The Rewards of Authority in the Workplace: Do Gender and Age Matter?

Abstract

Authority in the workplace has its benefits. It is wellestablished that job authority generally yields higher earnings. In this study, the authors ask: Does that observation extend to other nonpecuniary rewards in the workplace? Using data from a 2011 representative sample of Canadian workers, results suggest it does-but there are some social status contingencies. In particular, the benefits of higher levels of job authority for job autonomy, challenging work, and income are stronger among men compared to women. By contrast, no age-based contingencies are observed. Collectively, observations about job authority's bundling with other rewards elaborate on the claim that job authority is a "highly coveted workplace resource"-but the degree of these payoffs differs for men and women.

With Greater Power Comes Greater Stress? Authority, Supervisor Support, and Work‐Family Strains

“…There are compelling reasons why job authority has traditionally been identified as a workplace resource within the JD‐R paradigm. Job authority symbolizes status and power in a core social role (Elliott & Smith, 2004; Schieman, Schafer, & McIvor, 2013). Having authority in the workplace propels professional development—involving an enrichment of leadership qualities and strategic decision‐making that ultimately shapes the direction and vitality of the organization (Cao & Hamori, 2016; Hambrick, Finkelstein, & Mooney, 2005; Lara & Salas‐Vallina, 2017).…”

Gender Discrepancies in the Outcomes of Schedule Control on Overtime Hours and Income in Germany

“…The following categorical dummies are used: employee (routine non-manual and routine service sales), professional (administrators, officials, managers in industrial establishments, large proprietors, higher-grade technicians, and supervisors of non-manual employees), civil servant, and manual worker (skilled/semi-skilled manual, farm labour) as the reference category. In addition, job authority is often related to work autonomy (Schieman et al, 2013); thus, a control was used to indicate the level of job authority the worker has: no job authority, management tasks, and extensive leadership. By controlling for these variables, we are examining the increase in income and overtime above and beyond that stemming from changes in job positions or increase in job authority.…”

“…Further, it is used, and expected to be used, by men and women for different purposes (Adler, 1993;Brescoll et al, 2013). Thus, and especially in light of evidence that work-related rewards are shaped by gender (Schieman et al, 2013), we can expect that both positive and negative consequences of having schedule control can be shaped by gender.…”

Women’s employment patterns after childbirth and the perceived access to and use of flexitime and teleworking

“…The introduction of flexitime or telework may be driven more by productivity goals rather than to address work–family issues ( Kelliher and Anderson, 2010 ; Osterman, 1995 ). Providing workers with more control over their work may be used by employers to attract high-skilled workers who value such arrangements ( Osterman, 1995 ) and provided to higher-status workers as a reward ( Schieman et al, 2013 ). When employers are more interested in the enhanced performance outcomes gained from introducing flexibility in how and when people work, workers who are more likely to increase work intensity/hours or contribute to the organization are more likely to have access to it ( Swanberg et al, 2005 ).…”