The Work Environments of Male and Female Professionals

Abstract

Structured interviews were conducted with 1,115 male and 271 female professional employees of a major American corporation. Statistically significant gender differences were found in each of three objective job characteristics (job title, salary grade, and number of employees supervised), whereas few significant gender differences were found in subjective job characteristics (intrinsic and importance rewards, peer cohesion, staff support, role conflict, role ambiguity, and quantitative workload). Multiple regression equations were used to predict subjective job characteristics from objective job characteristics, personality factors, family circumstances, and educational attainment. The factors associated with subjective job characteristics were similar for men and women. For both men and women, personality factors were the strongest predictors, followed by objective job characteristics. Family-related variables and educational attainment were not strongly associated with subjective job characteristics for men or for women. The relationship between objective and subjective job characteristics are discussed in terms of “job” and “gender” models of job perceptions.