Rational ambivalence
Subtitle: asymmetric effects of work group demography on men and women's responses to being in the minority
By: Jennifer A. Chatman, Charles A. O'Reilly
Contributors: O'Reilly, Charles A.; Harvard Business School. Division of Research
Series: Working paper / Division of Research, Harvard Business School -- 02-055; Working paper (Harvard Business School. Division of Research) -- 02-055
Publisher: Division of Research, Harvard Business School
Published: 2002
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 37
Description: We suggest that inconsistent results in organizational demography research may arise from assumptions that members of different demographic categories will react symmetrically to variations in work group demography. But, because of historical differences in their status and the experience of being in the numerical majority or minority at work, men and women, for example, are likely to react differently to being members of differently composed groups. Using data froma field study of a large clothing manufacturer and retailer we found that men and women most wanted to remain ingroups that were dominated by males. Men and women were also more normatively committed to groups dominated by their own sex, but were both more instrumentally committed to male-dominated groups.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.