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  • 2011
  • Article
  • Research in Organizational Behavior

The Dynamics of Warmth and Competence Judgments, and Their Outcomes in Organizations

By: Amy J.C. Cuddy, Peter Glick and Anna Beninger
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:26
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Abstract

Two traits-warmth and competence-govern social judgments of individuals and groups, and these judgments shape people's emotions and behaviors. This paper describes the causes and consequences of warmth and competence judgments; how, when, and why they determine significant professional and organizational outcomes, such as hiring, employee evaluation, and allocation of tasks and resources. Warmth and competence represent the central dimensions of group stereotypes, the majority of which are ambivalent-characterizing groups as warm but incompetent (e.g., older people, working mothers) or competent but cold (e.g., model minorities, female leaders), in turn eliciting ambivalent feelings (i.e., pity and envy, respectively) and actions toward members of those groups. However, through nonverbal behaviors that subtly communicate warmth and competence information, people can manage the impressions they make on colleagues, potential employers, and possible investors. Finally, we discuss important directions for future research, such as investigating the causes and consequences of how organizations and industries are evaluated on warmth and competence.

Keywords

Judgments; Organizations; Emotions; Behavior; Selection and Staffing; Performance Evaluation; Resource Allocation; Valuation; Competency and Skills; Information; Research

Citation

Cuddy, Amy J.C., Peter Glick, and Anna Beninger. "The Dynamics of Warmth and Competence Judgments, and Their Outcomes in Organizations." Research in Organizational Behavior 31 (2011): 73–98.
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More from the Authors

    • Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

    Visual Attention to Powerful Postures: People Avert Their Gaze from Nonverbal Dominance Displays

    By: Elise Holland, Elizabeth Baily Wolf, Christine Looser and Amy Cuddy
    • Forthcoming
    • Faculty Research

    Racism, Causal Explanations, and Affirmative Action

    By: Theresa K. Vescio, Amy Cuddy, Faye Crosby and Kevin Weaver
    • 2016
    • Faculty Research

    Competent but Cold: The Stereotype Content Model and Envy in Organizations

    By: Elizabeth Baily Wolf and Peter Glick
More from the Authors
  • Visual Attention to Powerful Postures: People Avert Their Gaze from Nonverbal Dominance Displays By: Elise Holland, Elizabeth Baily Wolf, Christine Looser and Amy Cuddy
  • Racism, Causal Explanations, and Affirmative Action By: Theresa K. Vescio, Amy Cuddy, Faye Crosby and Kevin Weaver
  • Competent but Cold: The Stereotype Content Model and Envy in Organizations By: Elizabeth Baily Wolf and Peter Glick
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