SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH COL-leagues are critical to job satisfaction, retention, and productivity - but with the dramatic shift to remote work over the past few years, those ties have weakened for many employees. Our latest research suggests that as leaders focus on strengthening organizational culture and encouraging social ties, they should proceed with greater care and intentionality than they have in the past. The results of our investigation indicate that men may be earning a higher return on their social investments at work than women are.
Concerns about inequity in the way relationships are built and maintained in organizations are not new. Community-building and social support activities are rarely written into job descriptions or compensated, making them easy to overlook. Scholarship has previously highlighted the likelihood of gender bias in expectations and rewards for "organizational citizenship" and "emotional labor" behaviors at work. For example, research found that women are more likely than men to be asked to engage in extra-role activities such as organizing a holiday party, and they are more likely to say yes when asked - often at a cost to their career progression and job satisfaction.³ We set out to investigate employees' experiences investing in and their career benefits for providing multiple forms of social support to coworkers. (See "The Research.") We conducted a survey in late 2020, a time when social support was especially important. We collected data from 836 U.S.-based office workers across a variety of roles, company sizes, and industries. In order to explore equity issues, we recruited a split sample, with 438 men (52%) and 398 women (48%).
What Kinds of Social Support Do Men and Women Offer?
Denne historien er fra Summer 2023-utgaven av MIT Sloan Management Review.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Summer 2023-utgaven av MIT Sloan Management Review.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Ask Sanyin: How Do You Build for an Unpredictable Future?
While the pandemic was a wild ride of uncertainty for me and many of my peers in leadership, it feels like we never regained our footing.
What You Still Can't Say at Work
Most people know what can’t be said in their organization. But leaders can apply these techniques to break through the unwritten rules that make people self-censor.
Make Character Count in Hiring and Promoting
Most managers focus on competencies when evaluating candidates but it’s character that will transform the DNA of the organization. Here’s how to assess it.
Why Influence Is a Two-Way Street
Managers achieve better outcomes when they prioritize collaborative decision-making over powers of persuasion.
Know Your Data to Harness Federated Machine Learning
A collaborative approach to training AI models can yield better results, but it requires finding partners with data that complements your own.
How Integrating DEI Into Strategy Lifts Performance
Incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion practices into core business planning can provide a competitive edge.
The Myth of the Sustainable Consumer
Companies that understand the different kinds of consumers for sustainable products can market to them more effectively.
A Practical Guide to Gaining Value From LLMs
Getting a return from generative AI investments requires a systematic approach to analyzing appropriate use cases.
Improve Workflows by Managing Bottlenecks
Understand whether process or resource constraints are stalling work.
Craft Schedules That Work for Everyone
Business leaders can improve retention and business performance with schedules that make sense for workers’ lives.