Seminar by Puneet Arora (Management Development Institute)

While gender bias in recruitment in male-dominated work environments is well-documented, there is less understanding of whether these biases persist in workplace performance evaluations. In a controlled experiment based on a cricket prediction game, a sport traditionally dominated by males, I examine whether male leaders display bias against perceived female subordinates, particularly when making subjective decisions about retaining or replacing team members. The results reveal that male leaders do indeed exhibit bias against perceived female team members, with the bias likely being taste-based and not statistical. Additionally, I find that linking leaders’ personal rewards to organizational diversity objectives proves to be an effective strategy for promoting fairness in their assessment of team members.