New Study Reveals Overwork, Burn-out, and Provider Bias are Keeping Men from Being Inclusive Leaders and Allies to Women in the Workplace
Research from PrismWork with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation sees the frustrations of the “frozen middle” impacting diverse workplace success
PALO ALTO, CA, MARCH 02, 2023 - As we celebrate the multiple achievements of women this month while continuing to recognize the multitude of barriers to women’s advancement, a new study reveals that men are willing and eager to lead inclusively, but are struggling to support women and other historically marginalized groups in the workplace. RESET: Men, Leadership, and the New World of Work, a new report released today by PrismWork with the support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, sheds light on the underlying factors causing men to shy away from allyship opportunities.
The study of over 2400 college educated men across the United States included respondents from tech, financial services, marketing/advertising, consulting and more. The vast majority are married (79%), fathers (70%), and primary breadwinners of their households (71%). Most of the men in the study are between the ages of 35 and 50 (61%) and are in middle to upper-middle management (60%).
PrismWork’s research showed that while three in four men (74%) believe diverse teams lead to better business outcomes and that two in three men (66%) agree DE&I is foundational for company success, most men (57%) struggle with the dual pressures of wanting to be a committed, inclusive leader at work and an engaged parent and partner at home. Additionally, 56% of men said feeling overworked and burnt out is directly impacting their ability to lead inclusively
“Despite significant workplace gains for women and other under-represented groups over the past decade, men still largely hold the majority of positions of power. As a result, men are uniquely positioned to be catalysts for change in the workplace and beyond. If we want women and other diverse talent to achieve their full potential, companies must also provide men with support so they can be the kinds of leaders we all need,” said Lisen Stromberg, CEO of PrismWork.
The majority of respondents were men in the middle of their careers, in middle management, trying to navigate the complexity of today’s workplace while having young children at home. Their challenges, which included outmoded ideas of what it means to be a man at work (provider bias), resemble those women have faced for decades and which drove millions out of the workforce in the midst of the pandemic (motherhood bias).
Jonathan Njus, Director of Family Economic Security & Team Lead for Expanding Equity at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation agrees. He said, “We hope this research sheds light on the ‘frozen middle’ at organizations and gives insight into how these men can be the allies and collaborators we all need to make our workplaces more equitable.”
Among the men who reported they have participated in DE&I, only 41% made an effort to become more informed about DE&I issues; 33% mentored a woman; 29% mentored a person of color; and 30% participated in a conversation regarding racial and/or gender equality. Fewer than one in four publicly sponsored or advocated for a person of color or a woman. For the men who had not participated in any DE&I, 40% said it was because they felt excluded and/or hadn't been invited.
To help solve that, PrismWork hosted a virtual summit bringing together hundreds of leaders across multiple industries to discuss the study insights on January 27th, 2023. Beyond overwork, the report also showed that men are struggling with “cancel culture.” Keynote speaker, Jarvis Sam, Founder and CEO of the Rainbow Disruption and former diversity chief at Nike, Google and Snap said, “Fear of doing the wrong thing, saying the wrong thing, leads men to do nothing.”
“Culture and DE&I are neither just men’s or women’s problems, these are workplace problems,” said Corey Jones, co-founder of PrismWork and a co-author of the report. “Companies have an opportunity to invite men to be part of the solution and to develop modern leadership skills that contribute to company success.”
The Modern Leadership 4 Men website developed by PrismWork provides a modern leader toolkit, links to a recording of the virtual summit, and recommendations for companies and for men. The RESET white paper can also be found here.
ABOUT PrismWork
PrismWork is a culture and leadership transformation consultancy. We conduct culture assessments and provide consulting that results in better outcomes for stakeholders, shareholders, and employees. We lead the industry by conducting breakthrough research; developing and delivering inclusive leadership solutions, guided by our mission to create cultures of belonging where each individual can do their best work and where all can thrive.