Research: Why Passionate Men Succeed, Even When They’re Mediocre

by Joyce C. He, Jon M. Jachimowicz and Celia Moore

December 9, 2024

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Summary.

By identifying and developing promising employees early, high-potential programs aim to level the playing field and increase the representation of women in senior roles. But new research reveals an unintended consequence: When they rely on subjective criteria like an employee’s passion for their work, these programs may actually reinforce gender disparities. In theory, passion is a positive attribute linked with drive, dedication, and motivation. Yet in practice, displays of passion benefit men disproportionately. Rather than serving as an equalizer, high-potential programs that emphasize passion inadvertently stack the deck in favor of men, especially those whose performance is solid but not exceptional. This underscores the need for organizations to scrutinize their selection processes for high-potential programs, especially those that emphasize subjective criteria like passion.

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High-potential programs are widely used to identify and fast-track employees seen as the most likely to thrive as future leaders of the organization. These programs frequently rely on subjective criteria, such as an employee’s passion for their work, as indicators of potential.

Read more on Leadership development or related topics Developing employees and Gender

Joyce C. He is an assistant professor of management and organizations as well as behavioral decision making at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. She received her PhD in organizational behavior and human resource management from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Her research examines how women navigate gender bias at work and how organizations can design system-level interventions to reduce gender inequality.

Jon M. Jachimowicz is an assistant professor in the Organizational Behavior Unit at the Harvard Business School. He received his PhD in management from Columbia Business School. He studies how people pursue their passion for work, how they perceive passion in others, and how leaders and organizations seek to manage for passion.

Celia Moore is a professor of organizational behavior at Imperial College Business School in London, United Kingdom, where she also directs the Centre for Responsible Leadership. Her research focuses on how individuals enact their moral agency, challenge legitimate authority figures when they feel morally compelled to do so, and navigate morally consequential decisions in their professional lives.

Read more on Leadership development or related topics Developing employees and Gender

Research: Why Passionate Men Succeed, Even When They’re Mediocre

Summary.

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