Mentor: Dr. Laura Doering
Associate Professor of Strategic Management and Sociology
Project Description
In this project we ask, how do men and women respond differently to a failure? And, what affects persistence? We expect that there might be a gendered difference in persistence, with moderators that influence the relationship between the two. Certain cultural tropes may encourage men more than women to discount negative feedback that accompanies rejection. For example, the celebration-of-failure mindset in Silicon Valley (Cope 2011) suggests that success demands multiple failures. This highly masculine cultural trope may prompt men to see failure as part of a process leading to success, in line with Nietzsche’s (1889) classic phrase,”what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” On the other hand, women are often more socialized to value the opinions of others than are men. To the degree that they have failed at a task, they might be more likely to decide not to try again.
In our study, we will evaluate whether female and male researchers who applied for SSHRC Insight and Insight Development Grants behave differently following rejections. Specifically, we will examine whether there are overall differences in reapplication following rejection, as well as how men and women might tailor reapplications differently. We will also test for factors that might moderate the effect of gender on reapplication, including whether feedback about one’s application moderates the effect of gender on likelihood of reapplying. We will also consider the moderating effects of social standing (e.g., whether a researcher is “emerging” or “established”), university characteristics, and demographic characteristics. Other moderators might include the gender-typing of the field-of-study of the researcher.
We are a three-person team of sociologists and management researchers (Laura Doering, University of Toronto; Adina Sterling, Columbia University; Yixi Chen, Columbia University). As a member of our team, you will learn about research that integrates qualitative and quantitative data to link individual experiences with organization-level outcomes. You will advance the project by conducting literature reviews and analyzing qualitative or quantitative data (depending on your interest).
Mentorship Statement
Mentoring students is one the great joys of my job. I love supporting students in developing their research skills and helping to launch them on the exciting paths they pursue post-graduation. I have been fortunate to work with a team of excellent research assistants in the past. Many of my RAs have gone on to graduate school or to conduct applied research in organizations. I look forward to working with a student in the SROP program as he or she learns about the research process and considers how it might shape their future.