An Exploration of Gender Based Differences in Workplace Values

Abstract

Possible gender differences in the workplace are always a hot topic because they might explain why men continue to dominate in the jobs arena, despite the significant headway being made by women. Recent data indicate that males and females have somewhat differing priorities in their jobs but share basic ideas of what they think is important. Some research has shown that a supposed values gap between male and female workers does not explain away why men continue to enjoy greater career advancement than women. Social scientists have also theorized that work environments can embody both "male" and "female" characteristics, which may impact job satisfaction. Taking steps to better understand worker’s values can bring about important advantage in developing workable and well-supported policies. Understanding what men and women value in a job is important to designing effective approaches to human resource management and in skill development initiatives.