Can #MeToo Change Executives’ Views on Gender Equality?
A new study in the Journal of Management shows that social movements can change how executives act on the cultural norms they grew up with.
Do CEOs carry the gender norms of their upbringing into the companies they lead? In a new article, Michael Mueller and Taco Reus study U.S. ICT firms and find that, before #MeToo, firms led by CEOs from more male-dominant cultures employed fewer women in senior management. However, after #MeToo, the pattern reversed: these CEOs increased women’s representation more strongly than peers from more gender-egalitarian cultures. The effect persisted through 2024, was concentrated in male-typed roles, and was strongest among younger CEOs, consistent with intrinsic rather than purely extrinsic motives. The study also finds broader shifts inside firms. Women’s careers progressed faster, references to harassment and gender inequality in employee reviews declined, and CEOs from male-dominant cultures began using more language related to integrity and respect in earnings calls. The study shows that social movements can prompt lasting organizational change, particularly among leaders whose earlier cultural imprints are most directly challenged.