Men’s Allyship for Workplace Gender Equality: The Roles of Argument Framing and Perceived Motivation in Shaping Opinions

This research examines how different argument frames—moral, economic, and interpersonal ties—shape evaluations of men’s support for workplace gender equality. Across three studies in Australia (N = 1,006), both men and women rated argument persuasiveness and assessed the motivations of men’s allyship supporting workplace gender equality. Study 1 used conceptual content analysis to identify common argument frames; Studies 2 and 3 experimentally tested their effects. Men found interpersonal ties arguments more persuasive than moral ones, but no more persuasive than economic arguments. Women, by contrast, evaluated persuasiveness based on their perceptions of men’s motivations, leading to a different and more complex pattern of responses. These findings underscore the importance of both argument framing and perceived ally motivation in shaping responses to workplace gender equality messaging aimed at men by men.