Andresen, L. Josephine; (2025) Power's Precarious Pedestal: A Study of Gender, Behavioural Competence, and the Shifting Sands of Status. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

Text Andresen_10213134_thesis.pdf Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 1 October 2026. Download (2MB)

Abstract

This thesis challenges the assumption that power and status are inherently stable, investigating their dynamic relationship through experimental studies. Firstly, highpower individuals were consistently afforded higher initial status than low-power individuals across multiple measures (Chapters 2-5). However, this status advantage proved precarious, with high-power individuals experiencing greater status volatility when exposed to competence-related behaviours (Chapter 2). This volatility was particularly pronounced when high-power individuals displayed low competence, revealing a negativity bias in status perceptions (Chapter 3). Contrary to expectations, this effect was not mediated by violated competence expectations. The hypothesis that women in power would experience more volatile status perceptions was not supported, challenging assumptions about women's precarious leadership positions (Chapter 4). Explicit measures showed either egalitarian or female-favouring patterns, while implicit measures revealed persistent male advantages in status affordance, highlighting potential social desirability effects in gender perception research. Political ideology of observers influenced gendered perceptions of power, with conservatives and liberals differing in their evaluations of men and women in power positions (Chapter 5). However, these ideological effects were not consistently replicated across studies. Overall, the studies revealed that competence consistently influenced status perceptions regardless of power level, underscoring its critical role in shaping social hierarchies (Chapter 2-5). In conclusion, this thesis provides evidence that while power initially confers status benefits, it simultaneously creates conditions for increased status volatility. The relationship between power and status is fluid and context-dependent, challenging traditional static models of social hierarchies. These findings have implications for organizational practices, leadership development, and efforts to promote gender equality in leadership roles.

Download activity - last month

Export as XMLCSVJSON

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as XMLCSVJSON

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as JSONXMLCSV

Archive Staff Only

View Item