Influence of gender on office staff management in orthodontics.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the gender differences in managing practice and staff members in orthodontic practices.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All orthodontists in Virginia and Maryland (n = 427) were surveyed and demographic information was collected. For the crude analyses of the data, a Fisher's exact test or chi(2) test was performed. For the adjusted analyses, genders were compared using a logistic regression or analysis of covariance. The covariates were adjusted for age, program length, years in practice, number of years since graduation, and practice state.

RESULTS

The length of the residency program attended did not differ with gender. No gender differences in practice ownership or creating the practice were observed. There was a significant gender difference in implementation of performance reviews: female orthodontists were more likely to provide performance reviews and tended to accept more poor reviews before staff termination than male orthodontists. However, when provided, no gender difference was observed in the number of performance reviews.

CONCLUSION

Gender has a significant impact on the implementation of performance reviews in practices. Practice ownership status was not influenced by providers' gender.