An increase in the number of sex-based discrimination charges filed with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in recent years prompted the research, says Eden King, an associate professor of psychology at Rice University and the study’s senior author.

“A lot of research has already been done about how women can fight sexism in the workplace,” King says. “What we were interested in studying was how men play a role in this.”

King and her fellow authors evaluated 100 women of varying ethnicities, ranging in age from 19 to 69, with total work experience ranging from 1 to 50 years. These women took an online survey about male ally behavior in the workplace and were asked to recall situations when they thought their male allies were effective or ineffective in helping them fight sexism.

King and her fellow authors evaluated 100 women of varying ethnicities, ranging in age from 19 to 69, with total work experience ranging from 1 to 50 years. These women took an online survey about male ally behavior in the workplace and were asked to recall situations when they thought their male allies were effective or ineffective in helping them fight sexism.

The researchers found that men can effectively act as allies in a number of ways, including doing things to advance a woman’s career (such as offering special projects or promotions), putting a stop to bad behavior by peers, or simply lending support when asked.

However, the women answering the survey also pointed out situations where male allies did more harm than good. Women most frequently described allyship as ineffective when it had no impact on sexist behavior or organizational culture, or when they or their ally experienced backlash over their actions.

Read the full article about male allyship by Amy McCaig at Futurity.