What is an excellent place to work? Differences in the perception of men and women in the construction sector

Résumé

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to examine gender differences between men and women on the factors that make an organization an excellent place to work. It is assumed that these factors are tangible or intangible.

Design/methodology/approach — Secondary data from 4460 workers in the construction sector who responded to the Best Companies to Work 2017 survey were used. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Multinomial Logistic Regression. From the consideration of ten intangible aspects and one tangible aspect, differences between men and women were perceived in the definition of an excellent place to work.

Findings — When compared to men, women are more likely to consider intangible aspects (six out of ten) than tangible in defining an excellent place to work. The other four intangible factors did not show significant differences between genders.

Practical implications — This research results can be useful for employers and managers, who should seek measures that contribute to making work more interesting and engaging for all workers.

Social implications — We seek to contribute to a better understanding of the gender differences associated with the workplace of a predominantly male environment. The social implications are associated with the need to highlight that inequality in the work environment is lingering still.

Originality/value — Despite the presence of progress in equalizing labor rights, there is still a long way to go and this research seeks to highlight this issue based on the analysis of reliable data.