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Study shows: Men are more emotional at work than women
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Study shows: Men are more emotional at work than women

Tired man sitting at desk in modern office

Men are twice as likely to quit their jobs when they are emotionally motivated. Photo: Getty

Men are more emotional in the workplace than women, a new study shows.

According to a study by the British job portal Totaljobs of 2,000 British employees and 250 managers, men and women react emotionally differently in the workplace. Men are twice as likely to react emotionally because their “ideas were not heard” or because they were “criticized,” and they are almost three times more likely to experience an emotional event because a project goes over budget, a deadline is missed, or a job is canceled.

The study also shows a clear divide between men and women in the way they express their emotions in the workplace. While men are twice as likely to yell or even quit their jobs because they are emotional, women are twice as likely to cry in the workplace. 41 percent of women report having cried in the workplace, compared to 20 percent of men.

READ MORE: Is it ever okay to swear at work?

“Men and women are raised to express their emotions differently, especially in the workplace. Men are more likely to report emotions associated with power, such as anger or pride,” says Terri Simpkin, senior lecturer in leadership and corporate education at Anglia Ruskin University.

“In fact, emotions and power are inextricably linked. Not being heard is synonymous with a lack of status. Likewise, sadness is linked to a lack of power in social situations such as the workplace.”

However, many employees feel they cannot express their feelings at work at all. 59% of workers said they have experienced emotions at work that they were unable to express freely. A third (33%) said they hide their true feelings at work behind a “positive face”.

READ MORE: Is instant messaging at work stressing us out?

This may be related to corporate culture, as 30% of line managers said they consider expressing emotions in the workplace a sign of weakness and more than half (51%) believe that emotions should be completely suppressed in a professional context.

“Workplaces are environments of social expectations,” says Simpkin. “There are ‘display rules’ that dictate when, where, and how much emotion can be shown and by whom. That’s one reason people suppress their emotions in the workplace: They’re afraid of being judged.”

According to the study, colleagues are the main cause of emotional reactions in the workplace. One third (33%) of emotional events in the workplace are triggered by colleagues, while 20% are due to work tasks.

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One in ten employees has experienced emotional distress at work as a result of bullying, and six in ten said they had a colleague they considered a “work enemy.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom: 91% of employees said that joy was the most important feeling they experienced throughout their career.

Closely following, however, are surprise (90%), anger (85%), sadness (82%), disgust (71%) and fear (61%).

Millennials are most likely to experience emotional challenges at work, with figures showing that they are the age group most likely to experience sadness (91%), anger (91%) and disgust (80%) in the workplace.

READ MORE: Britain is still ‘generations away’ from equal rights for women in top jobs

The study shows that as employees get older, they express more joy and surprise. As their career progresses, they also become less sad, angry, disgusted and anxious. Experiences of anxiety in the workplace drop from 77% among 23- to 38-year-olds to just 45% among 55- to 73-year-olds.

“Emotional intelligence is an important professional skill, especially for leaders and managers. Our emotions make us human. They give us the ability to collaborate, innovate, be creative and connect.

“Traditional attitudes that taught us to leave our feelings at the door should have disappeared long ago.

“Emotions are meant to tell us something. To deal with emotions effectively, it is important to recognize the message instead of suppressing it.

“It is this humanity within organizations that will set them apart as we move further into the fourth industrial age. As workplaces become increasingly digital, the ability to lead with an understanding of how to engage emotionally aware people in them will be key to success,” says Simpkin.

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