The role of actor (employee) identity on performance assessment

Abstract

Drawing from research on heterosexism and gender-role stereotypes, the systematic variations in performance evaluations for Gay and Straight workers were examined. Students in the lab and managers in the field viewed a ten-minute video clip of a target manager, presented as either Gay or Straight, engaged in several performance behaviors related to the sales industry in a high vs. average vs. low performance condition. Results demonstrated an overall aversive heterosexist (pro-Gay) effect in the high performance condition (lab) and average performance condition (field). Male students in the lab, and female managers in the field, assigned the highest ratings to the Gay manager, although their level of gender identity did not moderate this relationship. Finally, evaluations of the Straight manager in the field were more accurate than were evaluations of the Gay manager. Implications for theory and for practice as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.