From Words to Walls: Deciphering Cultural Impact on Women’s “Lack of Fit”

In this talk, Dr. Wen Shan (Vivien) will present her research on the cultural impact on gender bias in job descriptions. The talk delves into how cultural values influence the use of gendered language, particularly in recruitment communications, and how this shapes the "lack of fit" for women in leadership roles across different cultures. Her findings offer new insights into the intersection of culture, gender stereotypes, and organizational communication strategies.

This virtual seminar is part of the Women and Public Policy Program's weekly fall seminar series: Women’s Leadership in Context: Gender, Power, and Identity Dynamics.

Dr. Wen Shan (Vivien) is a lecturer at the S R Nathan School of Human Development, Singapore University of Social Sciences. Her research primarily explores how culture shapes gender inequalities in negotiations and organizations, leveraging big data analytics and AI technologies in human resource management research. Dr. Shan has contributed significantly to the academic community with over 50 publications in leading journals, book chapters, and international conferences, including the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Development International, Frontiers in Psychology, SSM—Population Health, Academy of Management, International Association for Conflict Management conferences, etc. Her work has earned her prestigious awards, such as the Best Paper Award, The Best Paper Presentation Award, IACM-AC4 Scholar Award and the IACM-DRRC Scholar Award. Before entering academia, Dr. Shan was a senior management consultant for technology startups. She holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and both a Master's and Bachelor's degree in Applied Psychology from Beijing Normal University, China.