Gender-specific preferences in global performance management
An empirical study of male and female managers in a multinational context
Publication date
2014-08-15
Document type
Research article
Author
Organisational unit
ESCP Europe in Berlin, Germany
Scopus ID
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Series or journal
Human Resource Management
ISSN
Periodical volume
54
Periodical issue
1
First page
55
Last page
79
Peer-reviewed
✅
Part of the university bibliography
Nein
Language
English
Keyword
Gender diversity
International HRM
Performance management
Abstract
This study investigates gender-specific preferences in one important human resource management (HRM) practice-namely, global performance management (GPM). GPM has major consequences for the career advancement of women and can therefore also represent a barrier if it is rooted in traditional male corporate cultures. As prior research suggests that the underrepresentation of women in top management positions is a worldwide phenomenon with only minor national variations, empirical data were collected in five countries belonging to various cultural clusters: China, France, Germany, South Africa, and the United States. For all countries, the results show that preferences vary significantly between male and female managers for crucial parts of the GPM system (actors' roles, evaluation methods, feedback procedures, and GPM purposes). This study confirms that the preferences of female managers do not match more male-oriented GPM practices, indicating that female managers are less satisfied with existing GPM procedures. It was particularly surprising to find that these gender differences do not vary according to cultural background, but rather display the same pattern in all investigated countries. These findings not only have the potential to explain the often-limited career advancement of women, but also have major implications for multinational companies aiming to retain talented women.
Version
Published version
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