Do women and men communicate differently at work? An empirical study in Hong Kong

Some studies, mainly in the West, have suggested that women are more encouraging in their communication styles than men, especially when the conversation is about a personal matter versus when it is business-related. It has also been contended that same-sex communication between women is more supportive than both mixed-sex communication and same-sex communication between men. However, this research, conducted in Hong Kong among full- and part-time tertiary students, shows that the above contentions are perhaps culture dependent, and that careful re-examination of gender-based differences is warranted, particularly when one is considering communication styles at work.