Academics have a long history of searching for differences between the sexes. They search for answers to such questions as, "Are women more nurturing than men?" "Are men innately more aggressive than women?" "Do men and women differ on personality measures (e.g., conscientiousness, extraversion)?" "Are women from Venus and men from Mars?" Also pursued are the reasons for gender differences. For example, do women score lower than men on quantitative abilities because of neuronal wiring or because society did not encourage and reward their development of these skills? Researchers have been equally curious about gender differences in the workplace. In particular, researchers have pursued the question, "who's more committed to the organization, men or women?"

The scientific research consistently reports mixed findings regarding job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Some studies report that women have higher job satisfaction and commitment than men, while others find that men are more satisfied and committed than women, and still others find no significant or practical differences (Bruning & Snyder, 1983; Quinn, Staines, & McCullough 1974; Mortimer, Finch, & Maruyama, 1988). Although some researchers have argued that it is slightly more common to find higher job satisfaction among women, significant differences in satisfaction are often "washed out" when effects such as age, education, and tenure are controlled (Sauser & York, 1978).

A recent study based on approximately 25,000 British female employees indicates that women workers used to have significantly higher levels of job satisfaction than men in the United Kingdom, but now they have almost the same level as their male counterparts (Berry, 2005). Interestingly, men's job satisfaction has remained constant over this period. The study suggests the decline in women's job satisfaction may be indicative of growing pressures on women in the workplace, as they become increasingly competitive with men for better jobs.

While little differences are found between men and women on their propensity to be satisfied and committed to their work, men and women often face different challenges. Some research suggests that women are less likely to be committed to their organizations than men because of work-life balance issues (e.g., Sweeney & McFarlin, 1997). It is also possible that women may have lower organizational commitment than men if their organization does not offer provisions necessary to help them balance multiple work and family obligations. Female employees continue to take responsibility for a greater proportion of family obligations than male employees. Fulfilling their family responsibilities sometimes demands temporary withdrawal from paid employment (O'Driscoll, Brough, & Kalliath, 2006).

In a review of data for over 25,000 employees in Kenexa's database, few gender differences for engagement were found. Both men and women reported being equally engaged at work. Additionally, the top drivers of engagement for men and women were identical. Feeling that their contributions were valued by the company was the most important factor for keeping all employees engaged. The next most critical drivers of engagement were trust in the leadership and belief that the company had a strong future. Job satisfaction and recognition rounded out the top five drivers of engagement.

Who's more committed to the organization, men or women? The extant research coupled with Kenexa's data says they are equally committed. When differences are found, they are generally quite small. This is similar to gender differences that exist within other areas of research. For example, men and women differ according to several personality traits. Researchers have found that men are generally more assertive and have higher self-esteem than women, while women are generally more nurturing and extraverted than men (Feingold, 1994). While these differences exist, they too are often very small and not very meaningful. Basically, gender differences, while interesting, are often small and make for good generalizations, but are not meaningful on a person by person basis. In general, it appears that men and women are equally committed to, satisfied with, and engaged in their organizations.

References
Bruning, N. S., & Snyder, R. A. (1983). Sex and position as predictors of organizational commitment. Academy of Management Journal, 26, 485-491.
Feingold, A. (1994). Gender differences in personality: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 429-456.
Mortimer, J. T., Finch, M. D., & Maruyama, G. (1988). Work experience and job satisfaction: Variation by age and gender. In J. T. Mortimer & K. M. Borman (Eds.) Work Experience and Psychological Development through the Life Span (pp. 109-155). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
O'Driscoll, M., Brough, P., & Kalliath, T. (2006). Work-family conflict and facilitation. In F. Jones, R. J. Burke, & M. Westman (Eds.) Work-Life Balance: A Psychological Perspective (pp. 117-142). New York: Psychology Press.
Quinn, R. P., Staines, G. L., & McCullough, M. R. (1974). Job satisfaction: Is there a real trend? Manpower Research Monograph, 30, U.S. Department of Labor.
Sauser, W. I., & York, C. M. (1978). Sex differences in job satisfaction: A re-examination. Personnel Psychology, 31, 537-547.
Sweeney, P. D., & McFarlin, D. B. (1997). Process and outcome: Gender differences in the assessment of justice. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 18, 83-98.