Can the difference in Achievement Motivation explain the gap?

Over 70% of medium to large organizations are said to pay men a higher wage rate than women. Also known as the gender pay gap, men typically earn over 8% more per hour than women. While critics argue the gender difference in average pay is caused by many factors including role differences as well as vocational interests and life choices are taken by men and women. For example, EasyJet the European based budget Airline states that its pay gap of 45% is because most of its pilots are male, while most of its lower-paid cabin crew are female.

With the exception of Enterprising (Business/Leading) career interest, research has found gender differences. Men tend to show a stronger preference for Realistic (Outdoor, Mechanical) and Investigative (Science, Technology/STEM) careers, while females showed stronger preferences for lower paying Artistic (Arts, Communication) Social (Nursing, Teaching) and Conventional Careers (Clerical, Finance) Women also tend to choose to do more part-time work because it allows them to fit-in caring for children, elderly parents and domestic responsibilities.

While there is debate about whether women really do have a ‘choice’ as social norms do influence and frequently shape the life choices of women, it is an important ingredient of the gender pay gap. In addition, personality differences must also be considered. In an innovative study, Risse and colleagues found gender-linked personality differences according to the ‘Big Five’ traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, & Neuroticism) People higher in conscientiousness (detail orientation, work ethic) and lower on Agreeableness (warm, friendly, accommodative) tend to earn more. Typically men score higher on conscientiousness and lower on Agreeableness.

Aside from people who have higher attention to quality and deadlines as well as can make unpopular decisions and act assertively, Risse and colleagues found gender differences in the Achievement Motivation trait, which represents an ‘individual’s overall confidence to take on challenges and put their capabilities to the test. Achievement Motivation can be broken down into two sub-traits: ‘fear of failure’ and ‘hope for success’. Women typically score higher on ‘fear of failure’ based on negative emotionality. While it helps women get things done, fear-of-failure gets in the way of taking on new risks or seeking new opportunities, as the chance of failure increases. Compared to the sub-trait, ‘hope for success’ which pushes people towards opportunities with an underlining optimism that things will turn out well, men typically score higher than women.

Where are you on the Achievement Motivation trait?

So what? Because a jump forward in earnings often involves taking a risk, for example, changing roles, asking for a pay rise, if men do this more often than women, this would undoubtedly influence the pay gap. The research suggests that this is the case. While there are many factors including strong social norms and historical barriers to entry for women (who have children and need more flexibility) as well as differences in pay for certain job families, let’s not ignore personality differences and help women increase their optimism for success and have less fear of failure. This will go a long way in reducing the pay gap.