Commentary: Why being called ‘detail‑oriented’ can stall a woman’s career

THE CYCLE AND HOW TO BREAK IT

In our final experiment, we found that gender stereotypes increased the likelihood of women being assigned detailed, low-promotability tasks, such as filing paperwork and proofreading, on top of their existing workload. This perpetuates gender roles and organisational inequity.

Occupational stereotypes and task segregation reinforce each other, and that cycle is difficult to break from inside an organisation. Managers and organisations must consciously engage in equitable practices and policies to break the cycle in which women are disqualified from advancement.

Our study suggests two ways that managers can do this. The first is distributing low-value, detailed work equitably. 

Tasks such as taking notes in meetings, planning birthday parties and taking lunch orders can disproportionately fall to women. A rotating assignment system prevents any one person from getting pigeonholed into assignments that don’t contribute to their career progression.

The second is highlighting the value of detail orientation in leadership roles. Job postings and descriptions that emphasise detail orientation as a leadership trait could expand the pool of women who apply for and are seriously considered for senior roles.

Samantha Dodson is Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources at the University of Calgary. This article first appeared in The Conversation.