Motherhood: A potential source of bias in employment decisions.

Abstract

Results of 2 experimental studies in which job incumbents were said to be applying for promotions to traditionally male positions demonstrated bias against mothers in competence expectations and in screening recommendations. This bias occurred regardless of whether the research participants were students (Study 1) or working people (Study 2). Although anticipated job commitment, achievement striving, and dependability were rated as generally lower for parents than for nonparents, anticipated competence was uniquely low for mothers. Mediational analyses indicated that, as predicted, negativity in competence expectations, not anticipated job commitment or achievement striving, promoted the motherhood bias in screening recommendations; expected deficits in agentic behaviors, not in dependability, were found to fuel these competence expectations. These findings suggest that motherhood can indeed hinder the career advancement of women and that it is the heightened association with gender stereotypes that occurs when women are mothers that is the source of motherhood's potentially adverse consequences.

Review of European Studies, Vo. 1, No. 2, December, 2009. All in one PDF file.

“…Overall our findings are consistent with recent research by Heilman and Okimoto, (2008) which also asked undergraduate students and working adults to evaluate hypothetical workers described in vignettes. They found that anticipated job commitment and anticipated achievement striving were negatively affected by parental status, in both men and women.…”

Lack of Gender Bias in Citation Rates of Publications by Dendrochronologists: What is Unique about this Discipline?

“…However, this does not imply that female dendrochronologists do not experience other types of gender bias and we do not intend to belittle the challenges that women dendrochronologists have overcome to gain the same level of recognition of their research as their male counterparts. If anything we laud the efforts of women researchers who overcome well-documented biases in hiring processes (Levin et al 2005;Schmader et al 2007), promotion decisions (Carr et al 2003;Heilman and Okimoto 2008), tenure decisions (Luzzadder-Beach and Macfarlane 2000), and grant awarding (Bornmann and Daniel 2005;Bornmann et al 2007) to achieve the same level of success as their male counterparts. …”

Flexible Working, Professional Success and Being Female: Are They Incompatible?

“…Of interest in our study and that of Heilman and Okimoto (2008) are the undergraduate attitudes, which are not coloured by current or specific organisational culture but preconceptions that are likely to be carried forward into the workplace. These are not only likely to perpetuate the long hours culture in the UK but to be of continuing detriment to women.…”