Study shows female managers favour male employees

Stheno

A new study has come out that claims that female managers are more likely to favour male employees

It may not be true always, but a study says that female bosses in a male-dominated environment can wreck other women's promotion hopes.

Instead, women managers who do break through the glass ceiling are more likely to mentor and support their male colleagues than their female co-workers, according to the study published in the 'Social Science Research' journal.

Far from encouraging other ambitious women, psychologists at the University of Cincinnati found female bosses were more inclined to obstruct them.

As well as the unwanted competition, the researchers said this may partly be due to the fact that women occupying senior posts want to blend in as much as possible with their male counterparts, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

The study is based on responses from more than 2,000 employees in the US. Lead researcher Dr David Maume said: "The popular press and many studies contend that women make better managers than men because they are more supportive leaders, delegate more responsibility and foster the careers of their subordinates, especially the women who work under them.

Anyone had any experience of this? I've had three out of about 15 managers who were female and never experienced it, all of them were very short term managers however

As a manager in previous roles and a senior member of staff in my current role I've primarily had male staff.

Sibylla

I have never experienced it myself although my friend was promoted to a management position in her job. Instantly there was hostility between her and the other female employees even though they had been friends up to this point. Perhaps this has something to do with the findings?

Stheno

Sibylla wrote: »

I have never experienced it myself although my friend was promoted to a management position in her job. Instantly there was hostility between her and the other female employees even though they had been friends up to this point. Perhaps this has something to do with the findings?

What that her female friends in the job were jealous?

How many of them applied for the same promotion and didn't get it? I'd a job where 6 of the guys on my team applied and were unsucessful, and it didn't cause many problems

whadabouchasir

I see a problem with this article,it was in the daily mail.

Sibylla

Stheno wrote: »

What that her female friends in the job were jealous?

How many of them applied for the same promotion and didn't get it? I'd a job where 6 of the guys on my team applied and were unsucessful, and it didn't cause many problems

They didn't apply for the position to my knowledge anyway. It was the sheer idea of their former co worker being their boss that bothered them. She found it quite upsetting. It's the only time I've heard of something like that happening.

Seraphina

Sibylla wrote: »

I have never experienced it myself although my friend was promoted to a management position in her job. Instantly there was hostility between her and the other female employees even though they had been friends up to this point. Perhaps this has something to do with the findings?

+1 to this. I haven't experienced this exact situation personally, but I have experienced many working situations in which I can very easily imagine this being the outcome had I been promoted. Women are bitchy and begrudging.

I lost a job before at a chartered surveying company. Why? Because I 'didn't fit'. The head of admin ( of an ALL female team) cited some VERY lame reasons. The ACTUAL reason? A week previously, at the Christmas party (I was quite new to the job and had felt very lonely) I suddenly realised I got on like a house on fire with half of the (male dominated) chartered surveying teams. We had intelligent conversations and discovered we liked a lot of the same music. I expressed interest in what they did, and during the week, many of them had come to me with challenging, not specifically admin tasks to help their teams out on projects.

Queen bee head of admin didn't like that I wasn't following her posse of girls around, sitting together at lunch and talking about soaps. It was very surreal.

pow wow

Maybe they overcompensate in case the guys think they're favouring the girls? I don't like working for female bosses, but not because I've experienced any discrimination - I just find men easier to work for.

IndigoBlue

I've had way too many jobs to mention, and have to say that the female managers or bosses I have had were definitely more 'challenging' to work for than the male variety. To me it seemed, in my examples anyway, that they had had to work harder to attain that position and were less sympathetic to other women (or maybe just me!) as a result. If you ever had a laugh with them, it was always on their terms. And everything was always more serious and a lot less fun. The women I have worked with as colleagues have been the best but for sure had better working relationships with male management.
I know I've made myself sound like a total slacker, but I actually worked realy hard for the 2 I have in mind but it never seemed to be enough!

krudler

I work in an 85%+ female environment and it can be that way alright, people who rise through the ranks tend to get bitchy comments as well instead of applauded

PomBear

I never noticed any preference bar in one job where a female PR manager would discipline male employees and not discipline the female employees for the same actions, ended up seeing many male colleagues getting fired and not seeing one female fired for the same action. Was very irritating, obviously females are obviously the most discriminated sex in the work place but really opened my eyes in one respect to how males can be discriminated against too.

Posy

I'm a manager, and have predominantly worked with females and generally prefer to work with other girls. Our workplace is pretty 'feminine', with make up, hair products and chocolate everywhere- you can tell straight away it's an almost all female staff!