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When what you know is not enough: expertise and gender dynamics in task groups
Melissa C Thomas-Hunt1, Katherine W Phillips
1Cornell University, Johnson Graduate School of Medicine, Ithica, New York, USA. mct24@cornell.edu
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|November 13, 2004
Summary
Expertise does not overcome gender bias in groups. Women experts were perceived as less influential and expert than men experts, negatively impacting group performance.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Gender disparities persist in professional settings, influencing perceived expertise and influence.
- Social role theory and expectation states theory provide frameworks for understanding gendered interactions in groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of gender and expertise on group dynamics.
- To analyze how expertise influences perceptions of influence and actual group performance.
- To examine whether possessing expertise mitigates or exacerbates gender effects in workgroups.
Main Methods:
- Experimental design examining group decision-making tasks.
- Manipulation of member expertise and gender composition.
- Measurement of perceived expertise, influence, and objective group performance.
Main Results:
- Women experts were perceived as less expert and influential compared to men experts.
- Possessing expertise negatively affected women's influence and perceptions of their expertise.
- Groups with female experts underperformed groups with male experts, indicating a performance gap.
Conclusions:
- Expertise does not neutralize gender bias in group settings.
- Findings align with social role theory and expectation states theory, highlighting persistent gendered expectations.
- Implications for organizational workgroups emphasize the need to address gender bias to optimize performance.
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