Examining benevolent sexism and implicit bias as environmental barriers to women servicemembers' career success and satisfaction: a response surface analysis

Despite being the fastest growing veteran population in the United States, women servicemembers remain underrepresented in the military and research examining women’s experiences in the military remains limited mostly to military sexual trauma (MST). Despite military intervention, policies, procedures, and training to reduce sexual harassment and assault, women continue to serve for briefer periods of time and report less satisfying military careers than their male counterparts and there remains a need to examine understudied factors of women servicemembers’ career success and satisfaction. Informed by Brown & Lent’s (2008) social cognitive career theory model of work satisfaction I assessed the effect of environmental barriers, such as women servicemembers’ experiences of gendered implicit bias and benevolent sexism on their career success and satisfaction. Results suggest that perceived implicit bias and benevolent sexism contribute to women servicemembers’ and veterans’ career success and satisfaction in complex ways.