Feeling (and acting) like a fish out of water : Numerical minority status, gendered work and citizenship behavior in mixed gender work teams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how the proportional representation of men and women in a group, along with the gender‐orientation of the group's task, can impact member displays of helping behavior. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on the gender role socialization approach, the structural approach to gender differences, as well as the social psychology‐based perspective embedded in status characteristics or expectation states theory. Elements taken from each of these models permits assessment of the impact of gender, group gender composition and the gender orientation of the task on helping behavior in a group context. Findings – There is ample evidence to confirm the critical importance of member citizenship behavior in contributing to overall team performance. Practical implications – Given the presence of increasingly demographically diverse teams, it is vital to understand those factors that may enhance or inhibit helping behavior in the group context. This theory paper presents a model which examines how the gender composition of a team, as well as the gendered nature of the team's work, can influence citizenship behavior among team members who are in the numerical minority. Originality/value – This paper offers a unique and novel approach to understanding the dynamics behind helping behavior in mixed gender teams.