A study of U.K. financial services employees suggests that gender composition in teams influences how women perceive and report mistakes at work.

A study published in Frontiers in Organizational Psychology indicates that women are more likely to view workplace mistakes negatively when working in male-dominated environments. Researchers surveyed over 1,400 employees in the U.K. financial services sector to examine how gender and team composition affect perceptions of error. While formal consequences for mistakes remain consistent regardless of gender, the study found that informal cultural dynamics in male-heavy teams significantly impact women's comfort levels.

Impact of Team Gender Composition

The research found that in teams where men make up three-quarters or more of the staff, women report feeling less comfortable admitting to mistakes and are less confident that those errors will be treated as learning opportunities. In contrast, when women constitute the majority of a team, this disparity in perception disappears. The study noted that men’s perceptions of mistakes remained relatively stable regardless of the gender composition of their workplace. Lead author Dr. Grace Lordan of the London School of Economics observed that while formal rules regarding mistakes are the same for everyone, the cultural environment in high-pressure, male-heavy teams may foster a climate of perfectionism or fear. In these settings, women reported lower comfort levels, scoring 5.46 compared to 5.94 for men on a seven-point scale, and were less likely to view mistakes as opportunities for growth.

Perceptions of Penalization and Organizational Culture

Interestingly, the study found no significant gender difference regarding the expectation of formal penalization, such as career setbacks or official records of error. Researchers suggested that women may instead fear indirect, informal consequences, such as being perceived as less competent or having mistakes held against them in unwritten ways. This psychological feeling of being on 'thinner ice' can lead to decreased confidence and a reluctance to admit errors. The authors warned that these dynamics could have broader negative effects on organizational innovation, as the ability to learn from failure is a key driver of progress. To address this, the report suggests that leaders in male-heavy teams should be more transparent about their own mistakes to foster a more inclusive culture. The study also recommends that women establish peer groups to provide safe spaces for discussing errors.