In short
The episode explains how “masculinity contest” workplace cultures—where bravado, long hours, and emotional suppression are rewarded—impede teamwork, innovation, and business outcomes. It outlines four masculine norms linked to organizational dysfunction: (1) show no weakness (suppress vulnerability and uncertainty), (2) strength and stamina (prize athleticism/endurance even in white-collar roles), (3) put work first (no room for family or balance), and (4) dog-eat-dog zero-sum competition (scarce trust).
Key claims
these norms exclude women, increase turnover and harassment risk, and create a self-reinforcing cycle of toxicity.
Notable examples
coworkers as cutthroat competitors, rewarding extreme work hours, and treating emotion/doubt as weakness.
Guests
none mentioned in the transcript.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOIdentifying Masculinity Contests in Organizations
0:00 to 0:28
Explore how masculinity contests can negatively impact workplace culture and performance.
Identifying Masculinity Contests in Organizations
0:30 to 3:21
Explore how masculinity contests can negatively impact workplace culture and performance.
“With SUVs made to move with your rhythm.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:28This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. of America for a reason. With SUVs made to move with your rhythm. The versatile Equinox tackles your entire day. The spacious Traverse fits your crew and your whole weekend. And Trax brings style with value you can count on. All infused with tech that has your back. So your drive always hits the right chord. Chevrolet. Together let's drive. Does this sound like your organization? Co-workers see each other not as colleagues, but as cutthroat competitors. Bravado, extreme work hours, and unreasonable risks are rewarded. And expressing emotion, especially doubt, is a sign of weakness.
1:11If those sound familiar, your workplace could have what researchers call a masculinity contest culture. And these contests can be a sign of serious organizational dysfunction. Not only do they leave women out or force them to play in a rigged system of ridiculous rules, they also short-circuit teamwork, decrease innovation, and hurt the bottom line with employee turnover or harassment lawsuits. Researchers found four masculine norms that correlate strongly with organizational dysfunction. One, show no weakness. Swagger and overconfidence suppress vulnerability, uncertainty, and tenderness. Two, strength and stamina.
1:47Even in white-collar jobs, physical strength and athleticism are prized, and endurance is proven by working late into the night. 3. Put work first. Commitment to the organization comes before all else, leaving no room for family, breaks, or balance. 4. Dog-eat-dog, a culture where more masculine winners defeat losers in a zero-sum game, and trust is scarce. Masculinity in these workplaces is under constant threat. It must be repeatedly defended, leading to even more toxic behavior. So, how do you change these cultures? by putting mission over masculinity. The key here is leveraging the right goals and values.
2:28A healthier culture will follow. For example, focus on innovation. A leader could point out that innovation only thrives when people feel psychologically safe to take risks and share new ideas. And this is only possible in a culture without counterproductive masculine norms. Next, when people regularly work late or laugh at offensive jokes, leaders need to dispel the misconception that everyone endorses such behaviors and publicly reject these norms. And most importantly, leaders must walk the talk, reward people for supporting each other, call out misconduct, allow others to voice dissent, and model respectful behaviors.
3:07Only when mission comes first can real change take place, sending masculinity contest culture into the past, where it belongs.
3:20Thank you.
From the publisher
The Explainer: 4 Signs That Masculinity Contests Are Holding Back Your Company
6 Aug 2019
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For example, extreme hours are a badge of honor.
(Animated by Francesca Cattaneo)
Recent exposés have revealed seemingly dysfunctional workplaces rife with misconduct, bullying, and sexual harassment. Why do companies get caught up in illegal behavior, harassment, and toxic leadership? Research identifies an underlying cause: what we call a “masculinity contest culture.” This kind of culture endorses winner-take-all competition, where winners demonstrate stereotypically masculine traits such as emotional toughness, physical stamina, and ruthlessness. It produces organizational dysfunction, as employees become hyper competitive to win.
Four masculine norms, which together define masculinity contest culture, emerged as highly correlated with each other and with organizational dysfunction:
“Show no weakness”: a workplace that demands swaggering confidence, never admitting doubt or mistakes, and suppressing any tender or vulnerable emotions (“no sissy stuff”).
“Strength and stamina”: a workplace that prizes strong or athletic people (even in white collar work) or those who show off their endurance (e.g., by working extreme hours).
“Put work first”: a workplace where nothing outside the organization (e.g., family) can interfere with work, where taking a break or a leave represents an impermissible lack of commitment.
“Dog eat dog”: a workplace filled with ruthless competition, where “winners” (the most masculine) focus on defeating “losers” (the less masculine), and no one is trusted.
When masculinity contest cultures become “the way business gets done,” both organizations and the people within them suffer. Your organization may have a masculinity contest culture if, for example, expressing doubt is forbidden, “jocks” are preferred even though athleticism is irrelevant to job tasks, extreme hours are viewed as a badge of honor, or coworkers are treated as competitors rather than colleagues. Solving the problem requires meaningful commitment to culture change — to creating a work environment in which mission takes precedence over masculinity.
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