Gender Differences In Communication

\Numerous studies have been conducted to further evaluate how men and women communicate, differences in their communication as well as how cultural differences play a role in communication. However, many studies do not show how these differences in culture or gender carry over into the day-to-day responsibilities in the workplace, many of the research only shows the gender and cultural communication in close personal relationships. Many written articles explore the differences in communication regarding gender and culture, but do not explore the various forms of communication such as verbal and nonverbal communication. To understand the gender and cultural differences in communication in the workplace the factors that affect and stem from these

Being that men and women are in different subcultures and both men and women work together, it is crucial that they are able to communicate without confrontation or the possibility of offending and discriminating against the other gender. Females do comprise a large portion of organizations, but workplace equality is a large problem, according to research done by the U.S. Department of Labor "females hold only two to three percent of top management and their median weekly earnings are 25 percent less than similarly employed males" (Amason & Allen, 1997, p. 956). Employees in the workplace regardless of their gender learn to value different communication styles or "cultures" to better understand their job and what is expected of them. Gender differences within the organizations have the ability to hurt the organization but can also help the organization, because there are differences in how the genders communicate, organizations are able to gain different perspectives and input as males and females think and communicate differently. Males in the workplace are more likely to be more assertive, competitive, goal oriented, and tend to be problem solvers when giving their opinion or exchanging important information. Females are often times more selfless, cooperative and more likely to develop relationships within the workplace, but also share some of the same characteristics as males but not as often. Men and women also have different job satisfaction, especially when it involves doing their job as well as interacting and communicating with their coworkers, "females are more satisfied with jobs where their interactions with others is supportive and cooperative, whereas males are more concerned with more autonomous behaviors" (Amason & Allen, 1997, p. 958). Job satisfaction is very important when a manager is trying to make sure that their employees are happy and