Abstract

This study investigates the impact of sex on a leader's decisions involving employee disciplinary situations. All leaders would like to believe that they make fair and impartial decisions. Some of the most difficult decisions leaders make involve people . Careers hang in the balance of leader's decisions. This research examines the impact the sex of the leader and the sex of the subordinate may have on decisions made by leaders in four different disciplinary scenarios. In addition, this study uses the Bem Sex-Role Instrument to determine if the leader's sex-role orientation, as measured by the BSRI, can be used as a predictor of the disciplinary action chosen. The BSRI measures whether the respondents perceive themselves as masculine, feminine or androgynous. ;A scenario-based survey instrument, developed by the author, and the BSRI short-form, are used in the data collection. Examples of the instruments are provided in Appendices 1 and 2