Anne Mancl wins university's Outstanding Thesis Award for work on tall poppy syndrome

December 5, 2008

A University of Wisconsin-Whitewater graduate student has given a name to the all-too-common phenomenon where women seem to intentionally mistreat other women out of jealousy or envy.  Anne Mancl, a graduate of the Master of Science program in communication, is the winner of the university’s 2008 Outstanding Thesis Award Competition for her proposal of what is known as “Tall Poppy Syndrome.” 

Mancl’s thesis, “Of Crabs and Tall Poppies: An Exploratory Study of Attitudes and Communicative Behaviors Toward Women Perceived as Successful,” examines female attitudes and communication behaviors produced in response to other females who are perceived as advantaged or successful. 

“At different times in my life, I experienced women who deliberately mistreated other women out of what seemed to be envy or competitiveness,” Mancl said.  “I’d see talented women shrink and minimize their strengths in order to get along with their female colleagues.”  

Specifically, Mancl’s research examined tall poppy syndrome.  A “tall poppy” refers to an individual who represents a perceived high ability or has admirable qualities. 

“I looked at the conundrum a female tall poppy can experience; for example, if she is successful, she risks exclusion by her peers,” she said. 

People who interact with the tall poppy often demonstrate the tendency to attack, demean, or bring down the tall poppy to the common level.  If the tall poppy plays small, she sacrifices her own personal and professional fulfillment.

“A lot of people are uncomfortable and turn their backs on these women,” said Communication Department Chair Barbara Penington. “The people who cut these women down are known as the ‘poppy clippers’.”

Mancl conducted many focus groups, consisting of 40 participants, to hear women’s perspectives on TPS.  She used qualitative research methods, methods that are exploratory and aim to gain an in-depth understanding of human behavior, to analyze her data.  This process took more than seven months to complete.

“We both worked with qualitative research, and I gave her guidance on finding themes and writing her results,” Penington said. “My research works with women, specifically mother and daughter relationships, so there was a gender connection.”

A panel of four graduate faculty members, one from each of the four academic colleges, Arts and Communication, Business and Economics, Education and Letters and Sciences, selected Mancl’s thesis. Barbara Penington chaired her thesis committee.  Associate Professors of Communication Ray Baus and Susan Wildermuth also served as committee members. 

“Aside from the content of the thesis, the quality of the writing was very professional and very well-written,” said Wildermuth. “The caliber of the research was very innovative, and the ideas were very creative.”

Not only is Mancl a recent graduate from the Master of Science program in communication, she also teaches Human Communication, Public Speaking and Interpersonal Communication at UW-Whitewater. 

“Understanding the personal fulfillment and significance of graduate school at UW-Whitewater has helped me coach my students who are thinking about this option for their future,” Mancl said.  “Working with academic research and using academic writing skills in the development of my thesis has increased the integrity of my instruction, and that of my students.”

Additionally, the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) chose Mancl’s thesis as the UW-Whitewater nominee for the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award.