Gender Differences in Job Resources and Strains in Authority Positions

Abstract

In contrast to the rich literature on the causes of the gender gap in workplace authority, relatively little is known about how the jobs and experiences of women and men compare once they have positions with authority. Using linked survey and administrative data of about 100,000 women and men working in Dutch organizations, I analyzed differences in job resources (earnings, autonomy, and nonroutine work) and strains (workplace harassment, work–nonwork interference, and job burnout) between women and men in positions of workplace authority. I find that women in authority report lower levels of job resources than men with authority jobs, and are more likely to report experiences of work-related strains. Crucially, women with authority jobs are the most likely of all gender/authority status groups to report experiencing sexual harassment, bullying, and intimidation at the workplace, and they have the highest probability of reporting job burnout symptoms. These findings suggest that women’s entry into authority positions alone is not sufficient for achieving gender equality.

Occupational Gender Segregation and Mental Health among Professionals: Women’s Risk Exposure in Five Micro Classes

“…The third finding we made regards segregation. With few exceptions (Stojmenovska 2023;Folke and Rickne 2022), segregation has often been analyzed from the point of view of material inequalities, such as pay, working hours, and overtime. Previous research focused on studying the different opportunities men and women have to access certain occupations deemed more desirable in terms of salaries (Torre 2014(Torre , 2019Jacobs 1989;Baxter and Wright 2000), or it studied how specific working arrangements provide a more hostile environment for women working in male-dominated occupations (Nemoto 2013;Cha 2013).…”

“…Starting from this premise, an increasing line of research goes beyond the study of inequality in material resources, such as wages, to investigate how segregation may be linked to work strains and gender-based violence, especially sexual harassment (Folke and Rickne 2022;Stojmenovska 2023). Work strains, psychosocial risks, and the risks to workers' mental well-being have become a highly pressing issue.…”

“…At the same time, men experience greater exposure to sexual harassment in female-dominated, low-paid occupations (Folke and Rickne 2022). Stojmenovska (2023) investigated the impact of managerial occupations on women's well-being; in doing so, she found a greater incidence of burnout and other work strains among men. She argues that exposure to work strains and related health problems should be considered to represent a significant dimension of gender inequality.…”

7. A Stroll through the Darkness

“…Because of the perceived incongruence between women as a lower-status group and authority jobs as higher-status, women in authority experience hostile reactions 6. Of Academia, Status, and Knowing Your Place from colleagues and clients in the form of harassment and bullying (Stojmenovska, 2023).…”

Who gets to choose: a global perspective on gender, work and choice in the post-pandemic workplace

“…At the same time, independent of the issue of balancing paid and unpaid work, women have faced significant challenges within the workplace related to gender norms and expectations (Gorman, 2005; Meitzen, 1986; Olson and Becker, 1983). Yet despite the increased attention paid by scholars and practitioners over the past 3 decades to this issue, gender inequality at work continues to be a problem (Friedmann and Efrat-Treister, 2023; Rao, 2021; Stojmenovska, 2023).…”