The majority of workers in India’s media & entertainment industry prefer having a female boss, with nearly 67% preferring to report into a woman. Workers in the consumer durables/fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector showed equal preference for male and female bosses, according to a survey from job board TimesJobs.com.

Female bosses are more “considerate and understanding” according to 69% of respondents; while 19% believe that they are “fun and flexible” and 12% rate them as “practical”.

Despite organisations promoting more women, the survey revealed that the preference for both male and female workers is still skewed towards male bosses. While the survey reinforced some facts, it also broke some perceptions. 

Of all the respondents taking part in the survey, 66% said they preferred working with a male boss and the rest, 34%, voted for female bosses.  

Vivek Madhukar, COO of TimesJobs.com, commented: “One of the reasons the preference is skewed towards male bosses is because of the dearth of women leaders in companies. This pattern is not specific to India but is seen globally. Also, in many industries, employees may not have worked with a female boss at all. Hence the preference for a male boss.” 

In an interesting twist, 79% of female respondent stated a preference for a male boss, compared with only 66% of male respondents.

Of all the male respondents, 79% currently work under a male boss. Of all the female respondents, 54% currently work under a male boss.  

When given a choice, those who currently work with a female boss say they would prefer a male boss; while those working with male bosses don’t feel a need to switch.

In comparison, more than half (56%) of those currently working with a female boss would like to have a male boss and 71% of those who currently work with a male boss would prefer not to switch to a female boss.  

Junior, entry- and mid-level employees are more likely to prefer male bosses; while senior professionals, especially those with more than 20 years’ of experience, prefer having a female boss.