If this study can confirm women’s ability to manage, it should also convince companies of their motivation to take on these responsibilities.
January 8, 2022
The gist:
Manuelle Malot is the Director of Careers and Prospective at EDHEC Business School—one of the top 15 European business schools—and the founder of the EDHEC NewGen Talent Centre. As an expert in “the motivations, behaviours (sic) and skills of the new generation,” and an observer of the current “transition from an authority of status and control…to an authority of competence with inspiring management,” her recent Study examined nearly 66,000 personality and motivation tests and it prompted the question: are women the future of management?
In general, the study revealed that: the professional behaviour (sic) of women are “authentic, flexible, sensitive and altruistic. In other words, attitudes that are all assets in view of new managerial expectations.”
Here are some of the granular findings:
- Women are committed to transparency (+12%) and authenticity and are 13% more likely to be objective in their work than men.
- Therefore, women who are sincerer are more likely to be trusted by their superiors and colleagues. Moreover, this tendency is reinforced with experience, and this trust facilitates their ability to manage.
- They are also better peacekeepers in conflict situations. Indeed, they are more likely to find common ground, and 13% are more flexible than men at work. This greater ease in resolving conflicts is undoubtedly reinforced by their greater extraversion than men (+8%). This extraversion tends to increase slightly with age and is essential in managerial negotiation situations.
- Compared to men, women are 38% more likely to show emotional sensitivity at work. Being able to be calm and distant as well as passionate depending on the situation, women have access to their emotions more easily. This inclination allows them to demonstrate a high level of emotional intelligence and empathy, which are essential qualities for managers, especially for the new generations who are keen to receive regular feedback on their work.
- On a behavioural (sic) level, women are more instinctive when it comes to making decisions. They have a better grasp of situations and do not hesitate to use their intuition. Coupled with their past experiences, this inclination can facilitate the fluidity of managerial decisions.
- In terms of integration and team spirit, women prefer to adopt an altruistic attitude (+14% compared to men). They are therefore an asset when it comes to welcoming, integrating, and getting new employees to contribute, which is a key concern for world leaders.
Link to the CSR Journal post here.
