Allyship in the Workplace: An Examination of Antecedents and Consequences

The importance of allies—broadly defined as those who “actively work toward the eradication of prejudicial practices” (Sue et al., 2019)—In organizational contexts has been increasingly evident with the rise of #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. In highlighting the persistence of sexism and racism, these social movements have encouraged broader participation in efforts to reduce existing social inequalities. For instance, the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 constituted the largest social movement in United States history with an estimated 15 to 26 million participants (Buchanan, Bui, & Patel, 2020). Companies responded to this societal reckoning with an outpouring of statements and commitments, with the biggest 50 companies in the U.S. pledging nearly $50 billion to combat racial inequality (Jan, McGregor, & Hoyer, 2021). Given increased attention on allyship behaviors in organizational settings, this symposium brings together five presentations that explore diverse yet interconnected facets of allyship. Spanning experimental, archival, and observational methods, these five papers examine the psychological, identity-based, and contextual factors that affect both decisions to engage in social justice efforts and ultimate evaluations of allyship efforts. By considering how individuals come to participate in advocacy as well as how onlookers perceive and appraise allyship, this symposium helps to shed light on both sides of allyship efforts. In turn, this symposium offers insights into strategies to increase participation in allyship that truly makes marginalized groups feel supported. “Am I an Ally or Is That a Lie?” Performativity Concerns, Authenticity, and Allyship Presenter: Olivia Foster-Gimbel; New York U. Presenter: Julianna Pillemer; New York U. Preaching to the Choir or Converting the Masses when Garnering Support for Social Justice Presenter: Deshani Buddhika Ganegoda; Melbourne Business School Presenter: Jigyasu Shukla; U. of Central Florida Presenter: Debra L. Shapiro; U. of Maryland “Am I an Ally or Is That a Lie?” Performativity Concerns, Authenticity, and Allyship Presenter: Olivia Foster-Gimbel; New York U. Presenter: Julianna Pillemer; New York U. Preaching to the Choir or Converting the Masses When Garnering Support for Social Justice Presenter: Deshani Buddhika Ganegoda; Melbourne Business School Presenter: Jigyasu Shukla; U. of Central Florida Presenter: Debra L. Shapiro; U. of Maryland Should That Count? Fairness Judgments of Resource Allocations Accounting for Structural Sexism Presenter: Alyssa Tedder-King; Kenan-Flagler Business School, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Presenter: Elad Netanel Sherf; Kenan-Flagler Business School, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Examining Women’s Reactions to Male Managers’ Ally Work: A Divergence Framework Presenter: Carolyn Thi Dang; Pennsylvania State U. Presenter: Soojin Oh; Pennsylvania State U. Presenter: Aparna Joshi; Penn State Smeal College of Business Sincere Solidarity or Performative Pretense? Evaluations of Organizational Allyship Displays Presenter: Rebecca Ponce de Leon; Columbia Business School Presenter: James T. Carter; Columbia Business School Presenter: Ashleigh Shelby Rosette; Duke U.