Proactive behavior entails self-starting actions oriented toward change in the future. Other people’s perceptions of an employee’s proactive behavior are likely shaped by personal characteristics of the employee and related expectations. We hypothesized that the intersectionality of age, gender, and two motives (i.e., achievement and benevolence) influences others’ evaluations of proactive behavior. Consistent with the social role theory and the notion of a lack of fit, results of a first experimental vignette methodology study with an employee sample (N = 101; 1818 ratings) showed that proactive behavior was rated as more effective for older men compared to younger men motivated by achievement, whereas proactive behavior was rated as more effective for younger men compared to older men motivated by benevolence. Younger women compared to older women received higher effectiveness ratings for proactive behavior independent of their motive. In a second experimental vignette methodology study with a sample of participants in supervisory roles (N = 164; 1205 ratings), we partially replicated the results of the first study: proactive behavior was rated as more effective for older men compared to younger men motivated by achievement, and proactive behavior was rated as more effective for younger women compared to older women motivated by achievement. In contrast, effectiveness ratings of proactive behavior of younger and older men as well as younger and older women motivated by benevolence did not differ. Overall, by investigating the intersectionality of age, gender, and motives, these findings advance research on influences of person characteristics on others’ evaluations of proactive behavior.

主动行为需要面向未来变化的自主行动。其他人对员工主动行为的看法很可能受到员工个人特征和相关期望的影响。我们假设年龄、性别和两种动机（即成就和仁慈）的交叉性会影响他人对主动行为的评价。与社会角色理论和不合适的概念一致，第一次实验性小插图方法研究的结果与员工样本 ( N = 101; 1818 个评分）表明，与受成就激励的年轻男性相比，主动行为对年长男性的评价更高，而与受仁慈激励的年长男性相比，主动行为对年轻男性的评价更高。与年长女性相比，年轻女性在独立于其动机的主动行为方面获得了更高的有效性评级。在第二个实验性小插图方法研究中，样本为监督角色的参与者 ( N = 164; 1205 个评分），我们部分复制了第一项研究的结果：与受成就激励的年轻男性相比，主动行为对年长男性的评价更高，与受成就激励的老年女性相比，主动行为对年轻女性的评价更高. 相比之下，年轻和年长男性以及年轻和年长女性出于善意的主动行为的有效性评级没有差异。总体而言，通过调查年龄、性别和动机的交叉性，这些发现推进了个人特征对其他人对主动行为评估的影响的研究。