Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Pregnant women--Employment;
Abstract
This study explored the influence of pregnancy on evaluative ratings and recommendations of salary increase in a paper and pencil performance appraisal exercise. Research relating to the status of women in employment, the performance appraisal process, bias in employment decision making toward women and persons with disabilities, and reactions toward pregnancy was examined. It is suggested that women who experience pregnancy during employment, especially in male sex-typed fields, may be negatively evaluated and compensated, relative to women who experience non-sex-typed medical conditions. Subjects were members of a professional human resource association and undergraduate students majoring in business. Subjects were given a personnel file which contained performance information about a hypothetical managerial employee, depicted as either being pregnant or having a temporary knee injury. Assuming the role of this employee's superior, the subjects assigned performance appraisal ratings and recommended a merit increase for the employee. Results were analyzed utilizing 2 x 2 x 2 ANACOVAs on the dependent measures, Overall Performance Rating, Dimension Ratings, and Percentage Salary Increase. Independent variables employed were Subject Group (professional vs. student), Physical Condition (pregnancy vs. knee injury), and Sex of Rater (male vs. female). Covariates included rater age and six indices of performance appraisal experience. Significant findings included a main effect of Physical Condition on two dimension ratings, Overall Performance Rating, and Mean of Dimension Ratings, with more favorable ratings assigned to the employee depicted as pregnant. Male raters assigned more positive ratings than female raters on three dimensions. students rated the employee's performance as more effective and recommended higher salary increases than did professional participants. Of greatest interest was a Sex of Rater X Physical Condition Interaction on two dimension ratings, Overall Performance Rating, and Salary Recommendation. Simple effects revealed that male subjects rated and rewarded the performance in the pregnancy condition more positively than in the knee injury condition, and more favorably than did female raters. Results are discussed in the context of the stereotype-fit, or schema model. In this framework, the employee is categorized via salient cues by individual raters according to their personal schemas and classification systems. As the rater observes performance of the individual, data are encoded and stored for later use. Ratings are influenced by the attribution of behavior to both stable and unstable features of the employee, which may serve to intensify or diminish personal responsibility for the behavior. In the case of the pregnant employee who exhibits less than effective performance, the behavior may be attributed to the unstable, temporary, and extraneous condition of pregnancy rather than to the employee's effort or ability. This may explain the contrast to the knee injury condition on several dependent measures, as knee injury may not elicit an "excusable" alternative for the behavior. Lower ratings for the knee injured employee may indicate an internal, stable attribution of the behavior to the employee. Sex differences are also accounted for with this theory as men and women may have schemas of pregnancy which vary in complexity and content. Men may rate the pregnancy condition more favorably in response to a reliance on sex role stereotypes which incorporate lowered expectations for managerial performance, and diminished accountability due to the maternal condition. Women may possess schemas of pregnancy which are less stereotypical, thus showing less bias in performance evaluation and salary recommendation.
Year of Submission
1993
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Psychology
First Advisor
David Whitsett
Second Advisor
Andrew Gilpin
Third Advisor
Beverly Kopper
Date Original
1993
Object Description
1 PDF file (147 leaves)
Copyright
©1993 Debra K. Kettner Damge
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Damge, Debra K. Kettner, "The Impact of Employee Pregnancy on Performance Appraisal Ratings and Salary Recommendations" (1993). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2463.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2463
Comments
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