Perceptions and ratings of performance: do the effects of workplace absence depend upon the ratee’s gender and the reason for absence?

Abstract

Prior research has suggested there are negative consequences for missing work for both the individual and the organization. These consequences, such as lower ratings of performance, may exist regardless of the reason for the absence, and may be influenced to some extent by stereotypes held by others, such as supervisors and coworkers. The purpose of this study was to determine if absence from work for a stereotypically male or female task would affect supervisor and coworker ratings of performance, organizational commitment, and likelihood of performing organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). It was expected that workers who violated a gender role stereotype (males missing work for a stereotypically feminine task or females missing work for a stereotypically masculine task) would be sanctioned by supervisors and coworkers through lower ratings of performance, lower ratings of perceived organizational commitment, and lower ratings of the likelihood of performing OCBs than those who did not miss work or who missed work without violating a gender role stereotype. One hundred and seventy-four undergraduate psychology students at a large Midwestern university read descriptions of employee performance and attendance and then rated the employee’s performance and perceived organizational commitment and likelihood of performing both altruism and generalized compliance OCBs. Results revealed that an absence from work resulted in lower ratings of all four criteria, but that the interaction between the employee’s gender and reason for absence (i.e., whether they violated a gender role stereotype) had no effect. Implications and future directions are discussed.