Though men's job satisfaction increases after assuming a managerial position, a new study has found women's job satisfaction decreases, according to the Harvard Business Review.
Daniela Lup, PhD, a senior lecturer at Middlesex University in London, England, analyzed 10 years of surveys tracking job satisfaction one year before a person was promoted, when they assumed the new role and one year post-promotion. These include both internal promotions and promotions to other organizations. Dr. Lup controlled for variables such as compensation and vacation time when analyzing the data.
She attributes the lower satisfaction rates of female managers to obstacles that only females encounter in the workplace and encourages organizations to better prepare female managers for the unique set of challenges they will face.
"What they can do is find ways to get a realistic assessment of the difficulties encountered by female managers; the more they are aware of these difficulties, the more they can prepare for them," Dr. Lup writes.