From the Mouths of Men

This study proposed a moderated mediation model where social identity complexity was hypothesized to predict endorsement of identity safety behaviors intended to mitigate social identity threat for women in a male-dominated work context. Male awareness of systemic social identity threats for women was examined as a potential mediator of the proposed relationship between social identity complexity and identity safety endorsement. Finally, psychosocial safety climate was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between sensitivity to women's identity threat and identity safety endorsement. More than 400 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) male professors completed an online questionnaire measuring the study constructs. Ordinary least squares regression and bootstrapping methods were used to test the study hypotheses. Results showed that certain dimensions of social identity complexity predicted identity safety endorsement. While male sensitivity to women's identity threat predicted a particular type of identity safety endorsement, there was no support for the construct as a mediator. There was also no support found for psychosocial safety climate as a moderator in this study. Supplemental findings revealed that having academic tenure and increased contact with women colleagues positively predicted endorsement of identity safety. Theoretical implications, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.