The Rewards of Authority in the Workplace: Do Gender and Age Matter?

Abstract

Authority in the workplace has its benefits. It is well-established that job authority generally yields higher earnings. In this study, the authors ask: Does that observation extend to other nonpecuniary rewards in the workplace? Using data from a 2011 representative sample of Canadian workers, results suggest it does—but there are some social status contingencies. In particular, the benefits of higher levels of job authority for job autonomy, challenging work, and income are stronger among men compared to women. By contrast, no age-based contingencies are observed. Collectively, observations about job authority's bundling with other rewards elaborate on the claim that job authority is a “highly coveted workplace resource”—but the degree of these payoffs differs for men and women.