For today’s daily dose of disappointing news, Americans still think that men should rule the workplace! A recent Gallup poll reveals that American men and women would rather have a male boss than a female boss. While 40 percent of those polled listed no preference, those who did would rather have a man in charge. Of the women polled, 40 percent favored having a male boss, whereas 27 percent preferred a female boss. These results are perhaps indicative of a lack of support of successful women in the workplace. Sheryl Sandberg of Lean In suggests that as men get more successful and powerful, their likability also increases, whereas a woman’s success is met with a decrease in likability.
Interestingly, women were more likely to state a preference of the gender of their boss, while 56% of men stated that the gender made no difference to them. Though there is an overwhelming amount of ladies who still aren’t keen on taking orders from other women, Gallup’s poll is representative of a cultural shift over the past fifty years. In 1953, when Gallup first asked this question, only five percent of those polled said they would prefer a female boss.
While these cultural norms are still pervasive, Gallup suggests that as more women take on leadership roles in the workplace, more men and women will want to work for them.
Thanks to Gallup and The Daily Beast.
Image courtesy of Coolspotters.
