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I Am A Manager, Hear Me Roar! PsychTests.com Compares Skills And Traits Of Male And Female Managers

Montreal, Canada - June 30, 2012. PsychTests.com, a pioneer in online psychological assessments has 
released its newest research on the traits and skills that make up top-performing managers. Women 
significantly outscored men on over 20 managerial competencies and traits, offering evidence that women 
can thrive very well in positions of authority.

Gender comparisons are always a hot topic. Who is the better driver, negotiator, or more skilled at 
handling money? Or today's question: Who makes a better manager? Stereotypes tend to run amuck when 
comparing male and female managers/bosses. Online opinions will tell you that female managers don't take 
charge as well as men do. Others will say that they overcompensate, take charge a little too forcefully, 
and become mean and vindictive. Clearly, the only conclusion one can draw from anecdotal evidence is that 
there is no real consensus. As one anonymous pundit so cleverly put it, "My best 
boss was a woman....my worst boss was also a woman."

In their third revision of the Management Skills and Style Assessment (MANSSA), PsychTests' attempted to 
answer not so much who was better at managing, but rather, what made men and women's management styles 
different. Analyzing test results from more than 300 men and women, PsychTests' research reveals that 
while men outscored women in skills and traits related to the business side of management (Managerial 
Courage - 78 vs. 73 on a scale from 0 to 100; Nose for Opportunity - 74 vs. 71; Comfort with Risk-taking 
- 65 vs. 62), women scored higher on scales related to employee relations and development, including 
Recruitment and Hiring (72 vs. 67), Giving Praise (85 vs. 79), Rewarding Performance (77 vs. 72), and 
Building Effective Teams (76 vs. 72). Women were also more likely to have clear ethical standards about 
their behavior as a manager and the organization as a whole, and were more comfortable delegating, 
considering it an essential aspect of empowering employees. Female
 managers' excelled in the more personable side of management as well, showing stronger social skills, 
empathy, and insight.

"It's not so much that one gender is more skilled than the other," explains out Dr. Ilona Jerabek, 
president of PsychTests. "On average, male and female managers just have different approaches and 
strengths. Female managers seem to have a more 'nurturing' managerial approach, but the fact that they 
also excel in the HR aspect of management makes them well-rounded leaders. They can recruit, hire, train, 
and develop their staff quite competently. Excelling as a manager means that a person needs to be able to 
juggle multiple roles, and our data show that women are very good at this. But let's keep in mind that 
there are huge individual differences. In fact, on many scales where men scored higher in general, it was 
a woman who had the highest score in our sample, and vice versa."

Gender aside, which traits characterize good managers in general? Comparing test-takers whose performance 
was rated as "Good" vs. those who were on ly "Satisfactory," PsychTests data indicate that the former 
group proved to be, among other things, more adaptable (77 vs. 71), more ethical (78 vs. 71), better at 
resolving conflict with employees (71 vs. 64), and showed better self-control (73 vs. 66). In terms of 
managerial level, low level managers were outscored by mid-level and top level managers in Managerial 
Courage (which includes issues like confronting unproductive employees, firing, giving poor performance 
reviews), Charisma, Passion, Motivating, and Authoritativeness. Top level and mid-level managers also had 
what PsychTests' dubs "a nose for opportunity" which consists of strong business sense and the ability to 
find and take advantage of business opportunities.

"Companies looking for a good manager need to put aside gender stereotypes and instead take a serious 
look at what their organization needs," advises Dr. Jerabek. "If the goal is to empower staff and help 
them reach their full potential, a manager with strong mentoring and coaching skills is a good option. If 
company operations are in need of a complete overhaul, a manager with a more strategic approach may be a 
better fit during the planning stage, and one with a tough skin and better tactical skills for 
implementation. Hiring a manager is arguably one of the most difficult yet crucial tasks, and isn't 
something that should be rushed or done haphazardly."

Many studies have clearly demonstrated that the majority of people who quit their job do so for a reason 
that is related to managerial competencies (or lack thereof). Yet, it is a common practice to promote a 
well-performing employee with excellent technical skills into a managerial position without a second 
thought about whether the person has what it takes to lead others. "This mistake is extremely costly," 
explains Dr. Jerabek. "Not only have you moved a great specialist into an admin position, you have also 
spoiled the team dynamics, made it more likely for them to leave, and decreased productivity of the entire 
team. Then you have to spend time and money on recruiting replacements, dealing with conflict and doing 
other damage control." With an assessment of managerial skills and leadership style, companies can ensure 
that the person to be promoted has the skills and personality required for the position, can identify 
training needs, or team up the person with the right 
mentor.  

HR managers interested in using the Management Skills and Style Assessment or other pre-employment tests 
can visit http://archprofile.com/corporate/g/v/i/rel and request a free "test drive".  

Those who wish to assess their managerial potential can go to 
http://testyourself.psychtests.com/testid/2450

A summary document with basic reliability and validity information is available free of charge at 
http://testyourself.psychtests.com/tests/showpdf.php?name=manssa_r3/psychtests/manssa_r3.pdf

Contact us for more details about the study (methodology, subjects, full statistical report). 

About PsychTests AIM Inc:
PsychTests AIM Inc. originally appeared on the internet scene in 1996. Since its inception, it has become 
a pre-eminent provider of psychological assessment products and services to human resource personnel, 
therapists, academics, researchers and a host of other professionals around the world. PsychTests AIM Inc. 
staff is comprised of a dedicated team of psychologists, test developers, researchers, statisticians, 
writers, and artificial intelligence experts. The company's research division, Plumeus Inc., is supported 
in part by the Research and Development Tax Credit awarded by Industry Canada.