Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: On the Exposure of Asian Leaders in the Workplace

Current research on overcoming the 'bamboo ceiling' effect experienced by Asians in professional environments largely centers on individual advancement through the enhancement of skills and communication abilities. There is, however, a paucity of studies investigating the influence of existing Asian leadership on the prospects of future Asian candidates for senior leadership positions. The objective of this study was to elucidate the potential evaluative generalizations made between Asian leaders and their subsequent Asian contenders. We hypothesized that the presence of an Asian leader could shape the evaluative process towards future Asian candidates. We further investigated the hypothesis that, within a context predominantly led by white individuals, the performance of an Asian leader—whether successful or otherwise—could be generalized to future Asian candidates for senior leadership positions, thus influencing their evaluation. Our results demonstrated the effect of exposure to an Asian leader on their future Asian candidates' evaluation and career development depends on whether the leader is successful or not. These results contribute to the complex dynamics at play in the evaluation of Asian candidates for leadership roles and shed light on the progress of establishing a more equitable professional environment.