In homosocial male-dominated organisational cultures, it is usual that women act on heterosocial expectations, i.e., orient themselves towards men in order to be included (Lipman-Blumen, 1976: Holgersson, 2013). As noted by, e.g. Bird (1996), heterosociality is still a concept in need for theoretical development. In this paper, we explore lived experiences of heterosociality in Swedish academic organisational cultures to (1) identify various ways in which heterosociality manifests in organisational cultures, and (2) to conceptualise the consequences of heterosociality for the creation and maintenance of homosocial cultures.Heterosociality affects the establishment and reproduction of homosocial culture, as these two phenomena are fundamentally co-created. Our research reveals several key consequences. Men are consistently positioned as superior and self-evident, embodying the normative ideal in academic professions, while women are constructed as deviants of lesser value. This manifests in men's broader scope of culturally sanctioned actions and expressions, including the ability to advocate for equality without negative repercussions (Armato, 2013). We identify a 'individuality paradox' wherein men are simultaneously viewed as independent agents and collective norm-setters, while women face the contradictory expectation to avoid gender-based collectivity yet are invariably categorised as a homogeneous, deviant group. Furthermore, men's relational patterns –competitive behaviours (Berdahl et al, 2018), 'manhood acts' (Schrock & Schwalbe, 2009), or homosocial brotherhood (Fisher & Kinsey, 2014) – are valorised within the culture. Paradoxically, while heterosocial practices enable this system's maintenance, they are simultaneously devalued due to their feminine associations.