According to a survey by Pew Research Center (2015), Americans still believe in the profound differences in the functionality of different genders when they assume the role of leaders. However, it is comforting to see that the gender gaps have been narrowed. In the political world, honesty, intelligence, and decisiveness are the three essentials equally descriptive of both genders. Compared to Democrats, Republicans of both genders have a stronger tendency to believe in the leadership of men over women.

Democrats express more faith in female political leaders by 10 percent on average. There is also a little distinction made between the executive and legislative jobs in the government. However, women are indeed considered more advantageous than men when it comes to settling conflicts, being honest and ethical, working to improve the life qualities of the Americans, standing up for beliefs despite political pressure, and being persuasive. In terms of the specific areas of application, women are perceived better in dealing with social and environmental issues. Men are considered equally capable as women in resolving economic issues, but more capable in handling national security and defense problems.

For the business world, over 80% of the public believes in the capability of women to assume top leadership roles, while pointing out that the traditionally male-dominated business world isn’t ready to embrace the changes. When dealing with the specific roles in the leadership position, women are believed to have an advantage over men in being effective spokespersons for the company, providing guidance to the younger employees as well as pushing for fair pay and good benefits.

Men, on the other hand, are considered better at negotiating profitable deals and risking taking. In addition, women are believed to be more contributive in major hospitals, major retail chains, and larger financial institutions, while men are found to be more successful leading computer software companies, large oil or gas companies, and professional sports teams. Such differences are not solely dependent on the business and political environments alone, but an outcome of many other social factors, such as education, personal choices, and influences of family, which means there is still a long way to go in eliminating the gender differences and achieve equality.