If you are a female college faculty member, you are likely to have a tougher time earning senior level positions in academia than your male colleagues.

At least that is the result of a recent FAU College of Business study, according to a university release.

The study found that female faculty members with 10 or more years since receiving their doctorates were less likely to be promoted and receive awards for their scholarly research.

The study looked at 511 faculty members in management programs at universities across the country and is published in “The Journal of Management.”

Len Trevino, professor of management in FAU’s College of Business, helped author the study.

He was joined by Luis R. Gomez-Mejia, a professor at Arizona State University, David B. Balkin, a University of Colorado professor and Franklin G. Mixon Jr., a professor at Columbus State.

The researchers also found that this is not a conscious decision.

“It’s birds of a feather flock together,” Trevino said. “Males at the top run the show and they interact with other male gatekeepers. The competence of female faculty is more likely to be questioned while male competence is taken for granted by the gatekeepers.”

Benjamin Paley is a contributing writer with the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @benpaley92.