Skip to main content
Log in

Gender-based influences: The promotion recommendation

  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study used a between-subjects analysis of variance design (2 × 2 × 2 × 2) to estimate the effects of rater gender, ratee gender, the gender stereotype of the job, and the gender stereotype of the ratee's personal characteristics on a promotion decision. The results indicated that female employees with masculine characteristics were evaluated as most promotable regardless of the gender stereotype of the job or the gender of the rater. We also investigated the personal characteristics raters reported using in making their decisions. We asked raters to select ratee personal characteristics that most influenced their promotion decisions. Discriminant analyses showed that male and female raters approached the rating process differently and that it is predominantly the gender stereotype of the ratee's personal characteristics rather than the ratee's gender that influences the promotion process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramson, P. E., Goldberg, P. A., Greenberg, J. H., & Abramson, U. M. (1978). The talking platypus phenomenon: competency ratings as a function of sex and professional status. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2, 114–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartol, K. M., & Butterfield, D. A. (1976). Sex effects in evaluating leaders. Journal of Applied Psychology, 61, 446–454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bem, S. L. (1974). The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42(2), 155–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bray, D. W., Campbell, R. J., & Grant, D. L. (1974). Formative years in business. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cannings, K. (1988). Managerial promotion: The effects of socialization, specialization, and gender. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 42, 77–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, D. R., & Stogdill, R. M. (1972). Leader behavior of male and female supervisors: A comparative study. Personnel Psychology, 25, 353–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dipboye, R. L. (1985). Some neglected variables in research on discrimination in appraisals. Academy of Management Review, 10, 116–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobbins, H. G., Cardy, L. R., & Truxillo, M. D. (1988). The effects of purpose of appraisal and individual differences in stereotypes of women on sex differences in performance ratings: A laboratory and field study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 3, 331–558.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fidell, L. S. (1970). Empirical verification of sex discrimination in hiring practices in psychology. American Psychologist, 25, 1094–1098.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goktepe, R. J., & Schneier, E. C. (1989). Role of sex, gender roles, and attraction in predicting emergent leaders. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, 165–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graves, H. L., & Powell, N. G. (1988). An investigation of sex discrimination in recruiters' evaluations of actual applicants. Journal of Applied Psychology, 3, 20–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, P. E. (1978). Analyzing multivariate data. Hinsdale, IL: The Dryden Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (1987). Multivariate data analysis: With readings. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamner, W. C., Kim, J. S., Baird, L., & Bigoness, W. J. (1974). Race and sex as determinants of ratings by potential employers in a simulated work sampling task. Journal of Applied Psychology, 56, 705–711.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartman, S. J., Crino, M., Harris, O. J., & Griffeth, R. (1985). Importance of ratee personality characteristics: Rater nominations of most important characteristics for male and female managers and for jobs of different types. Proceedings, Southern Management.

  • Heilman, M. E. (1984). Information as a deterrent against sex discrimination: The effects of applicant sex and information type on preliminary employment decisions. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 38, 174–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heilman, M. E., & Stopeck, H. M. (1985). Being attractive, advantage or disadvantage? Performance-based evaluations and recommended personnel actions as a function of appearance, sex and job type. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 35, 202–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinricks, J. R. (1978). An eight-year follow-up of a management assessment center. Journal of Applied Psychology, 63, 596–601.

    Google Scholar 

  • Homer, P. M. & Kahle, L. R. (1988). A structural equation test of the value-attitude-behavior hierarchy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 638–646.

    Google Scholar 

  • Izraeli, D. N., & Izraeli, D. (1985). Sex effects in evaluating leaders: A replication study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 340–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, D. N., Peacock, A. C., & Holden, R. R. (1982). Professional interviewers', trait inferential structures for diverse occupational groups. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 29, 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, D. M., & Alvarez, K. M. (1977). Effects of sex on description and evaluation of supervisory behavior in a simulated industrial setting. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 405–410.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lesser, J., & Mehdizadeh, M. (1988). Contribution of cognitive theories of psychology to economic systems. Psychology: A Journal of Human Behavior, 25, 19–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, G. B. (1986). Gender and promotions. Journal of Human Resources, 21, 406–419.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lord, R. G., Phillips, J. S., & Rush, M. C. (1980). Effects of sex and personality on perceptions of emergent leadership, influence, and social power. Journal of Applied Psychology, 65, 176–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neumark, D. (1988). Employers' discriminatory behavior and the estimation of wage discrimination. Journal of Human Resources, 23, 279–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nieva, V. F., & Gutek, B. A. (1980). Sex effects on evaluation. Academy of Management Review, 5, 267–276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliphant, V. N., & Alexander, E. R., III. (1982). Reactions to resumes as a function of resume determinateness, applicant characteristics, and sex of raters. Personnel Psychology, 35, 829–842.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ravlin, E. C., & Meglino, B. M. (1987). Effect of values on perception and decision making: a study of alternative work values measures. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72, 666–673.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rice, R. W., Instone, D., & Adams, J. (1984). Leader sex, leader success, and leadership process; two field studies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 69, 12–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riger, S., & Galligan, P. (1980). Women in management: An exploration of competing paradigms. American Psychologist, 35, 902–910.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie, R. J., & Moses, J. L. (1983). Assessment center correlates of women's advancement into middle management: A 7-year longitudinal analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, 227–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, G. L., & Andippan, P. (1978). Sex effects on managerial hiring decisions. Academy of Management Journal, 21, 104–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, B., & Jerdee, T. H. (1974). Effects of applicant's sex and difficulty of job of candidates for managerial positions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 59, 511–512.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenstein, J., & Hitt, A. M. (1986). Experimental research on race and sex discrimination: The record and the prospects. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 7, 215–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sackett, P. R., & Wilson, M. A. (1982). Factors affecting the consensus judgment process in managerial assessment centers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 10–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein, V. E. (1973). Relationship between sex role stereotypes and requisite management characteristics. Journal of Applied Psychology, 57, 95–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein, V. E. (1975). Relationship between sex role stereotypes and requisite management characteristics among female managers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 340–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sudman, S., & Schwartz, N. (1989). Contributions of cognitive psychology to advertising research. Journal of Advertising Research, 29, 43–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terborg, J. R., & Ilgen, D. R. (1975). A theoretical approach to sex discrimination in traditionally masculine occupations. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 13, 352–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tienda, M., Smith, S. A., & Ortiz, V. (1987). Industrial restructuring, gender segregation, and sex differences in earnings. American Sociological Review, 52, 195–210

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hartman, S.J., Griffeth, R.W., Crino, M.D. et al. Gender-based influences: The promotion recommendation. Sex Roles 25, 285–300 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289757

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289757

Keywords

Navigation