Gender and emotions at work: organizational rank has greater emotional benefits for men than women

Published in: Sex Roles - November 2021

Written by

Christina Taylor, Zorana Ivcevic, Julia Moeller, Jochen Menges, Roni Reiter-Palmon and Marc Brackett

Summary

What we found: Our study shows not only that gender does make a difference for how employees feel– in the sense that women feel more stressed and less respected at work – but also that men’s positive emotions increase more strongly than women’s when they are moving up the rank. Also, we found that these gender differences in how employees feel decreased the greater the proportion of women in the given industry.

Why it matters: There are many obstacles which women must face when climbing up the ladder, while gender differences in how employees feel may be one of them. Acknowledging that increasing the number of women in industries in which women are currently underrepresented may help to support them more effectively during their career development.

What next: Increasing the representation of women in industries in which women are underrepresented might help other women to feel more respected, less stressed, and more confident when moving up the ladder. Creating more inclusive mentoring relationships and networks in organizations could further help women in dealing with their emotions more effectively.