The Impact of Same-Sex LMX Dyads on Performance Evaluations

Abstract

Numerous studies have found that supervisors rate women lower than men for similar levels of performance, suggesting that for female employees, performance alone may not be able to guarantee fair ratings. What is not clear is whether this disparity is a function of the gender composition of the supervisor–subordinate dyad or simply a case of male supervisor rating behavior. Based on data from supervisor–subordinate dyads in four organizations, we found that after controlling for performance, both maleand femalesupervisors exhibit a positive bias toward subordinates of the same sex and rate members of the same gender higher. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.