Women are more creative and collaborative in groups. However, if you throw a competitive component to the picture, they falter and fall apart, which is exactly the opposite of men. Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have found the strengths and weaknesses of men and women working in groups, and published their study in the journal Organization Science, Medical Daily reported.

“Intergroup competition is a double-edged sword that ultimately provides an advantage to groups and units composed predominantly or exclusively of men, while hurting the creativity of groups composed of women,” said Dr. Markus Baer, the study’s lead author and associate professor of organizational behavior at Olin Business School. “Women contributed less and less to the team’s creative output when the competition between teams became cutthroat, and this fall-off was most pronounced in teams composed entirely of women.”

Researchers suggest the reason men become more creative is because there’s an innate competitive surge to succeed against his enemies, which forces them to think outside of the box. According to basic evolutionary theory, the intra-sexual competition will create aggressive competitiveness, unlike women, who tend to waver and show a decrease in productivity. Employers should take note.

“If teams work side by side, women tend to perform better and even outperform men — they’re more creative, Baer said. “As soon as you add the element of competition though, the picture changes. Men under those circumstances gel together. They become more interdependent and more collaborative, and women just do the opposite.”