Issues of Anger in the Workplace: Do Gender and Gender Role Matter?

Abstract

To examine the influence of gender and gender role on anger experiences in the workplace, 257 adult students completed narratives describing their anger‐provoking issues and anger expression. Seven issues were identified: work performance of coworkers, work performance of supervisors, relationships with coworkers, relationships with supervisors, dealing with the public, work performance of subordinates, and work context issues. Analyses revealed that gender did not influence the types of issues cited or workers' anger expressions. Although gender role did not influence anger expression, androgynous and feminine persons were more likely to cite relationships with coworkers as anger provoking than were undifferentiated persons.