Title: Are Women Afraid of Competition?
Study: Gender, Risk and Competition (Alison Booth, Vox, 2009)
Finding: Girls in single sex environments were more likely to take risks, and are less afraid of competition, in a gambling game than girls in coed environments.
InPower Insight: Women are capable of risk-taking and competitive behavior, however, they often sublimate these traits in order to “fit in” to the social expectations of what a woman/girl should be like.
Summary:
Several studies suggest that poor representation of women in high-ranking positions in the corporate world may be attributed to factors such as willingness to take risks and competition.
Some studies suggest that culture might play a role in determining gender differences in competitive behavior. One interesting study of African tribal societies found that while women were less competitive than men in patriarchal societies, in matrilineal societies, women are more competitive than men.
The researchers hypothesized that boys are more socialized to be risk takers and more competitive. They conducted research on adolescents from single-sex schools and co-ed schools, finding that girls in single sex environments were more likely to take risks in a gambling game than girls in coed environments. The researchers believe that in co-ed environments, girls feel more pressure to conform to social expectations in order to avoid social rejection. If risk avoidance is viewed as being a part of female gender identity while risk-seeking is a part of male gender identity, then a coeducational school environment might lead girls to make less competitive and risky choices than boys, as this study found.
Personal Coaching Tip: If you work in a place that rewards risk-taking and competitive personalities, but feel that it’s not lady-like to demonstrate those traits, consider that the culture can’t dictate what you decide to do. Choose for yourself whether you want to be competitive and leverage your full set of capabilities.
Keywords: Coed Environment, Competition, Single-Sex Environment, Risk
Guide to Women in Leadership
Organizations with women in their executive suites regularly out-perform others. Yet rising female executives (and their mentors) are frustrated at how hard it is to break through the glass ceiling. In this extensive guide, Executive Coach Dana Theus shares her tried and true strategies to help women excel into higher levels of leadership and achieve their executive potential.
