Gender Effect on Job Satisfaction and Leadership

Leaders have important roles at different ranks in organizations. A manager's leadership style has an effect on the work and attitudes of employees. Leaders ought to lead their subordinates in a manner that makes them happy to carry out their responsibilities. The thesis statement for the purpose is given as follows. "Any organization should aim to acquire and retain the best talent and effective leadership ensures that good employees are kept happy and satisfied at their positions." (Shagufta Parvenn & Adeel Tariq, 2012).

Gender Stereotyping

Gender and sex are often viewed as interchangeable terms. This is not correct as there are nuances to the meaning of each word. The World Health Organization's definition of gender encompasses the roles, activities, attributes and behaviors that the society appropriates to men and women. Sex, on the other hand, is physiological and biological characteristics defining men and women. Sex is denoted by 'Female or Male' while gender is denoted by 'Masculine or Feminine'. What a person is, is their sex, while the stereotypes associated with their sex is their gender (Stephanie N. Crites, Kevin E. Dickson, & Alicia Lorenz, 2015).

Leadership Styles of Men and Women

In various earlier studies done in the area, researchers noted that no significant differences exist in the men's and women's leadership styles. In the recent past, however, a paradigm shift has taken root and different leadership characteristics are being labeled as either feminine or masculine and so giving either gender the opportunity to exhibit either of the characteristics. A results-oriented and rigid approach to leadership whose sole focus is the end result is deemed as masculine. (Syed Akif Hasan, Irma Zahid, & Muhammad Imtiaz Subhani, 2011) argue that men tend to be more argumentative, share their point-of-view and opinions and generally don't share personal information. Men's decision-making process is more direct and can be viewed as autocratic as they take or give very little or no consideration to the opinions of other employees (Ardala R. Jackson, Jennifer L. Alberti, & Robin L. Snipes, 2014).

Workplace Culture

Many researchers on organizational behavior argue that the massive entry of "Generation Y" workers into the workforce is likely to change workplace attitudes and culture, making the workplace more female-oriented in terms of culture and leadership characteristics. There will be emphasis on empathy, nurturing relationships, work-life balance and empathy. The workplace is continuously changing and there is need for new research to help organizations cope with these changes. More women are earning their place as managers and there are more feminine traits being adopted in leadership. Feminine traits being adopted include building of more meaningful interpersonal relationships, co-workers being more social with each other and better social relationships on the job overall. Masculine traits like freedom at the workplace, dominance and fierce competition complement these feminine traits to create a more wholesome workplace experience (Ardala R. Jackson, Jennifer L. Alberti, & Robin L. Snipes, 2014).

Conclusion

Organizational research done up to the current moment lend support to the homogenization of gender leadership characteristics and traits. Men tend to be task oriented and authoritative while women are more interpersonal and democratic. What is disappointing so far is the conflict that exists between researchers working on leadership styles by gender. Their sources are often poorly defined and they often times have differing definitions of gender leadership (Ardala R. Jackson, Jennifer L. Alberti, & Robin L. Snipes, 2014). While it is reported that female leaders tend to be more people-focused than production-focused, there is evidence of some female leaders being more results oriented. This is not to say that any particular orientation is better than the other (Stephanie N. Crites, Kevin E. Dickson & Alicia Lorenz, 2015).

References

Ardala R. Jackson, Jennifer L. Alberti, & Robin L. Snipes,. (2014). AN EXAMINATION OF THE IMPACT OF GENDER ON LEADERSHIP STYLE AND EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION IN THE MODERN WORKPLACE. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 141-153.

Shagufta Parveen, & Adeel Tariq. (2012). Leadership Style, Gender and Job Satisfaction: A Situational Leadership Approach. International Journal of Science and Research.

Stephanie N. Crites, Kevin E. Dickson, & Alicia Lorenz. (2015). NURTURING GENDER STEREOTYPES IN THE FACE OF EXPERIENCE: A STUDY OF LEADER GENDER, LEADERSHIP STYLE, AND SATISFACTION. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict.

Syed Akif Hasan, Irma Zahid, & Muhammad Imtiaz Subhani. (2011). The effects of supervisor-subordinate gender on subordinates' involvement across managerial functions. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary, 314-324.