The Impact of Gender Stereotypes on the Appraisal of Civic Virtue Performance
The Impact of Gender Stereotypes on the Appraisal of Civic Virtue Performance

Summary/Abstract: When employees perform organizational citizenship behaviours (OCBs), they go above and beyond their formal job requirements in a manner that benefits the organization. Research suggests that performing OCBs can positively impact one’s performance appraisal ratings. Other research suggests that, due to gender stereotypes, male and female performers may not benefit from OCB performance identically. We investigated, experimentally, the impact of ratee gender on the appraisal and reward of civic virtue performance. Students viewed a video of a male or female instructor that included a brief lecture as well as additional statements, which in the experimental conditions, manipulated civic virtue. The female performing civic virtue was rated higher on competence, overall performance, and suitability for promotion than the male performing civic virtue and the male and female performing no civic virtue. Further, competence mediated the effect of the conditional relationship between civic virtue and ratee gender on overall performance ratings, which in turn predicted promotion ratings. Our findings suggest that, notwithstanding the well-evidenced relationship between gender stereotypes and bias against women in the workplace, gender stereotypes may also, under certain conditions, operate to their advantage. Further studies are needed to determine whether this phenomenon would hold when there is a significant delay between the observation and appraisal of performance.

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