Gender differences in managers′ attributions for successful work performance

Abstract

Focuses on the issue of self‐confidence among women managers and on the psychological processes which may constrain it. One potentially relevant process is how we perceive the causes of our success and failure. Evidence from psychological laboratories suggests that women show a comparative tendency to “explain away” their success and take more personal responsibility for failure. Describes a research study investigating whether these gender differences occur among managers in organizations. The sample consisted of 158 managers in three organizations who accounted for incidents of their own and their direct subordinates′ successful and unsuccessful performance. The results indicated significant differences in how women and men account for their own success. Compared with their male counterparts, women managers tended to attribute their achievement of work goals less to their ability and more to hard work. Women also made more “generous” attributions for the success of subordinates. Finally, women managers (unlike men) tended to believe that ability had more to do with their subordinates′ successful performance than their own. Discusses various interpretations and practical implications of these results.

Citation

Rosenthal, P. (1995), "Gender differences in managers′ attributions for successful work performance", Women in Management Review, Vol. 10 No. 6, pp. 26-31. https://doi.org/10.1108/09649429510096006