Performance management reviews can create a particular kind of competitive environment that may work to the detriment of women, Harvard Business Review reported Dec. 13.
In a new study, participants were asked to complete a simple math task, and for every correct completion they would receive a small monetary reward. One group of participants were told that a peer would rank each individual's performance in the tasks against others in the group. The other group weren't told anything about ranking.
When participants were anticipating being ranked, women performed worse and men performed better compared to the men and women in the group that was not being ranked. In the non-ranked group, men and women performed the same. Men solved almost 40 percent more tasks than women when they knew they were being ranked.
The researchers stipulate that the driving force behind the gender disparity are deeply held stereotypes about men and women. They suggest that certain competitive environments may trigger societal bias that state superiority of men and prioritization of kindness in women.
Thus, competitive social ranking has majorly different effects on men and women, and perhaps isn't the best objective measure of performance. Alternative metrics for performance measurement can be used instead, such as measuring performance and personal development of an individual over time.