Competition hurts women's teams

Recent studies show that women are effectively working in small working groups and add them to the team – a sure way to raise the level of teamwork and creativity.

A new study at the University of Washington says this is only true when women work in teams, not competing with each other. If you have to go head-to-head, the advantages of the female approach evaporate.

Findings suggest: men perform better in competition with other groups, while women's groups work better in less competitive situations. As intergroup competition increases, men become more creative, women – on the contrary.

Dr. Markus Baer: "When competition between teams becomes more acute, women show less and less creativity, and it is most vividly expressed in a purely women's team". These data are somewhat contrary to previous tests in which the weaker sex have shown more cooperation in the team, compared to men. Baer explains: "If teams work side by side, women tend to work better and even outperform men — they're more creative. But as soon as you add the element of competition, the picture changes. Men in such circumstances, coming together, becoming more interdependent and more closely, and women do the opposite."

Experts believe that the findings should serve as a caution to managers attempting to use competition among teams to spur creativity. Baer says that the competition between groups should not be used in all situations. In many cases, the Manager must find other ways of motivation.

Source: nauka24news.ru/