Self and other reported workplace traits: A communal gap of men across occupations

Abstract

AbstractThere is general agreement in organizational research about the relevance of the big two set of traits in social psychology: communion or consideration of other people and agency or pursuit of the self. I argue that, whereas both dimensions play critical functions at work, men are still overwhelmingly limited in communion. Results of five studies with male and female employees and managers across settings ranging from social work to the bank industry support this prediction in relation to both self‐ratings and judgment of others and reveal that men are characterized with less communal traits by themselves and others. In contrast, women and men are perceived and perceive themselves as similar in agency, suggesting closing gender gaps in agentic traits. An analysis across occupational levels showed that sex differences in communion favoring women only disappeared at top managerial levels. Exploratory analyses of prescriptive traits (ideal characterizations) revealed more demanding expectations of communion for women than men, despite female employees' and managers' generally greater endorsement of these traits. Implications for organizations are discussed, underscoring the need to implement gender action focused on reducing male stereotyping and the communal gap, rather than increasing women's agency.