Employee mistreatment by managers is a critical issue for organizations of all sizes. Such behavior can harm relationships, erode trust in both the manager and the organization, and result in counterproductive work behavior and increased employee turnover. While mistreatment negatively impacts all employees, this article explores the different reactions that people have when experiencing mistreatment from female managers versus male managers.
MALE VERSUS FEMALE MISTREATMENT
The researchers (Mu et al., 2024) conducted three studies. Study 1 asked employees to recall recent events where they felt they were treated unfairly. Study 2 asked participants to keep a diary over a six-week period to about mistreatment from managers. The final study explored whether violations of trust could influence employees to engage in counterproductive work behavior or organizational citizenship behavior (going the extra mile, beyond formal job requirements). All studies were analyzed through the lens of the manager’s gender.
The findings revealed that employees generally exhibit diminished trust toward managers who mistreat them, leading to less organizational citizenship behavior and more counterproductive work behavior. The chief finding of the study was that employees are less trusting of female managers compared to male managers when they are mistreated.
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
While mistreatment of employees is never acceptable, female managers should not be penalized more than their male counterparts for similar behavior. As such, the authors recommend the following actions:
- Organizations should train female managers to convey to their employees that their direct communication style is driven by concern for mutually beneficial success. For example, female managers might emphasize that their straightforwardness aims to reduce anxiety by promptly and clearly informing people about decisions that affect them.
- Organizations should review their managerial rating systems to ensure they are free from gender bias. Even minor disparities can accumulate over time and impact the gender makeup of an organization’s top leadership team.
Mu, F., Shen, W., Bobocel, D. R., & Barron, A. H. (2024). Investigating gendered reactions to manager mistreatment: Testing the presumed role of prescriptive stereotypes. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 45(5), 720–740.
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