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Female Executives and Perceived Employer Attractiveness: On the Potentially Adverse Signal of Having a Female CHRO Rather Than a Female CFO

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  • Anja Iseke

    (Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe)

  • Kerstin Pull

    (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen)

Abstract

We investigate whether female executives influence perceived employer attractiveness for female job seekers. Drawing on signaling theory, we argue that female members in top management may signal organizational justice and organizational support and may therefore enhance perceived employer attractiveness. Findings from a scenario experiment with 357 participants indicate that female job seekers are more attracted to an organization with a female executive holding a non-stereotypical office [such as Chief Financial Officer (CFO)] as compared to an organization with an all-male top management. Results of a structural equation model show that perceived organizational justice mediates the positive effect of a female holding a non-stereotypical office (CFO) on perceived employer attractiveness, but perceived organizational support does not. Our results challenge the widely held view that women in top management will generally help attract female job seekers; rather, they suggest that a single female executive holding a stereotypical female office (such as Chief Human Resources Officer) even reduces perceived employer attractiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Anja Iseke & Kerstin Pull, 2019. "Female Executives and Perceived Employer Attractiveness: On the Potentially Adverse Signal of Having a Female CHRO Rather Than a Female CFO," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(4), pages 1113-1133, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:156:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-017-3640-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-017-3640-1
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    Cited by:

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