New research: Does work mean something different to men and women?
Published on April 8, 2024
There is little difference in the way men and women approach and derive meaning from work and - contrary to popular belief - women do not tend to lack the personal qualities and competencies needed to lead, finds new research from Professor Dorota Bourne.
A new study titled, 'Does work mean something different to men and women? An empirical examination of the psychological contract in the workplace across two countries' published in the Journal of Psychological Research has found that men and women view work very similarly, with shared meaning and importance derived from it.
The research challenges common assumptions that there is a fundamental difference in how the genders approach and derive meaning from their jobs.
Dorota Bourne, Professor of Leadership and Change Management, was part of the team of researchers that examined the psychological contracts - the unwritten expectations and beliefs people hold about their work environment - of 40 financial services employees in the UK and Czech Republic.
Through interviews, participants shared about their work experiences and relationships. The results showed men and women in the sample similarly construed the meaning of work – there were shared concerns around aspects of work like organisational culture, team dynamics and their social interactions.
