A new study shows that men and women do not benefit equally from demonstrating proactive behavior: Reporting an example of proactive behavior during a job interview leads to a higher assessment of a person’s agency. However, this assessment results in a lower likability rating for women. Women may therefore be at a disadvantage when they behave proactively, as they appear less likable. This could have implications in the workplace; however, the experiments did not reveal any reduced chances of being hired.

Hernandez Bark, A. S., Seliverstova, K., & Ohly, S. (2021). Getting credit for proactivity? The effects of gender. Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jasp.12833