Publications

Is there a gender bias in how academic leaders are criticized?

Recently, 145 female scientists signed an open letter to challenge the way the Max Planck Society (MPS) manages power abuse cases involving female directors1 . This recent discussion was triggered by the removal of Nicole Boivin from her position as a director at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. This makes her the fourth publicized female MPS director facing power abuse accusations in the last years. Naturally, one begins to ask themselves if female leaders are judged more harshly than their male counterparts.

This question has been adressed in a recent publication by the Max Planck PhDnet, based on the annual survey among the doctoral researchers of the Max Planck Society.