From Where We Sit
Posted: August 27th, 2010 | Author: RedKiteAdvisors | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: consumer market research, eco-consciousness, economic development for women, gender marketing, John Marshall Roberts, psychometric research, sustainability, Worldview Learning | 4 Comments »Men and women see the world differently. That’s not meant as a psychobabbley, Myers-Briggsy kind of statement. Yeah, yeah, Mars/Venus and all that. That idea a decade ago did help dispel the notion that beer and pool after work was for everybody. And it released wives and girlfriends around the country from worshipping at the altar of Sunday afternoon football (not that that’s a bad thing). Unfortunately, it spawned a bunch of lame reality-show stereotypes — Jersey girl meet jack-ass boy.
What I’m referring to is new psychology-based research that sheds light on the way we humans see the world, what we value, how we communicate, and how open we are to the future and all its promises (or fears). It also validates some of the assumptions that thought leaders in marketing to women and economic development have been saying all along.
According to John Marshall Roberts, applied research psychologist and CEO of Worldview Learning, Inc., mainstream American women’s core values tend to be more humanistic and holistic than their male counterparts. Men’s core values tend to be more individualistic, pragmatic and absolutistic than women’s. So what does that mean?
Women, in general, put a higher value on human relatedness. They tend to listen more to the emotional subtext of a communication rather than the “what’s-in-it-for-me” facts. Men tend to focus on the facts, not the intentions behind them.
Women are also more socially optimistic than men, open to new ideas, messages, people or situations. As their social optimism increases, they become more holistic, even spiritual, in their worldview (Oprah?). The majority of American men tend to be more cynical and less socially optimistic (O’Reilly?) All of this serves to validate what we already “think we know about women and men.”
Where it gets really interesting is in the evolution of worldviews. Yep, people’s values and outlooks change and, by Roberts assessment, in a predictable way. Over the millennia, a dominant worldview gives way to an emerging one which becomes dominant until a new worldview emerges – and so on.
Take the emergent systemic worldview which combines a creative, non-conformist approach with an analytical thinking style. Among innovative leaders and practitioners in the sustainability movement, this worldview is more common than in the general population. Makes sense. Companies like Nissan with its first-to-market electric car – the Leaf – come to mind.
But if you divide the sustainability community along gender lines, who would you guess is most likely to hold this analytical/expressive problem-solving worldview? Surprisingly, it’s the women! According to Roberts, they’ll be the ones to imagine a better world, inspire the people, and assemble the teams and tools to build it.
At Red Kite, that all makes perfect sense to us. We’ve studied women’s behavior for several years and advised clients about the wisdom of growing market share by connecting with women. Now, with insightful psychometric research, we can explain not only WHAT women want, but WHY they buy and HOW to win their hearts, minds and loyalties.
From where we sit, that’s all good.
I am very happy that you wrote that!?!
Thanks! Curious…what about this topic got your attention?
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