Study: Do Nice Guys- and Gals- Really Finish Last? The Joint Effects of Sex and Agreeableness on Income (Timothy A. Judge, Beth A. Livingston, Charlice Hurst. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2011)
Finding: Being too agreeable can have negative results on your income.
InPower Insight: Being nice doesn’t always pay, especially for women.
Summary:
How agreeable or disagreeable you are, can have a lasting impact on your personal bottom line, for both women and men. It seems that old saying about nice guys (and gals) finishing last, has some truth to it. Particularly since research shows that men “do take a hit for being highly agreeable” whereas women usually see backlash when they try to be more disagreeable.
According to several new studies by Timothy A. Judge of the University of Notre Dame, Beth A. Livingston of Cornell University and Charlice Hurst of the University of Western Ontario, people who exhibit niceness a majority of the time at work reap fewer benefits.
Studies show that niceness is “negatively related to income and earnings.” Men who defy gender stereotypes by acting “nice” suffer their own backlash that is apparent in their lower paychecks. Conversely, when women do not act nice, they don’t gain as much as men who are disagreeable.
In this research that was originally published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers found that in the business world, being ruthless and disagreeable meant more promotions and leadership opportunities. They found in an environment where everyone acted nice and agreeable, hierarchies were less likely to be erected. Success does not come from the amount of knowledge one has but from their ability to separate themselves.
Career Coaching Tip: Getting ahead isn’t about being nice, or being mean. It’s about getting the job done and being happy with who you see in the mirror. Be aware that while being nice and having others be nice to you might feel very good sometimes, it is not the only way to be, especially at work. This doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk but ask yourself if there are times where being nice got in your way and you missed other alternative ways of being, that might have been more useful to you. Challenge yourself to find ways to get the work done and feel good about yourself and your accomplishments that don’t require you to be nice all the time, or mean. See how creative you can be in responding to this challenge. You might address a few more challenges along the way.
