Attractive Supervisors: How Does the Gender of the Supervisor Influence the Performance of the Supervisees?

41 Pages Posted: 17 Feb 2012

See all articles by Philipp Koellinger

Philipp Koellinger

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Jorn H. Block

University of Trier - Faculty of Management; Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Institute of Management (ERIM)

Date Written: February 10, 2012

Abstract

A series of field and laboratory experiments were conducted in which single-sex groups of male or female students competed in different intellectual tasks to earn money or university grades (N = 291). The supervisor of these groups was one of several young and attractive males or females. The results show that when the supervisor was a female, the performance of male participants was, on average, negatively influenced. Group size moderated this effect such that having a female supervisor produced a negative effect in small groups and a positive effect in large groups of male supervisees.

Keywords: performance, supervision, mixed-sex interaction

JEL Classification: D03, M54, J01

Suggested Citation

Koellinger, Philipp and Block, Jorn Hendrich, Attractive Supervisors: How Does the Gender of the Supervisor Influence the Performance of the Supervisees? (February 10, 2012). ERIM Report Series Reference No. ERS-2012-003-STR, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2006816

Philipp Koellinger (Contact Author)

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, ND North Holland 1081 HV
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://www.philipp-koellinger.com

Jorn Hendrich Block

University of Trier - Faculty of Management ( email )

D-54296
Germany

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Institute of Management (ERIM) ( email )

Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
3000 DR Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland 3062PA
Netherlands

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