Psychology Study Why do women have a harder career to do?

Men have to be self-confident - and women socially?

In psychology, there is the theory of the so-called "confidence gap", which states that women progress less professionally, because they are often perceived as less self-conscious than their male colleagues. Recent research by Professor of Organizational Behavior Laura Guillén refutes this theory. According to Guillén, the "Confidence Gap" is a myth.

Laura Guillén is Professor of Organizational Behavior at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin. In her current research, she points out that women who are considered self-confident do not necessarily make a career. Instead, the influence in the workplace is closer to their warmth and care attributed to the perceived self-confidence. The study results were recently published in the journal "Human Resource Management".

It is often assumed that women do not rise to higher positions due to a lack of self-confidence. A recent study has shown that women in particular make a career faster, which in addition to their work experience is considered to be particularly social, caring and warm-hearted. (Image: WavebreakmediaMicro / fotolia.com)

Different influence in the sexes

"Although there are no apparent differences in the way powerful men and women rate, their reasons for gaining influence in the company showed strong gender disparity," said Professor Guillén in a press release on the study's findings. Their research shows that men are more likely to progress if they are perceived as self-confident. Instead, women make a career faster when they are perceived by others as warm-hearted, caring, and sociable.

Women do not have to be like men to succeed

"The popular message that women need to change to be more confident and successful is wrong," says Guillén. Worse still, the message is not only wrong, but also reduces the gender diversity within a workforce. Guillén complains that in many cases employers avoid this responsibility. Instead, they would simply persuade women to follow male stereotypes.

Social women and asocial men?

The research suggests that women workers are expected to be cared for by others in addition to the normal workload in order to be successful. Instead, men are bound only to the indicators of performance. "In order to move forward, women have to take care of others while their male colleagues focus on their own goals," Guillén concludes.

Power through social behavior

"Although this social quality is not listed in any job description, it appears to be the key performance indicator against which successful women gain access, power and influence," concludes the professor. Guillén demands that human resources departments should ensure that women and men are assessed according to the same criteria in the recruitment process and in the selection of promotions.

Focus on warmth and social skills in women

In research on performance assessments of women and men, Guillén's research team noted that women's ratings use almost twice as many words about social skills as men's. "These unconscious gender-specific distortions must be combated," says Guillén. The Organizational Expert believes that talents and skills are rewarded more equitably in all organizations, regardless of gender. (Vb)