All these questions have been answered in a major new survey.

Research from the Open University and Lloyds TSB Business, Management & Gender Differences, looks at what men and women in growing firms think are the differences and similarities between the sexes when it comes to management. The key findings were as follows:

• More than two-thirds of women disagreed with the idea that men and women have different attributes or psychological traits, compared to just under half of men. Four in ten men felt there are differences.
• Interestingly, after claiming there were no basic differences between the sexes, many women identified several areas in which they were superior to men. These included, perhaps predictably, multi-tasking and conciliatory management. The majority of men actually agreed with this view.
• Furthermore, women rated themselves highly in financial control, production/output of product or service and IT, while men rated themselves highly in new product/service development.
• Nine out of ten women felt that men and women are equally decisive but only 68 per cent of men concurred with this view.
• More than three-quarters of respondents advocated equal pay in their businesses.
• Women are less free to concentrate on running their own business than men due to other commitments, such as family. This was the opinion of 93 per cent of women and 71 per cent of men.