Ch. 19: Gender Differences in Communication
Every aspect of communication is influenced by the differentiation of the individual that is communicating. This can be culture, personality, personal history, various traits and characteristics, and for the purpose of this blog post, we will discuss gender. More specifically we will discuss the various differences found between men and women's communication styles, perceptions held towards these differences, and how they may relate in the business world.
Women's Communication:
Women are generally focused on relationship building and interest in other individuals and are more inclined to utilize a democratic leadership style (Gulati, Mayo, & Nohria, 2016).
Women are better able to read nonverbal body language, have better listening skills, and effectively display empathy (Goman, 2016). This empathy, increased compassionate understanding, and tendency to serve the whole rather than the individual is why they may be more inclined to utilize a democratic style of leadership that was described above.
Regardless of position power, women generally speak up less, and may do so in meetings because of the backlash that is associated with appearing to be "too powerful" (Gulati, Mayo, & Nohria, 2016). The text went on to discuss how a study by Yale social psychologist, Victoria Brescoll found that both genders held negative perceptions towards women who speak more, regardless of position of power, while neither gender reacted negatively when men spoke more (Gulati, Mayo, & Nohria, 2016). This may be due to how we are conditioned in various societies towards viewing women in power.
Weaknesses that are often correlated to women's communication include being overly emotional, meandering (not getting to the point), and not being authoritative enough (Goman, 2016). Obviously this is not across the board and there are many women who are authoritative, blunt, and non-emotional. And society often has much to say about these traits.
Men's Communication:
Men are inclined to value status and higher positions of power than women and therefore tend to prefer speaking opportunities that accentuate this position of power (Gulati, Mayo, & Nohria, 2016).
Men generally have a commanding physical presence, direct interactions, and effectively display power (Goman, 2016). Men are generally more aggressive than women and culture and society has often ingrained in women to submit to men's commanding physical presence and display of power. This can even be seen in the animal kingdom. Men are also less likely to ask for help. I see this a lot in my counseling of men.
Weakness that are often associated with men's communication include being overly blunt and direct, insensitive to audience reactions, and being too confident in their own opinions (Goman, 2016). Humility is often viewed as a weakness in men. Therefore, men's commanding communication styles are a result of culture and societal views.
Different communication styles can be a benefit to most organizations. We must try to look past societal and cultural roles that dictate how men and women are viewed through their communication. This can change over time, with enough effort. I personally have see a great deal of it since I became an adult over 20 years ago. Even social media has helped move things in the right direction, to some degree. Men can adjust to being more collaborative and improving their listening skills and women can "take charge" and be more effective in organizations where decisiveness is necessary. But we may need to change our idea on what is an acceptable societal norm.
References
- Goman, C. K. (2016, March 31). Is Your Communication Style Dictated By Your Gender? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2016/03/31/is-your-communication-style-dictated-by-your-gender/#19169517eb9d
- Gulati, R., Mayo, A. J., & Nohria, N. (2016). Management: An integrated approach. Australia: Cengage Learning
- Mossholder, T. (2018, December 24). comfort room signage. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/UcUROHSJfRA
- Ventures, Y. X. (2019, May 20). people seated on table in room. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/6awfTPLGaCE
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