February 2005

Gender linked to worker loyalty and health

FEB. 2, 2005 — Significant gender differences in workplace values suggest that women who work in a male-value dominated environment (or men in a female-value dominated environment) may have negative health consequences, be less productive, suffer decreased motivation and be more inclined to leave, according to a LLuminari study just released in the journal of Gender Medicine, the official journal of the Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine, Columbia University.

According to Michael Peterson, EdD of the University of Delaware who conducted the study for LLuminari, gender-based values identify two different definitions of an optimal workplace environment.

“A female-oriented culture is based on the assumptions that work is done in conjunction with other people and that for a business to be successful it must recognize the importance of human relationships and communication,” said Peterson. Success for women emphasized values, the corporate culture and work/family balance.

“In contrast, a male-oriented culture is based on the assumptions that work is for the purpose of achievement and fortune and that for a business to be successful it must recognize the importance of achieving results,” explained Peterson. Success is defined primarily by profits, market share, status, and influence.

More than 1,100 men and women from companies with 1,000+ employees were asked to describe what a “healthy workplace” means to them:

• Women put almost twice as much emphasis on coworkers, teams, and group cohesion than men, and almost two times as much emphasis on effective and honest communication.

• Women put more than twice as much emphasis on ethics and values than men.

• Women placed 1.5 times higher value on a workplace that was characterized as being, understanding, caring, and supportive than men.

• Men put almost twice as much emphasis on safety and security than women.

When asked about job stress in the work environment, men and women differed significantly. For men, their treatment by those in authority predicted their level of distress, while for women, the general environment played a greater role in their stress levels.

Men’s health status is related to their perceived levels of control, authority and position. Perceived health status for women was predicted mostly by how they perceived their home life.

“Sleep habits play an important role in employee health and productivity and our study showed a sizeable number of employees may not be getting enough rest,” said Peterson.

• Men report coming to work feeling tired more often then women.

• Men have more difficulty falling asleep than woman.

• 54 percent of both men and women said they often to almost always come to work in a state of fatigue.

Elizabeth Browning, LLuminari CEO summarizes what her health education company concluded from the research. “Knowing and managing gender differences may help motivate employees, increase productivity, foster loyalty, and improve physical and mental well-being,”

Browning said, “Assessing a company’s culture and developing gender-based education programming to blend the strengths of each gender will achieve optimal health for an organization and its employees,” according to Browning.

“Both men and women define a healthy workplace beyond physical confines like cleanliness and fitness programs - a finding employees don’t believe is being addressed in boardrooms. Management, leadership, control and autonomy, coworker harmony, and workplace atmosphere are also critical elements in defining a healthy workplace among today’s workforce,” explained Peterson.

LLuminari is a health-education company comprised of the country’s leading physicians and health experts who create interesting and entertaining content that motivates, inspires and activates positive behavioral change in personal health habits. For more information on gender health visit www.embracingwomenshealth.com/.

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