Despite the importance of organizational leaders, few studies have examined whether leaders are subject to stigma and biases based on amount of body fat. Specifically, we examine the extent to which external observers exhibit weight-based biases against organizational leaders based on types of information that commonly appear in the media (e.g., a portrait and description of unit performance). Based on implicit leadership theory, we examine perceptions of leader prototypicality and ratings of leader effectiveness, as predicted by the interacting effects of leader body fat, leader gender, and the performance of the leader's work unit. Our sample consisted of 437 U.S. adults, recruited through Mturk, who evaluated fictitious leaders. Results suggested that leaders were, indeed, subject to statistically significant weight penalties in perceived leader effectiveness, which operated indirectly via decreased perceptions of leader prototypicality. These weight penalties were significantly increased for both man and woman leaders when unit performance was poor. In terms of credit/blame for unit performance, woman leaders with higher body fat received significantly more blame for unit failure, and less credit for unit success, than their counterparts with lower body fat. Overall, results suggest that external observers seem to exhibit weight-based biases against leaders, particularly when other information can be used to justify negative evaluations.

中文翻译：

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观察者对组织领导的看法中的权重和性别偏见：感知领导原型和单位绩效的影响

尽管组织领导者很重要，但很少有研究调查领导者是否会因身体脂肪量而受到耻辱和偏见。具体来说，我们根据媒体上常见的信息类型（例如，单位绩效的肖像和描述），检查外部观察员对组织领导者表现出基于权重的偏见的程度。基于内隐领导理论，我们检查了领导原型的感知和领导效能的评级，正如领导者身体脂肪、领导者性别和领导者工作单位绩效的相互作用所预测的那样。我们的样本由 437 名美国成年人组成，他们是通过 Mturk 招募的，他们评估了虚构的领导者。结果表明，领导者确实是 受感知领导效能的统计显着权重惩罚，其通过降低对领导原型的感知而间接起作用。当单位表现不佳时，男性和女性领导者的体重惩罚都会显着增加。就单位绩效的功劳/责备而言，与体脂较低的女性领导者相比，体脂较高的女性领导者因单位失败而受到的责备明显更多，而对单位成功的功劳则较少。总的来说，结果表明外部观察者似乎对领导者表现出基于权重的偏见，尤其是当其他信息可以用来证明负面评价的合理性时。当单位表现不佳时，男性和女性领导者的体重惩罚都会显着增加。就单位绩效的功劳/责备而言，与体脂较低的女性领导者相比，体脂较高的女性领导者因单位失败而受到的责备明显更多，而对单位成功的功劳则较少。总的来说，结果表明外部观察者似乎对领导者表现出基于权重的偏见，尤其是当其他信息可以用来证明负面评价的合理性时。当单位表现不佳时，男性和女性领导者的体重惩罚都会显着增加。就单位绩效的功劳/责备而言，与体脂较低的女性领导者相比，体脂较高的女性领导者因单位失败而受到的责备明显更多，而对单位成功的功劳则较少。总的来说，结果表明外部观察者似乎对领导者表现出基于权重的偏见，尤其是当其他信息可以用来证明负面评价的合理性时。