Introduction
This paper is an analysis of a statement “Male risk-taking tends to increase under stress, while female risk-taking tends to decrease under stress” that is included in an article Do women take as many risks as men? by Doug Sundheim. This paper includes different explanations, which are made by researchers to define how this statement is true. Why males take more risks and why females take fewer risks, is the main theme of this paper. Social, cultural, psychological, professional and personal aspects are described regarding the argument made against the statement. It is also described that what risks and harms can be resulted because of such decision making and who would get affected. The paper further includes how male and females deal with risk situations. Examples of successful males and females are also included along with statistics. Furthermore, it is defined that calculated risks and reckless risks are gender specified (Sundheim, N.p.).
"Male risk-taking tends to increase under stress while female risk-taking tends to decrease under stress." It is an agreed upon statement of a large number of researchers. Various studies have proved that women are more careful about taking risks than men. According to scientific studies, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) regulates emotions in women is larger; however, the amygdale is pivotal in emotions and is larger in men. Therefore, it can be understood that scientifically women are more able to control risky behavior than men are (Sundheim, N.p.). When it comes to weighing a risk, men mostly see its advantages and start planning to hit the target; however, women analyze the effect of risk on concerned people. If men and women work together to decide where to take a risk and where not, then decision would become more successful than decision by either of them (Harris, Michael, and Dale Glaser, 2006).
Social
It is an observed fact that males are less emotional and careful of social bonds than women. While taking a risk, males just focus what to achieve, on the other hand, females focus its consequences. Males take risks and then come to know that their family, friends or community is affected, but females prior to deciding to take risk weighs, how much will it affect her social bonds? In this way, females take less risk than males (Sundheim, N.p.).
Cultural
Different cultures may carry different views about males and females but known fact and neurology will remain same in every culture. Whether one is American, African or Asian, if he is male will take more risks and if she is female will avoid taking risks. There may be a slight difference in some cultures, but the majority will end up with the same result.
Psychological
Almost all researches that are carried out on risk taking are on a psychological basis. It is in the psyche of females to avoid risks and males to take risks. In the conclusion of a research, females consider an analytical and calculated risk-taking when they under stress. While, males make a faster decision and collect more rewards when they are under stress (Jones, 2015).
Professional:
A number of situations may be faced during working hours; same results come in front when males and females are under stress. Males most commonly take risks by making decisions and females start calculating the effects that a risk can have. It is the reason why females are not supposed to be on higher posts of organizations such as CEOs and executive managers. According to an article, in the Canadian retail industry, “women and work” just 8.9% women represent CEOs and 20% of the senior officers (Sundheim, N.p.).
Personal
Personally, both males and females are determined to achieve desired goals, but due to their brain structure, both differ in decision-making. Being more fearless than females, males take risks easily and being caring and cautious, females avoid taking risks.
Risks and Harms Associated
Males
When a male under stress takes a decision, it may get him success most of the times, but may harm him too. He can face various harms like a loss in business if he is taking a business decision, loss of relations if he is taking a personal decision. Mostly men seek comfort in unsafe sex, gambling, and illegal drugs when they are under pressure. It can also cause them various diseases and other physical and mental harms (Sundheim, N.p.). Harms cannot only be associated with the decision maker, but they can be associated with other people involved. If it is a business, the loss will affect others too, who are working under or at higher posts. If it is a personal decision, then everybody in the family will be affected by the decision.
Females
When a woman under pressure remains busy in calculations and analysis of risk, it may provide her safety against all harmful consequences but can harm her too. If a woman on a managerial post has to take decision for future strategies of the business, but avoiding risks may make her unsuccessful manager/businesswoman. If a woman is asked to take a personal decision like marrying someone, her nature to avoid risks may conclude a bigger risk. It is not just that woman, who will bear the harm/risks, but also all others who are associated with the decision. A wrong decision by a manager will make subordinates as well as higher authorities, suffer while a wrong personal decision will make family and friends suffer (Sundheim, N.p.).
Risk situation dealing
Males mostly try to get in competitions and prove themselves as a conqueror, while females think to get all with them and live collectively. It is the reason that most of the male project management researchers choose automatization, quantitative representations, and competition and decision-making topics. On the other hand, women will choose to discuss ethics, participative innovation, and networking. This all is due to different nature of thinking and decision-making. Women, while deciding about a risk to take or not, always think of people involved in the process; however, males just take the risk without calculating consequences.
Successful men and women (Sundheim, N.p.).
Bill Gates
The first company of Bill Gates was Traf-O-Data, which failed miserably. He and Paul Allen, his partner, tried to sell the company; the available products were not working even. Despite that, they both did not stop, and now Bill Gates is one of the richest persons in the world.
Jim Carrey
Carrey had no home to live in, and he had to support his family, so he left school. With an unemployed father and a poor family, Carrey started to live in a van. His dream was to become a successful comedian and at the age of 15, he revealed to James Lipton. Not all of his conditions could stop him to become a famous comedian. Starting from comedy clubs and reaching mega-blockbusters is a big achievement, and now he is known among the best comedic actors (Sundheim, N.p.).
Bethany Hamilton
Hamilton was fond of surfing, and she started it when she was a child. A deadly shark attacked her when she was only 13, and she lost her left arm. Having firm determination, she got back on a surfboard just a month later. Guess what! After two years, she made it to win first position in NSSA National Championships.
Barbara Corcoran
Barbara Corcoran, at her initial stage of the business, borrowed $1,000 from her boyfriend. Earning her first commission, she took again a risk of buying a fashionable coat, as she could look a successful broker in the world of real estate. Her risk yielded a big profit to her, because, after 32 years, her business made $66 million when she sold it (Sundheim, N.p.).
Don Martin
Don Martin is co-owner of Cal-Surance; when he was three years old, he experienced the abuse of an alcoholic stepfather. He moved from a small town in Ohio Valley to Los Angeles and then he fought with all his problems he faced and Joined school then college and a marketing business as an insurance sales clerk. One of his acquaintances told him that a local life insurance agent is seeking a partner. Investing in that business made him a wealthy person.
Statistics
In a report about academic historian professionals, it is shown that males moved faster than females from assistant to the associate professor. Males got the promotion is about 5.9 years from hiring while females got the promotion in 6.25 years from hiring. Further males made it achieve full professor rank within next 7.65 years while females strived for about eight years to achieve that post.
Analyzing the statistics concludes that being a historian is not a simple thing, one has to research various topics and reach a conclusion. In this regards, males are faster and more active to conclude results and provide a report. On the other hand, females take too much time to analyze the risk factor in the research. Thus, the findings show that again males take more risks under pressure than females do and their risk-taking most of the times (Sundheim, N.p.).
Gender-specific risk taking
As defined above that various researches and studies define that the risks that males take are most likely reckless; however the risks that a female take are calculated. As Males by nature are more fearless and active than females, they take risks more frequently. Whenever a decision-making requires risk, males take less time to decide whether to take it or not, but females always analyze every aspect of the decision than they decide whether to take it or not. Scientific researchers have proved the fact that risk taking mostly depends upon the natural structure of the brain of a human. Females have larger prefrontal cortex (PFC), which helps them regulate their emotions while males have larger amygdale, which results in greater emotions (Rolison, Jonathan J. et al., 2013).
Conclusion
It is part of the psychology of men and women to handle risk in different manners. Women always think to remain safe and make safe others, who are associated with her. On the other hand, men do not take that much care of everything; they just take decision especially under pressure. Whether it is social, cultural, personal, professional or psychological aspect, men always take more risks under pressure than women do (Sundheim, N.p.). Both taking a risk and not taking a risk can benefit as well as harm in many aspects. It is concluded that women mostly take calculated risks; however, men take reckless risks.
Work Cited
Harris, Christine R., Michael Jenkins, and Dale Glaser. “Judgment and Decision Making.” Judgment and Decision Making 1 (2006): 48–63.
Jones, Meredith A. Women of The Street: Why Female Money Managers Generate Higher Returns (and How You Can Too). Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. Print.
Rolison, Jonathan J. et al. “Risk-Taking Differences across the Adult Life Span: A Question of Age and Domain.” The Journals of Gerontology: Series B (2013): n. pag. Print.
Sundheim, Doug. “Do Women Take as Many Risks as Men?” hbr.org. N.p., 2013. Web. 20 June 2015.
