Female bosses `can wreck other women`s promotion hopes`

A study says that female bosses can wreck other women`s promotion hopes.

London: It may not be true always, but a study says that female bosses in a male-dominated environment can wreck other women`s promotion hopes.

Instead, women managers who do break through the glass ceiling are more likely to mentor and support their male colleagues than their female co-workers, according to the study published in the `Social Science Research` journal. Far from encouraging other ambitious women, psychologists at the University of Cincinnati found female bosses are more inclined to obstruct them. As well as the unwanted competition, the researchers sayd this may partly be due to the fact women occupying senior posts want to blend in as much as possible with their male counterparts, the `Daily Mail` reported. The study is based on responses from more than 2,000 employees in the US. Lead researcher Dr David Maume said: "The popular press and many studies contend that women make better managers than men because they are more supportive leaders, delegate more responsibility and foster the careers of their subordinates, especially the women who work under them. "But in this study, men exceeded women in receiving job-related support from female supervisors and were more optimistic about their promotion chances as a result. "The results are consistent with the notion that female managers have little or no effect on the career prospects of female subordinates and instead foster men`s career prospects." And he warned: "Those that expect female bosses will dramatically change the nature of superior-subordinate relations are likely to be disappointed." PTI