Methodology.
This study conducted its research in the Urban Municipal Center in Maine to help collect data used to address the research problem. The study aims to evaluate if there are significant gender differences in self-esteem levels among male and female employees. This is a critical research problem that needs to be addressed as its existence has a very significant impact on the employee well-being and job satisfaction. Workplaces are embracing diversity, inclusivity, and equity, and the policies and dynamics set in place to ensure these are achieved should promote the development of self-esteem at equal levels among male and female employees. This research is not only important to academia but also to organizations and policy makers as the recommended interventions will help build a society that is supportive to all genders especially in work environments.
This study adopted a cross-sectional research design which ensured that the self-esteem levels of all the employees was obtained at a specific time. Purposive sampling was used to select the appropriate sample for this study. Purposive sampling helps a researcher obtain rich information that fits their needs as the response bias is minimal (Tongco,2007). After statistical considerations were made, a sample of 436 employees was obtained. The sample comprised of 184 male and 252 female employees from the Urban municipal center in Maine. This sample was reliable enough, thus giving this research enough power to establish any gender differences in self-esteem levels among the employees.
The data collection process involved a couple of steps. First, the researchers obtained approval from the institution’s management to conduct the survey on its employees. Additionally, each participant signed a consent form to agree to participate in the study. This assured the participants of the confidentiality of the information they provided, and it ensured the research met ethical standards.
The data was collected using a Self-esteem inventory whose reliability was tested to be Cronbach’s Alpha = .90. The survey was conducted electronically, thus ensuring easy accessibility to the participants and ensuring they were not disrupted from their work routines. The Self-esteem inventory consisted of questions related to an individual’s self-perception, which helped assess the self-esteem level of each person. A Likert scale was used for the responses, which promoted the reliability and validity of the measurements.
The data collected was analyzed using IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Independent Samples t-tests were run on the data to compare the scores of self-esteem levels among the male and female employees participating in the study.
Results.
Table 1: Group Statistics
Computed Results (generated using SPSS)
Table 2: Independent Samples T-test
The independent samples t-test results show there is no statistically significant difference (t =1.62, p = 0.062). The mean total self-esteem score for male participants was (M = 34.02, SD = 4.91), while the mean total self-esteem score for female participants was (M = 33.17, SD = 5.71). This shows that there are gender differences in self-esteem levels among employees in the Urban Municipal Center; however, these differences are not statistically significant.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to evaluate gender differences in the self-esteem levels of employees at the Urban Municipal Center in Maine. The data analysis findings in Tables 1 and 2 in the results section show that there are no statistically significant differences in the self-esteem levels between male and female employees (t =1.62, p = 0.062).
However, the results in Table 1 show differences between the total mean self-esteem scores of the male and female employees, even though the differences are not statistically significant. This aligns with the theoretical models discussed in the literature review section, i.e., the social role theory and the social identity theory. The differences observed in through this study’s findings are potentially as a result of the influence of societal expectations and workplace challenges on self-esteem levels as discussed.
This study’s findings align with the existing literature that organizational culture, policies, dynamics, and challenges implicate gender differences in self-esteem levels. It is possible that the observed differences at the Urban municipal center are as a result of the organization’s current culture.
However, the results in Table 2 show that the gender differences in self-esteem scores are extensive enough to make them statistically significant. These findings relate to those of Powell and Butterfield (2015). The minimal differences are as a result of organizations addressing culture and policies that promoted these gender differences in self-esteem levels such as the glass ceiling and replaced them with policies and culture that promotes equality, diversity and inclusivity.
The findings in this study contribute to the existing literature by showing that although making workplace policies, dynamics, and culture to promote equality has proved effective, the required result has not yet been accomplished.
Conclusion
This study identified that, although not statistically significant, there are gender differences in the self-esteem scores of employees at the Urban Municipal Center. The findings are closely aligned with the existing literature reviewed in this study. The study shows the importance of organizations realizing that having distinct groups within a workplace has an impact on how an individual perceives themselves.
Organizational policies, dynamics, culture, and challenges should be addressed to ensure equality among both genders. They should be more inclusive and supportive to all genders to ensure that the self-esteem levels of all employees are not limited from growing positively. The findings of this study are applicable both in academics and practical areas such as organization’s policy-making. Organizations should put in place interventions to ensure all employees, irrespective of their gender, feel empowered and have a sense of belonging to the organization.
Future research relating to this study should be conducted to identify the specific areas that organizations need to address to ensure there are no gender differences in the self-esteem levels of employees.
References
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