South Middlesex Times

A recent study led by Lawrence Houston III, an assistant professor of human resource management at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, has shed light on a concerning gender disparity in workplace dynamics. The research, published in the Journal of Management Scientific Reports, suggests that men are rewarded for building relationships with coworkers when starting a new job, while women do not receive the same benefits.

Houston stated, “This might help to explain how women’s careers get held back right from the beginning.” The study involved surveys with nearly 200 new hires at a large public university and found that men who invested time and energy into getting to know their new coworkers received valuable support in return. However, women who made the same effort received virtually no support.

The findings of the study raise questions about employee onboarding and workplace culture, not only in higher education but across all organizations. Houston and Anthony Klotz from University College London surveyed new hires in various departments and discovered a significant gender disparity in the outcomes of relationship-building efforts.

Houston highlighted the impact of gender stereotypes on these results, noting, “Men often build relationships at work in order to gain leverage and be successful. But women are expected to care about others, not themselves. They are punished for doing anything that’s perceived as trying to get ahead.”

To address this issue, the researchers recommend creating opportunities for new hires to build relationships with current employees, developing mentoring programs for women joining the organization, initiating relationship building before the new hire’s start date, extending the onboarding process, and making considerations for hybrid and remote workers.

Houston emphasized the need for managers to invest in developing virtual ways to stimulate relationship building in remote work environments, where interaction between junior and senior colleagues may be limited. Additionally, future research is suggested to explore the experiences of transgender and non-binary workers in relationship-building and the effects of racial and ethnic differences in the workplace.