THE IMPACT OF GENDER CONTEXT ON BEHAVIOR IN SMALL GROUPS (SEX DIFFERENCES).
Item
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Title
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THE IMPACT OF GENDER CONTEXT ON BEHAVIOR IN SMALL GROUPS (SEX DIFFERENCES).
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Identifier
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AAI8601691
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identifier
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8601691
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Creator
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SCHNEER, JOY ALICE.
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Contributor
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Abraham K. Korman
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Date
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1985
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Business Administration, Management
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Abstract
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The recent entrance of women into occupations that were previously the domain of men has generated interest as to women's managerial capabilities. Inconsistent findings from previous studies on sex differences in leadership behavior suggest the necessity to examine the impact of gender context on behavior. Gender context is defined as the relative proportion of a group's members that can be identified as male versus female. Women in managerial positions find themselves a minority in the domain of men. If women are found to not be as effective leaders as men, is it due to their sex or due to the gender context within which they work? Would men also be less effective leaders if they were working primarily with members of the opposite sex?;A theory and model of gender context was developed which propose that gender context determines numerical dominance and the lower one's numerical dominance, the lower one's power and prestige within the group. Power and prestige in turn determines task behavior as high power individuals are given more opportunity to participate in the group task, make more task contributions, more often have their contributions evaluated positively, and have greater influence than low power persons. Two additional independent variables were also considered in the model--master status characteristic of sex and individual difference variables.;A free simulation technique was utilized to examine the effects of gender context on behavior. The sample was composed of 379 senior BBA students divided into teams for participation in a computerized business decision-making game. A number of instruments were administered to measure the dependent variables. A variety of statistical procedures were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results tend to support the theory and model of gender context presented.;The findings of the study have implications for both the academic and business spheres. The results of past and future organizational research on sex differences should be reexamined to account for gender context. Similarly, performance information for managers in organizations must be reviewed in light of the gender context within which the managers work.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Business
