Study shows appraisals favor male workers. (Performance Appraisals).(Brief Article)

If employee promotions are based on positive images rather than skills and talent, then men have the edge over women, according to a long-term study recently released by Pennsylvania State University.

David V. Day, Ph.D., a professor of industrial and organizational psychology at the university and co-author of the study, says that organizations may be promoting people because of the positive impression they make on their managers--not because they're more capable of producing the measurable results employers seek.

If these findings are true, employers may need to start reviewing their evaluation procedures and employment decisions, such as promotions, …