Stereotypes are believed to be at the root of discriminatory employment practices and the homogenization of women's abilities and roles (Albee & Perry, 1998; Valian, 1998; Glick, Zion, & Nelson, 1988). In particular, research indicates that traits of effective managers are aligned closely with stereotypes of the typical male. Beliefs about the characteristics of successful managers leads to evaluation criteria that are based on masculine stereotypes and result in institutional practices that adversely affect women who are seen as either lacking these traits, or, when they possess them, as having interpersonal skills problems and/or being unlikable (Rudman, 1998). Dislike of women who are perceived to not possess traditional feminine qualities such as being caring and deferent (i.e., women who violate gender role expectations) leads to evaluations which contribute to the glass ceiling effect, the unseen but insidious barrier to women's advancement in corporate culture. Evaluations of abilities, performance and overall leadership potential prompt deliberate, motivated appraisals, not simply reactive, category-based judgments driven by stereotypes. Stereotypes have also been viewed as schemata for attributions, suggesting that judgments based on group stereotypes may be influenced by attributions and related emotions, especially in surprising or important contexts (Hamilton, 1979; Hegarty & Pratto, 2001; Jackson, Sullivan & Hodge, 1993; Reyna, 2000). Based on Betancourt and Lopez's (1993) framework for considering the role of sociocultural phenomena (e.g., stereotypes) in influencing attributions and judgments, two proposed models tested hypothesized relations regarding the role that stereotypes of women and attributions play in judgments of a competent, agentic woman in the workplace. Participants included 209 undergraduate college students who completed the questionnaires.

The proposed model was tested using Bentler's (1995) EQS program for structural equation modeling. Both models provided good fits of the data. Results demonstrated that people who endorsed sexist stereotypes of women perceived the nontraditional woman to have negative masculine traits (e.g., egotism, hostility, etc.) which influenced attributions that she could control her behavior which activated anger towards her that resulted in judgments that the firm did not discriminate against her based on her gender. People who were less likely to endorse sexist stereotypes perceived her behavior as less personally controllable which activated empathic responses and judgments that the firm discriminated against her. There was no relationship between perceptions that the nontraditional woman had positive masculine traits (e.g., independence, competitiveness) and sexist stereotypes or attributions of personal control. Overall, the role of sexist stereotypes of women in influencing attributions of control and anger or attributions of uncontrollability and sympathy resulted in judgments in favor of the firm or the woman (respectively), in the gender discrimination lawsuit.