Why Women's Brains Don't Predispose Them to Succeed in Business

Why Women’s Brains Don’t Predispose Them to Succeed in Business

A discovery in neuroscience helps explain why the culture of many organizations does not foster women’s inclusion or fulfillment. Fortunately, this is not inevitable: certain tools can strengthen their engagement and sense of belonging.

Because women’s and men’s brains do not function in exactly the same way, each gender is likely to react differently to a given situation. Neuroscience specialists at the University of Zurich have shown that the brain’s reward circuitry—the neural pathways activated by rewarding stimuli—responds to different triggers in men and women. In women, it is activated by prosocial behaviors (care for others without expectation of reciprocity), while in men it is activated by self-interested behaviors.

This clear finding naturally raises the question of whether the difference is innate or acquired. Researchers fortunately believe it is the result of socialization: because prosocial behaviors—attending to others—are encouraged in girls during childhood, their brains adapt accordingly; for boys, more self-interested behaviors are unconsciously reinforced by their environment.

This early shaping could be modified to harmonize what activates the reward system in both genders (Boris Cyrulnik’s recent book “Des âmes et des saisons,” January 2021, offers interesting avenues). Still, that is an ambitious societal project. Once men and women do not value the same things, it becomes difficult to satisfy both equally. This is particularly true in the professional world, where corporate culture has historically been dominated by masculine attributes.

Incompatibility of culture

In many companies—often influenced by military-inspired models—abuses of power, political games, influence plays, and other non-prosocial behaviors set the tone. It is understandable that many women do not feel they belong. It is indeed difficult for them to develop a sense of belonging and integration within an organization whose culture values or tolerates self-interested behavior.

Of course, there are “killers” among women who tolerate this very well and can adapt to self-interested behaviors, but there are also many who do not want to. Some women even choose to forgo further career advancement rather than compromise their values and identity.

This may partly explain the lower presence of women in leadership roles. Given that having engaged employees increases both performance and profits, it stands to reason that organizations have an interest in maximizing engagement. It would be illusory to expect women who do not feel they belong to be truly engaged. Some will tend to deliver only the minimum required, resulting in lower performance. The most talented will join an employer with a more prosocial culture where they feel at ease. This amounts to a talent drain. To avoid it, a change in culture and habits is needed, and there are three possible avenues:

- Modify girls’ upbringing so that self-interested behaviors activate their reward circuits (instead of prosocial behaviors). That would be regrettable, as prosocial environments are proven to favor long-term performance. - Educate boys differently so that their brains’ reward circuitry responds more to prosocial behaviors. This approach, however, will only show professional-level results after a generation, so it is insufficient on its own. - Finally, the third way to make women feel comfortable is to change organizational culture so that prosocial behaviors are valued more than self-interested ones. This is the most pragmatic solution, because it yields much faster results than the first two options. It is the path chosen by the University of Geneva for its continuing education diploma in Responsible Leadership, with a dedicated toolbox.

How to change culture quickly

Evolving corporate culture toward a more prosocial one requires new rules of the game and the deployment of “fair and caring” leadership (see upcoming “Driving Employees Engagement: The Leader’s Blueprint with Proven Practices for Team Excellence”, Raphaël H Cohen). The aim is to optimize performance without sacrificing fairness and care. Why fairness and care? Because these two notions lie at the heart of prosocial behavior.

To foster a prosocial culture, leadership methods must also be complemented by governance and operating rules that enforce certain fundamental principles. A “Charter of Non-Negotiable Principles” can, for example, be a much more effective governance instrument than a simple values charter. If well designed, such a Charter of Non-Negotiables will automatically induce prosocial behaviors. But it must be respected; otherwise it is meaningless. The gap between what is prescribed and what happens in practice explains why values are often perceived as a “marketing” communication exercise rather than a binding element for all levels of the hierarchy.

One way to ensure adherence to this Charter of Non-Negotiables is to measure each person’s level of compliance. For instance, a fully automated 360-degree assessment mechanism can provide every employee with a compliance score for each “non-negotiable,” reflecting how their colleagues perceive their adherence to the principles. This is highly effective in raising awareness of the impact of one’s behaviors. To encourage truthful feedback, the mechanism ensures absolute confidentiality for both respondents and those evaluated. The latter are the only ones to see their compliance score. After a confidentiality phase, whose duration is to be determined, a subsequent score can be shared with the manager, HR, or even one’s peers, depending on the level of pressure desired to uphold these principles. The reluctance of some managers to apply a transparent assessment process often stems from the fear of being confronted with their own transgressions.

Because prosocial behavior harms no one, it is a better common denominator than self-interest, which can cause serious damage. Making organizational culture more prosocial is therefore an imperative. The good news is that a more prosocial culture not only promotes gender parity in leadership positions, it also suits a majority of men. Since most men are not ruthless “killers,” they appreciate the fairness and care that characterize a prosocial culture.

Source (French): HBR France – “Pourquoi le cerveau des femmes ne les prédispose pas à réussir en entreprise”