Abstract Previous research shows that gender vanguards (individuals who demonstrate gender- atypical skills and behavior) suffer backlash in the form of social and economic penalties (Rudman & Phelan, 2008). This study examined backlash against female and male job applicants who were either gender-atypical or typical. Professionals (N = 149) evaluated female or male managerial applicants for internal promotion described in their performance review as showing either self-advocacy or advocacy on behalf of their team. Atypical, other-advocating men were judged to be low on agency and competence and penalized with job dismissal. Serial mediation analysis demonstrated that, compared with other-advocating women, other-advocating men were perceived to lack agency, which contributed to a perceived loss of competence that ultimately led to greater penalties. The implications of these findings for contemporary leadership theories and men's and women's professional success in the workplace are discussed. Keywords: Gender Discrimination; Backlash; Hiring; Gender Roles; Advocacy Be an Advocate for Others, Unless You Are a Man: Backlash Against Gender-Atypical Male Job Candidates Stereotypes play a crucial role in the process of screening job applicants (for reviews, see Barreto, Ryan, & Schmitt, 2009; Fiske, 1998). In particular, stereotypical beliefs drawn from applicants' social group memberships can bias raters' perceptions and judgments (e.g., Derous, Ryan, & Serlie, 2015; Fiske, Lin, & Neuberg, 1999). Thus, understanding when and how stereotypes impact personnel decision-makers is key to ensuring a fair treatment of candidates, as well as an effective recruitment process for organizations (Heilman, 2012). A large body of research has demonstrated that gender stereotypes influence perceivers and can lead to discrimination in hiring and promotion decisions (e.g., Bosak & Sczesny, 2011; Heilman, 1983; Heilman & Okimoto, 2007; Heilman, Wallen, Fuchs, & Tamkins, 2004; Rudman, Moss-Racusin, Phelan, & Nauts, 2012; Ryan, Haslam, Morgenroth, Rink, & Peters, 2016). Reactions have routinely been found to be negative towards self-advocating or otherwise agentic women who face social and economic penalties (termed backlash effects; Rudman, 1998; Rudman & Fairchild, 2004). Although researchers have traditionally concentrated on backlash against women who disconfirm gender stereotypes (for reviews, see Eagly & Karau, 2002; Kulik & Olekalns, 2012; Rudman, Moss-Racusin, Glick, & Phelan, 2012; Rudman & Phelan, 2008), men may also be subject to backlash for violating gender stereotypes and norms. Yet, few studies to date have attended to how atypical behaviors create negative expectancy violations for men, generating backlash and negatively affecting men's outcomes (for exceptions, see Heilman & Wallen, 2010; Moss-Racusin, Phelan, & Rudman, 2010; Rudman & Mescher, 2013). so, the study makes three important contributions. First, research on backlash to date has relied predominately on student samples. To overcome this ecological issue, the present study sought to replicate backlash against atypical, self-advocating women using a sample of professionals, many of whom held roles which would typically involve screening applications and making hiring decisions. Second, we sought to extend the scarce research on backlash against atypical men. Third, we uniquely investigated backlash against atypical men who display other- advocating (vs. self-advocating) behaviors in their work role. Prior research has detected backlash against communal men (Moss-Racusin et al., 2010; Rudman & Mescher, 2013) who were penalized because they were judged as low in agency. However, certain communal behaviors such as advocating for team members in the workplace might be judged as a strength, rather than a weakness, even for men. Thus, the study addresses a recent call to investigate the scope of negative reactions to atypical men (Moss-Racusin et al., 2010). Gender Stereotype Violations Promote Backlash Social role theory proposes that stereotypical beliefs about men and women stem from observations of the sexes in their typical societal roles, which are believed to require different talents and skills (Eagly, 1987; Eagly, Wood, & Diekman, 2000; Eagly & Wood, 2012). Women's more communal roles (e.g., as caretakers) and men's more agentic roles (e.g., as leaders) promote the two fundamental dimensions of gender stereotypes: female communality and male agency, respectively. Further, stereotypical beliefs also dictate what men and women ought to be (prescriptive norms) and ought not to be (proscriptive norms; Prentice & Carranza, 2002). Gender prescriptions dictate that women should be caring and socially oriented (communal) and that men should be competitive and achievement-oriented (agentic) (Eagly & Karau, 2002; Eagly & Steffen, 1984; Fiske, 1998). Gender proscriptions dictate that women should not be dominant and men should not be weak (Rudman, Moss-Racusin, Phelan, et al., 2012). As we next describe, gender-atypical behaviors readily translate to perceived violations of gender proscriptions and gender prescriptions (Rudman et al., 2012). Therefore, a critical challenge for female and male applicants in a professional context is their inability to display gender-atypical behaviors that are often required for success without being penalized during the hiring and promotion process. Backlash against atypical women. Prior research has demonstrated that women often suffer backlash when they appear agentic, self-promoting, or even mildly angry (e.g., Brescoll & Uhlmann, 2008; Heilman & Okimoto; 2007; Rudman, 1998; Rudman & Glick, 1999, 2001). For example, Heilman and Okimoto (2007) found that a successful female manager was liked less and was seen as a less desirable superior compared to a similarly described male counterpart. Moreover, Rudman (1998) found that despite the importance of self-promotion in an interview setting, self-promoting female applicants were judged as lower in social skills and less likely to be hired than male counterparts (see also Rudman & Glick, 1999; 2001; Rudman et al., 2012). Similarly, only self-advocating women (not men) attempting to negotiate a higher salary suffered backlash (Amanatullah & Tinsley, 2013). Notably, agentic women suffer penalties not because they lack competence, but because they are seen as unlikable and thus, they are overlooked for hiring and promotions (e.g., Fiske, Bersoff, Borgidia, Deaux, & Heilman, 1991; Heilman, 2001; Lyness & Judiesch, 1999; Phelan et al., 2008; Rudman et al., 2012). By contrast, modest women are well liked but judged as insufficiently competent to be hired (e.g., Phelan et al., 2008; Rudman, 1998; Rudman & Glick, 2001). Thus, professional women in masculine domains are faced with a catch-22: They must act agentically to be seen as competent yet when they do, they risk penalties (Eagly & Karau, 2002; Rudman & Phelan, 2008). In contrast, male applicants who display identical agentic behaviors as their female counterparts are viewed not only as highly competent but also more likeable and hirable (e.g., Rudman, 1998; Rudman & Glick, 1999; 2001). Backlash against atypical men. Investigations of backlash against atypical male workers suggest that they are also subject to penalties for violating gender rules. In addition to observing backlash against modest male applicants (Moss-Racusin et al., 2010; Phelan et al., 2008), researchers found that male family leave requesters received more penalties and fewer rewards than female counterparts due to men's diminished agency (Rudman & Mescher, 2013). Further, evaluators administered a "wimp penalty" to a man who merely succeeded in a feminine domain (Heilman & Wallen, 2010). Although promising, research investigating men is embryonic because researchers have focused more on women's challenges. This is likely because stereotypical expectations of agency and ambition for men are congruent with characteristics of successful professionals and leaders (Eagly & Karau, 2002; Heilman, 1983). Consequently, in male-dominated roles, men, compared to women, face less pressure to overcome stereotypes to succeed. Nonetheless, the scarce number of studies investigating backlash against male workers show that they also suffer penalties for behaving in gender atypical ways (e.g., Heilman & Wallen, 2010; Moss-Racusin et al., 2010; Rudman & Mescher, 2013). Advocacy and the Avoidance of Backlash Self-advocating behavior and other-advocating behavior are central to the constructs of agency and communion. The traditional division of responsibilities and roles for men and women was such that men held social roles enhanced by self-advocacy (e.g., powerful boss, authoritative father and protective husband), whereas women occupied the role of advocating for others (e.g., supportive assistant, encouraging wife and mother; Amanatullah & Tinsley, 2013). Self- Do not just summarize the article. Answer the following questions: Leave at least one comment telling me how this articles ties to the social constructs of both gender roles and leadership. Based on what you know from this course, what actions can men take to support gender equity in leadership?