The Perfect Boss
A UK survey of 3,000 working adults (2006) found that women are more likely to trust that telecommuters are actually working, as are older workers. Males and managers under 29 are more likely to be suspicious. This may relate to women's tendency to be more generous in expensive situations. An MIT study of altruism (2001) found that men were more responsive to price changes in regards to the cost of kindness.
However, a more likely explanation may rest with the behavior of these groups. A German study (1998) suggests that women may embrace the work ethic more strongly than men. A female boss may be more likely to assume that a telecommuter will be productive (as she would be) as opposed to a male supervisor assuming that their employees are slacking off (as he would tend to do in their place).
When I was a child, a family friend explained gender differences in terms of "burst strength" vs. "stamina." She said that women tended to be able to maintain exertion for longer than men whereas men were able to manage greater feats of exertion for brief periods. It was only in my teenage years that I realized she might have been talking about sex as much as athleticism. One of the major differences I have noticed in my lifestyle adjustments since transition is the need for more "down-time." I have to spend a lot more time just relaxing and resting than I had to before my transition. As has been previously mentioned, I'm not sure how much of this is just due to getting older, but I do seem to be more interested in physical activity in general, but the idea of doing anything "all day" is completely overwhelming.
I've also noticed that the leisure activities of my female friends tend to be more productive than those of my male friends. The women I know tend to spend more hours per day making things or writing, whereas it seems like the men spend more time playing games or watching television. Both groups regard their activities as necessary relaxation, but the males have a much more profound ability to "do nothing" than any women I know.
However, a more likely explanation may rest with the behavior of these groups. A German study (1998) suggests that women may embrace the work ethic more strongly than men. A female boss may be more likely to assume that a telecommuter will be productive (as she would be) as opposed to a male supervisor assuming that their employees are slacking off (as he would tend to do in their place).
When I was a child, a family friend explained gender differences in terms of "burst strength" vs. "stamina." She said that women tended to be able to maintain exertion for longer than men whereas men were able to manage greater feats of exertion for brief periods. It was only in my teenage years that I realized she might have been talking about sex as much as athleticism. One of the major differences I have noticed in my lifestyle adjustments since transition is the need for more "down-time." I have to spend a lot more time just relaxing and resting than I had to before my transition. As has been previously mentioned, I'm not sure how much of this is just due to getting older, but I do seem to be more interested in physical activity in general, but the idea of doing anything "all day" is completely overwhelming.
I've also noticed that the leisure activities of my female friends tend to be more productive than those of my male friends. The women I know tend to spend more hours per day making things or writing, whereas it seems like the men spend more time playing games or watching television. Both groups regard their activities as necessary relaxation, but the males have a much more profound ability to "do nothing" than any women I know.