In the realm of freelancing, a paradox exists that can make or break a career: the need for expertise to secure new work opportunities, contrasted with the challenge of gaining this expertise without consistent work experience. Recent research published in the Academy of Management Journal by Yonghoon Lee, Associate Professor of Management at Mays Business School, and colleagues suggests that this is particularly pronounced for women in freelancing, who face an additional obstacle: a “glass wall” in career progression.

The Paradox of Progressive Role Expansion

Freelancers often start with a specialization in a single work role, expanding later into new roles to enhance their career prospects. This strategy, known as progressive role expansion, is crucial in a landscape where diversified skills can lead to more opportunities and autonomy. However, this path is not straightforward for everyone.

Gender Bias in Freelancing

According to a new study, when women freelancers diversify their roles, their actions are perceived differently compared to their male counterparts. This difference in perception, rooted in gender stereotypes, places an invisible barrier – a “glass wall” – that restricts their career development. Women’s role expansion is often seen as less agentic, affecting how their competence and commitment are perceived.

Evidence from the Field: Studies Across Industries and Cultures

The research underpinning these findings is robust, comprising three distinct studies employing various methods, including archival data and experiments. These studies spanned different industries – from K-pop songwriting to the film industry – and involved samples from Korea and the United States. Consistently, the results showed a gendered evaluation of role expansion and its subsequent impact on career opportunities for women.

Perceived Agency as a Mediator

Central to these findings is the concept of perceived agency – the ability to act independently and make one’s own choices. The research posits that the effect of role expansion on perceived competence and commitment is mediated by this perceived agency. For women, their expansion into new roles is often viewed as less agentic, casting doubts on their competence and commitment.

Implications for Women in Freelancing and Beyond

These findings have profound implications. They suggest that even as women step out of traditional organizational hierarchies, they continue to encounter gender biases in new forms of work. The “glass wall” represents a nuanced form of gender bias, one that subtly undermines women’s efforts to diversify their skills and advance their careers.

For women in freelancing careers, this research is a call to awareness – to recognize the challenges and strategize accordingly. It also underscores the need for broader changes in how we perceive and evaluate professional growth, especially in non-traditional career paths.

Concluding Thoughts: Breaking the Glass Wall

The future of work is increasingly freelance and flexible. As such, understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by women in this landscape is crucial. Breaking the “glass wall” will require not just individual resilience and strategy but also a collective effort to rethink and reshape our stereotypes and biases about gender and work. In doing so, we pave the way for a more equitable and dynamic freelancing ecosystem, where talent and ambition, not gender, dictate one’s career trajectory.