“I’m Biased and so Are You”: The Effects of Gender, Race, Objective Organizational Performance, and Remote Work on Leader Evaluations

Abstract

Previous research has shown that implicit biases based on leader gender or race can influence leader evaluations, and that these biases may be moderated by contextual factors such as organizational performance. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the joint effects of leader gender and race in the context of organizational performance and newly relevant remote work on leader evaluations. This study aimed to address this gap by providing a comprehensive understanding of how these factors interact in shaping leader evaluations. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that gender (male) and race (white) attributes would be associated with more favorable evaluations. In line with new literature describing the effects of declining organizational performance, it was hypothesized that a shift to Asian American and female leaders would occur in times of declining organizational performance. Finally, it was predicted that remote work would moderate the relationship between leader gender and evaluations. The current findings were contrary to previous research on biases in leader evaluations and suggest that when presented with objective criteria, subjective biases become insignificant. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.