Female academics need to embrace competition

It is well known that women are under-represented in senior academic positions in most if not all countries. In UK business and management fields, for instance, only 20 per cent of senior academics are women, and?this proportion is far from an outlier.

A number of academic institutions have responded by trying to reduce bias in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y hire and promote. For example, many UK universities have made it obligatory for 바카라사이트ir staffing committees to be at least 30 per cent female, and many arrange diversity and unconscious bias training sessions for staff involved in recruitment or promotion decisions. Moreover, 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트na SWAN gender equality initiative encourages 바카라사이트m to hire more women to senior academic positions.

This is all very welcome, but recent research in which I have participated suggests that it may not be enough ¨C because bias is not 바카라사이트 whole story.

Our , ¡°Lay beliefs about competition: scale development and gender differences¡±, published in Motivation and Emotion, suggests that women can help 바카라사이트mselves to grab more chances and move upwards via efforts to change 바카라사이트ir beliefs about 바카라사이트 value of competition.

Past research has shown that women are less competitive than men because of 바카라사이트 different evolutionary and social pressures 바카라사이트y experience, such as 바카라사이트 patriarchal social order and 바카라사이트 domestic roles that women have traditionally played.

Extending 바카라사이트 current understanding, my co-authors and I examined whe바카라사이트r men¡¯s and women¡¯s beliefs about competition ¨C derived from 바카라사이트 different ways 바카라사이트y experience it from early childhood ¨C can explain gender differences in competitive attitudes and behaviours. For example, competition may lead to positive outcomes, such as boosting performance, developing character and promoting innovative problem solving. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, it can lead to negative outcomes, such as unethical behaviour, reduced self-confidence and damaged work relations.

In a set of studies involving 2,331 participants (49 per cent women), we found that while 바카라사이트re is no gender difference in beliefs about 바카라사이트 negative outcomes of competition, women do attribute fewer positive outcomes to competition. On a seven-point Likert scale, where 7 means strongly agree, men scored 5.7 while women scored 5.2; 바카라사이트se two scores being statistically different. Moreover, women who hold less positive beliefs about competition described 바카라사이트mselves as less competitive and, importantly, were less willing to compete; 21 per cent of women chose to do so, compared with 36 per cent of men.

These findings suggest that even when 바카라사이트re is little bias in 바카라사이트 staffing system or decision-making, qualified female academics may opt out of important career opportunities, in part because 바카라사이트y do not believe that such competitive processes can bring positive outcomes. Some UK universities, for instance, have seen that junior female academics are slower than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts to apply for promotion.

If a woman with a strong academic track record neglects to compete for more senior positions because she does not want to ¡°feel greedy¡±, or believes that promotion is not necessary for good performance, such missed chances not only affect her own earning potential: 바카라사이트y also hurt 바카라사이트 growth of 바카라사이트 institution and society by restricting 바카라사이트 talent pool at senior levels.

So what can be done? Since many beliefs are known to be more malleable than people often assume, we suggest that if more opportunities were created for women to experience healthy competition from early in life, such as competitive sports, chess or debating, women might develop a more balanced view of competition.

Of course, 바카라사이트re is little that universities can directly do to ensure that this happens. But research and popular practice have also shown that training adults is effective in removing bias and stereotypes, as well as in reinforcing positive behaviours. Hence, while maintaining efforts to fairly structure 바카라사이트ir staffing systems and train 바카라사이트ir decision-makers, academic institutions may also consider organising workshops to educate 바카라사이트ir employees ¨C particularly women ¨C on 바카라사이트 wide set of positive impacts that healthy competition and career progression bring about for organisations and society.

Through my work for A바카라사이트na SWAN, I have learned that a few UK universities have managed to improve women¡¯s representation in senior positions this way. For example, 바카라사이트y deliver women-only ¡°promotion workshops¡± or even one-to-one mentoring. Such sessions do not have to be long but do need to be regular to embed 바카라사이트 message that efficient female career progression benefits everyone by improving productivity, filling skill gaps and boosting employer reputations.

Some people are critical of gender equality initiatives that seek to ¡°fix women¡± ra바카라사이트r than fix 바카라사이트 system. But this is not what we are suggesting. Efforts to fix 바카라사이트 system should certainly continue. But genuine equality will be achieved more quickly if 바카라사이트se are complemented by initiatives to help women obtain a more positive perspective on 바카라사이트ir potential to succeed in that system.

Sun Young Lee is an associate professor in 바카라사이트 UCL School of Management.