Gender Effects on the Error in Female Decision-Making: An Experimental Approach

This paper delves into the intricate concept of gender equity within multifaceted social, economic, and cultural paradigms. It embarks on an empirical exploration of female decision-making processes within corporate board of directors settings, aiming to formulate initial hypotheses for rigorous experimental analysis. Central to this inquiry is the interrogation of societal tendencies in attributing blame to individuals of different genders amid errors across various contexts. The study is to furnish a rationale that substantiates one of two hypotheses while drawing correlations with extant literature on decision-making, entrepreneurial motivation, and gender-specific leadership traits. The study employs qualitative research methodology to investigate how men and women respond to human error dynamics. A meticulously designed multiple-choice questionnaire is the primary tool, featuring scenarios that gauge participants’ reliance on gender stereotypes or cognitive biases in their responses. Thirty participants, comprising undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Department of Economics and Law at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, partook in the study. Through various scenarios, participants assumed the role of a “judge” in assigning blame for errors, allowing for an exploration of unconscious biases related to gender stereotypes and their implications for female decision-making within corporate spheres. Findings suggest a tendency to rationalize errors made by women or those stereotypically associated with femininity, potentially attributable to distinct workplace approaches. This underscores the potential benefits of augmenting female representation within boards of directors, particularly in regions like Italy and other European countries with legal constraints on women’s corporate presence. However, a surprising dearth of literature on societal responses to errors within board contexts warrants further scholarly inquiry into this intersection between gender, social dynamics, and organizational behavior. The study proffers an initial framework for subsequent analytical endeavors, advocating for more expansive datasets and statistical methodologies to yield more profound insights into these complex phenomena.