An Analysis of Job Evaluation Committee and Job Holder Gender Effects on Job Evaluation

Abstract

In a study designed to examine the impact of knowledge of a job holder's gender and the dominant gender of a job evaluation committee on job evaluation ratings, knowledge of job holder gender was found to significantly bias committee ratings. The same position was rated more highly when it was held by a male than when it was held by a female, regardless of whether the job evaluation committee was dominated by males or females. This evidence of gender-based discrimination underscores the importance of maintaining anonymity of job holders when conducting job evaluation. Unavoidable bias, which may occur in smaller organizations where the identities of job holders are known, suggests that mandating job evaluation as a means of implementing of comparable worth may be only a partial solution at best.