Home Women Collaborating With Social Media More Than Men [Infographic]

Women Collaborating With Social Media More Than Men [Infographic]

While men buy into the productivity of social media use in the workplace more than women, it’s women that actually use those tools more than their male colleagues.

A new study from Ipsos commissioned by Microsoft found that 46% of respondents believed that their work was more productive using social media tools. Breaking that down by gender, 49% of men believe they get more work done using social media, with 44% of women making the same argument.

Like any other survey sponsored by a big corporation, there’s a hidden message. In this case, Microsoft wants to push increased use of social tools in the enterprise, particularly with its stable of Yammer products, and SharePoint.

Getting social media implemented in the enterprise (or any other workplace) hasn’t been easy. Pointy-haired bosses were cited as a significant friction point on social media use in the survey: 34% of respondents blamed management for underestimating the benefits of social software in the workplace. When asked what the specific reasons why they believed social media was being restricted, men blamed security concerns and women put the finger on productivity loss.

The survey results about on the actual use of social media were interesting across the genders. Women were found to be more likely to use social media in four of the top five implementations of social media: communicating with colleagues, sharing/reviewing documents, communicating with clients and promoting a work-related initiative. Men were more likely to grow their own professional networks, the survey found.

The infographic from the survey has some other interesting pieces of data, which you can scope out below. (Watch out for that second pie chart, because either the “Other” slice is too big, or the reported 12% figure is too small.)

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.