Women managers and fear of success: A study in the field

Reported here is the first stage of a study designed to test Matina Horner's fear of success (FOS) hypothesis in the field of management. A matched sample of 18 male and 18 female executives wrote stories for TAT-type verbal cues concerned with a successful management career. No significant differences were indicated between sexes in negative imagery, though both expressed anxiety toward success. Implications for Horner's hypothesis are discussed with respect to changing attitudes and expectations of men and women for each other and their relationships in business. The report concludes that understanding of FOS requires research on a broader representation of men and women actually involved in the pursuit of careers via ongoing studies in touch with rapidly changing times.This paper was presented, in part, at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, August 12, 1976.Special acknowledgment is made to Estelle D. Klinger, Jean M. Moore, Nancy L. Spear, Susan Vandenburg, and Rene Jackson-White for the ideas, time, and assistance they contributed to the research reported here.