The interactive effects of perceived expertise, team identification, and dyadic gender composition on task-related helping behavior in project teams

Abstract

The current study examines the asymmetric effects of dyadic gender composition on the provision of task-related helping behaviors in project teams. We collected 428 observations of dyadic task-related helping behaviors from 149 students in 31 project teams. We tested our hypotheses using a multilevel cross-classified model in which each member interacts with all other members of the project team. The findings indicate an asymmetric pattern of the effects of dyadic gender composition on task-related help contingent on members’ perceived expertise and team identification. The results show that women are more likely to provide task-related help to men peers when women’s perceived expertise is high. Additionally, men are likely to provide task-related assistance to women peers when the men’s team identification is high. The pattern of interactions of perceived expertise and team identification with dyadic gender composition found in the present study suggests that the dyadic gender composition plays out in a more complex way than previously considered, especially due to the status implications of gender. It is important for managers to understand how dyadic gender composition could encourage or discourage an offering of task-related help.