THE PARADOX OF THE CONTENTED FEMALE WORKER - AN ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS

The ''paradox of the contented female worker'' is that although women have jobs with lower pay and less authority than men, they are equally satisfied with their jobs and employers. This paradox is demonstrated in a sample of male and female professionals and managers. Five possible explanations of the paradox are assessed: 1) women's lesser job rewards are perceived as equitable because they are matched by lower job inputs; 2) women's lesser rewards are perceived as equitable because women compare themselves with female coworkers, whose rewards also are low; 3) women have lower entitlement standards; 4) men value pay and authority more highly than do women; and 5) for both men and women, satisfaction is determined by subjective job rewards rather than by salary-related factors. Results support the last hypothesis, suggesting a disjunction between objective rewards and subjective satisfaction that may impede progress toward gender equality.