improve sexism in Utah workplaces

Through the years, I’ve had many people new to Utah mention how different our state is from others. Although it is invisible to most people who live here, certain things stand out to new folks that are just part of the “Utah culture.”

Although some comments are positive — like our high volunteerism rates and how so many people here are involved in recreational and physical activities — other aspects of the culture have been termed “disturbing.”

In my experience, these tend to revolve around two areas: one is the religious divide in neighborhoods and communities; and the other focuses on “masculine defaults,” particularly in workplace environments. This article focuses on the latter.

Let me begin by providing some definitions. First, the term “masculine” is “marked by or having qualities, features, etc. traditionally associated with men.” Second, a “default” is defined as “a selection made usually automatically or without active consideration due to a lack of a viable alternative.” With the two words together, masculine default is a “form of gender bias in which characteristics and behaviors typically associated with men are rewarded and considered standard practice.”

These defaults favor stereotypical masculine characteristics and behaviors, such as being self-reliant, assertive, competitive, confident, analytical, decisive, independent, self-promotional, a risk-taker, agentic and a leader. On the other hand, stereotypically feminine characteristics and behaviors include things like being nurturing, agreeable, collaborative, modest, warm, restrained, interdependent, relational, patient, connected, communal, and a follower.

According to researchers, masculine defaults are embedded in values, norms, words, descriptions, policies, practices and culture. They are often put in place — consciously or unconsciously — without question. There is often not even a discussion whether the decision is the most effective or productive choice—the decision is made “automatically or without active consideration,” as defined previously.

Don’t get me wrong. Most workplaces around the country are rife with these defaults, but they tend to show up even more strongly in cultures like Utah that are more conservative and have higher levels of sexism.

So, what are examples of these masculine defaults we’ve seen and heard about in Utah?

Expecting women to take notes or organize food assignments for gatherings, even when they have senior roles or it is not part of their responsibilities.

The embedded behaviors of one person interrupting another (often men to women) for the purpose of dominating the conversations.

Policies that dictate the expectations of what attire women will wear while having little or nothing about what men are expected to wear.

Company practices that reward male-socialized behaviors, such as requiring self-promotion to get promotions (women experience various forms of backlash from men and women when they self-promote).

Differential treatment in terms of pay, harassment, professional development and promotions, to name a few.

Primarily taking clients golfing or to sports games as default activities for relationship building.

Thousands of Utahns shared their perspectives and stories in a recent report published by the Utah Women & Leadership Project. Here are direct quotations from participants who have felt or seen negative impacts from these defaults:

“There is an undercurrent that does not support women in leadership roles.”

“In Utah, people discourage women from pursuing higher education and are unsupportive in women’s desire to move up the ladder in work, receive equal pay, and hold leadership positions.”

“My experience has been that men are automatically respected and seen as worthy of leadership roles, while women are on a constant loop of ‘prove your worth’ with every decision they make and are held to a different level of scrutiny than their male counterparts.”

“I also experienced an enormous amount of passive misogyny in the workplace — mansplaining, being excluded from decisions, and even being told I was not likely very analytical because I am a woman.”

“I had never felt any sense of gender-based discrimination or condescension in the workplace until moving to Utah. It was quite a striking change to be so easily dismissed or put into a box when I was brought into a role specifically for my expertise in my profession.”

There are some things that organizations can do to help remove and eventually eliminate these defaults so that all individuals feel more equally respected and valued. Here are a few basic steps:

First, recognize and assess the masculine defaults in your setting, whether in the workplace, community, or home. Ask those around you for other examples and insights.

Second, consider if these defaults are necessary or not. If not (and don’t determine this too quickly), figure out if there is a better way forward.

And third, work to shift or at least balance out these defaults with, as one Harvard Business Review article states, “by elevating feminine defaults.”

I do think going through this process could be helpful for all of us, no matter what our setting.

We all have hidden biases that impact how we think and what we do. When we bring the unconscious to consciousness, we can all do better. My hope is always that our emerging image of what the “Utah culture” means, in the near future can include a place that is more respectful and inclusive for all.

Susan R. Madsen, Ed.D., is a professor of organizational leadership & Director, Utah Women & Leadership Project, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University.

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