Male vs. Female Boss – Whom Do People Prefer and Why?

Shares 171

The battle between the sexes never ends. If not for any better reason, it surely does serve to amuse us well! With women invading the professional and corporate space like never before, a hot current debate is on bosses: male versus female.

Image Courtesy : depositphotos.com

Martians and Venusians have a separate set of qualities and therefore work differently from one another. However, it remains to be established which one of the two possesses qualities fit to be a better boss. Is it the compassion, comprehension and thoughtful planning of the fairer sex or the powerful influence and concrete decision-making abilities of men that make a better boss? Or, do these traits overlap and the best boss is one who embodies the best of masculine and feminine traits irrespective of their gender?

35% Americans Prefer Reporting to a Male

A recent survey reports that 35% Americans prefer a male boss to a female boss. A similar survey conducted half a century ago, in the year 1953, had acknowledged that 66% people preferred male bosses, and only 5% preferred women. The changing numbers surely show the increased acceptability of women supervisors in the workforce, but the current trend is not likely to change dramatically in favor of women in the coming few decades as the young people of today have not reported any increased inclination towards female bosses. 37% of those in the age group of 18-34 years have expressed a greater liking for having men as their managers.

Only 23% Prefer Female Bosses and the Remaining 41% Remain Gender Agnostic

Of all correspondents in the survey, 41% people, of which highly educated folks formed the majority, chose to stay out of judging bosses based on their genders. And the remaining 23% expressed an uninhibited preference for having a female manger. This is a stark contrast to the mid-20th century number when only 5% Americans preferred women bosses.

The Greatest Culprit is the Game of Power

Many people rationalize their inclination towards males as bosses by stating that men are more influential and less emotional than women. They are also seen to exhibit a greater magnitude of power, which is essential for any team leader. On the other hand, women still struggle to change the established stereotype, and may therefore display traces of insecurity in their behavior. It is due to the same power struggle that women feel constantly under pressure to prove themselves, which subsequently causes them to become pickier about their subordinates’ weaknesses making them less likeable as bosses.

Working for A Female Boss Might Just Change Your Perception!

It is a statistical observation that those who have already worked for a woman are more likely to not gravitate towards male bosses. So in case you haven’t yet worked under a woman’s supervision, and have a perception of women bosses being in any ways less competent than their male counterparts, a practical experience of working under a woman may just change your opinion!

So who would you rather work for – a man or a woman?