Damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t: the interactive effects of gender and agreeableness on performance evaluation

Abstract

The role congruity theory and research on gender stereotypes suggest that communion and agency tendencies explain gender discrimination in performance evaluations. We propose that high agreeableness, a Big Five personality trait, captures the communal dimension of an individual’s concern for others. Across two studies conducted in India and the United States, we found evidence that the relationship between agreeableness and performance evaluations is nonlinear for female employees. Women are rated as high performers when they exhibit moderate levels of agreeableness. For male employees, we find a communal bonus effect in which they benefit from being agreeable in the workplace. Our findings demonstrate the stability of these findings across Indian and North American cultures. Our findings contribute to the literature on role congruity, personality theories, and job performance.