How Gender Shapes Online Influence Over Time
Gender stereotypes shape who gets heard online. This video reveals how dominance and prestige strategies play out differently for men and women.
October 08, 2025
Hemant Kakkar
Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour. His research draws on social psychology and evolutionary theories of status and influence to examine judgments and behaviours of individuals and groups within social hierarchies. He also investigates why individuals sometimes engage in deviant behaviour, both positive and negative.
Video Summary
Social media may appear neutral, but influence still follows old gender norms. Based on research by ISB Professor Hemant Kakkar, this video explores how men and women use different influence strategies online, and how those strategies succeed or fail over time. While men initially gain traction through dominance, women build lasting influence through prestige. The research shows that even in digital spaces, leadership is shaped by expectations, not just merit. The path to power is more social than we think.
Authored by ISB Editorial