MEDIA RELEASE
27 May 2005
Women more satisfied than men
Can’t get no satisfaction? Then you’re probably male according to new research by New Zealand leadership and culture
experts - Human Synergistics - released today.
Undertaken to evaluate employee job satisfaction and staying-power, the research concludes that women are much happier
in their jobs generally, and are much more satisfied with their employment, than their male counterparts.
The research, which used Human Synergistics’ Organisational Effectiveness Inventory (OEI) survey, was carried out in
April and is based on 182 New Zealand and Australian companies, involving 11,658 individuals.
Shaun McCarthy, Chairman of Human Synergistics says, “The OEI assesses virtually all internal factors and conditions
that are likely to impact on an organisation's performance including its structures, systems, technologies and skills or
qualities of its leaders. All of these elements contribute to an organisation’s culture and reflect, either positively
or negatively, on employee job satisfaction.”
“The findings have been interesting. Men tend to be more dissatisfied overall yet tend to stay with a job even though
they’re less satisfied! Women, while more satisfied than men in their jobs, say they are very clear about the parameters
for that happiness and satisfaction. If certain internal factors change in their employment then they quickly become
dissatisfied and will leave an organisation,” says McCarthy.
Generally for males, job satisfaction comes from such factors as; receiving respect, involvement, fairness of appraisals
and heavy goal emphasis, for example having their manager encourage high standards and best effort.
For females, they are more relationship-oriented factors such as consideration, receiving respect, respect for their
manager and low use of punishment. Therefore, lack of these factors will more than likely cause them to have lower job
satisfaction and would influence their decision to leave the job.
For both males and females however, one factor was in common. Training and development was the number one factor most
strongly associated with job satisfaction. Therefore, the reverse is true that where there is a lack of adequate
training and development, both males and females will be dissatisfied in their jobs.
“Such findings should be taken seriously by employers – the more understanding of the causal factors motivating job
fulfillment the less employee dissatisfaction which often leads to costly employee turnover,” says McCarthy.
ENDS
About Human Synergistics
Human Synergistics are global leaders in the field of organisational leadership and culture. They provide a range of
unique services in individual, group and organisational development through their own consultants and their network of
over 400 Accredited Consultants throughout Australia and New Zealand. Their emphasis is on measuring the relationship
between human behaviours and performance to help individuals and organisation achieve long term sustainable high
performance. Successful users of the Human Synergistics’ Integrated Development System number in the millions
internationally, with over 12,000 commercial and governmental organisations basing their developmental efforts on Human
Synergistics’ tools.
Human Synergistics began operating in New Zealand in 1979 and in Australia in 1989 and have offices in four major
centres (Wellington, Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne). As part of the Human Synergistics International group of
companies, they have access to the latest international research and experience, blended with a commitment to helping
strengthen New Zealand individuals and organisations.