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Gender differences in psychosocial work factors, work–personal life interface, and well-being among Swedish managers and non-managers

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Abstract

Purpose

To explore differences in psychosocial work factors, work–personal life interface, and well-being between managers and non-managers, female and male managers, and managers in the public and private sectors.

Methods

Data were drawn from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) 2010, including 602 female managers, 4174 female non-managers, 906 male managers, and 2832 male non-managers. Psychosocial work factors, work–personal life interface, satisfaction, and well-being were investigated among non-managers and managers and male and female managers, using logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, educational level, staff category, and labour market sector.

Results

Both female and male managers reported high job demands and interference between work and personal life, but also high influence, high satisfaction with work and life, and low amount of sickness absence more often than non-managers of the same sex. However, female managers reported high quantitative and emotional demands, low influence, and work–personal life interference more frequently than male managers. More psychosocial work stressors were also reported in the public sector, where many women work. Male managers more often reported conflicts with superiors, lack of support, and personal life–work interference. Female managers reported poor well-being to a greater extent than male managers, but were more satisfied with their lives.

Conclusion

Lack of motivation due to limited increase in satisfaction and organisational benefits is not likely to hinder women from taking on managerial roles. Managerial women’s higher overall demands, lower influence at work, and poorer well-being relative to men’s could hinder female managers from reaching higher organisational levels.

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Acknowledgments

This study was performed within the project “Female managers—which work-related and private factors affect their career development and health” funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working life, and Welfare (FORTE, Grant No. 2013-1253). This work was also supported by the Swedish Council for Working life (FAS, Grant No. 2005-0734, Grant No. 2008-0958 and Grant No. 2009-1077) and the Swedish Research Council (VR, Grant No. 2009-6192), and in part funded by the Stockholm Stress Center, a FAS Centre of Excellence (FAS, Grant No. 2009-1758). The funding sources were neither involved in the conduct of the research nor the preparation of the article. We would like to thank the respondents in SLOSH.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    Anna Nyberg, Constanze Leineweber & Linda Magnusson Hanson

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  1. Anna Nyberg
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  2. Constanze Leineweber
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  3. Linda Magnusson Hanson
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Correspondence to Anna Nyberg.

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Nyberg, A., Leineweber, C. & Magnusson Hanson, L. Gender differences in psychosocial work factors, work–personal life interface, and well-being among Swedish managers and non-managers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 88, 1149–1164 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-015-1043-0

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