The impact of gender on social exchanges in the workplace

Recipes, prom kisses and marriage proposals – that's the summary of what it is to be a woman in the old texts.

It is little wonder then, as women grew to occupy the workforce in greater numbers, that there was no scope for how gender could impact leader-follower roles.

In leadership research, hierarchical relationships are often appraised through the lens of social exchange theory. The theory is used to observe how leader-follower roles interact in the workplace, and it asserts that followers reciprocate leaders' behaviours.

The theory, however, possesses a crucial flaw which Dr Karryna Madison, from The Australian National University (ANU) Research School of Management, examined in her research.

"In reality, gender shapes how leaders and followers interact, influencing perceptions, expectations, and opportunities. Leadership research often ignores these factors, treating men's and women's experiences as the same – when they're not," she explains.

Karryna's paper Rewrite the recipe: A Gendered examination of Social Exchange Theory in Leadership Research challenges the idea that social exchange theory is gender neutral.

The idea of its neutrality is challenged by the mere fact that the literature has always been gendered in how it profiles subjects.

"Many foundational theories in leadership research are treated as universal truths, yet they were developed in vastly different social and historical contexts," says Karryna.

"For example, one of the seminal books on social exchange theory references women only in relation to recipes, prom kisses, or marriage proposals."

It was perusing through these historical texts that put Karryna on a path to dissect them. Reading Exchange and Power in Social Life, she gained crucial insight into the rhetoric surrounding women in leadership research.

"The book was written in 1964, and its language is incredibly gendered – men are the primary actors in exchanges, while women are mentioned only in domestic or romantic contexts," says Karryna.

I asked: what's changed? While workplaces have evolved, have the underlying assumptions about social exchange in leadership kept pace?

She dove into this exploration at three levels: individual (how we internalise gender norms), interactional (how gender plays out in relationships), and institutional (how workplace structures reinforce gendered expectations).

The initial results were, perhaps, unsurprising.

"It showed gendered expectations influence how followers reciprocate to male and female leaders, challenging the long-held assumption that social exchange theory operates the same way for everyone," says Karryna.

By critically examining these assumptions, we can develop theoretical models that reflect today’s realities and contribute to meaningful progress on gender equity in leadership.

Moving forward, Karryna is proposing a new framework that integrates gender into social exchange theory, helping us better understand and address workplace inequalities in leadership.

"My paper is currently under review at a leading journal. Additionally, I'm expanding this work by empirically testing how gender shapes leader-follower social exchange relationships."

Recipient of the 2024 Kenneth E. Clark Student Research Award

Karryna’s paper has already earned her the prestigious Kenneth E. Clark Student Research award, granted by the Center for Creative Leadership. The award recognises outstanding unpublished papers by undergraduate and graduate students.

"I'm incredibly grateful for this recognition. More than anything, I appreciate the opportunity to share my work with like-minded scholars and engage with the global leadership research community," she says.

Karryna’s paper was also recognised by the ANU Futures Scheme – a funding opportunity that is awarded to those who promote excellence in research.

"It allowed me to accept the Kenneth E. Clark Student Research award in person, which was an incredible opportunity to connect with other researchers,” says Katrina.

“It also enabled me to hire a research assistant who assisted with coding articles for my study."

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Image credit: Tim Rendall/CBE