Masculine Organisational Culture
The GRID lab studies how employees navigate so-called "masculine" work environments, where competition and individualism dominate, and success is defined by traits more often associated with men (such as independence, confidence, and outperforming others) rather than women (such as teamwork, empathy, and mentorship). Academia is one such environment, currently transitioning from a competitive, individualistic culture to a more collaborative one, where team science and quality teaching are increasingly valued.
Our research shows that women, in particular, feel less at home and face more challenges in advancing their careers in masculine organisations—partly because they encounter lower expectations regarding their competence in traditionally masculine domains. However, many men also prefer organisations that value not only competition and individual performance but also teamwork, well-being, and a healthy work-life balance.
In addition to our research, we offer the workshop "Be The Change You Want to See" for organisations looking to foster bottom-up change among employees. In this workshop, we help participants explore how they can stay authentic within their organisation’s dominant culture while contributing to positive change. We discuss why many people feel like they don’t fully belong and how we can work together to create a more inclusive environment. The session encourages both junior and senior employees to envision their ideal organisation and discover how they can act as change agents to drive meaningful transformation.