Log in
Building the Knowledge Base of Nonprofit Management:
A Searchable Database
Are social workers sexually biased in their evaluations of supervisors?
Abstract
A study explores leadership behaviors of male and female social work supervisors and managers as viewed through the perceptions of their subordinates and pursues the question, "What does it take to be a good supervisor or manager?" In previous studies, "objective" and "consistent" were found to be perceived as masculine traits, while "helpful" and "intuitive" were seen as feminine. Such sexually biased preconceptions affect the promotional opportunities for women. In a survey, social workers were asked to evaluate the overall performance of their supervisors and to assess the extent to which they engaged in various leadership behaviors drawn from a scale designed to measure sex role stereotypes. Although these respondents indicated that their supervisors generally exhibited more behavior in the male than the female stereotype, the tendency of the supervisor to exhibit this behavior was not found to influence the subordinate's appraisal of his or her performance.
Journal
(1989)
vol13
no1
pages45-57
Categories
-
Diversity
-
Workforce
