How to Avoid Conflict: Work with a Woman but Live with a Man

The British Association of Anger Management (BAAM) today releases the findings of a survey asking whether men or women get most angry at home and at work? The results suggest that on this issue at least, the battle of the sexes is over. Both men and women agree that women get angrier than men in the home and that men are more prone to being assertive and aggressive in the workplace.

Of the 502 people who responded to the BAAM survey there were slightly more women than men, yet it was women themselves who were most likely to indicate their predilection to anger in the home - male opinion on the issue was more evenly split. Male respondents, however, appeared equally honest about their temper tantrums in the workplace. Only a quarter of men questioned believed women were angrier than them at their place of work, the rest were prepared to admit they were far more likely to fly into a rage than a woman.

Mike Fisher, BAAM's founder and author of the self-help book Beating Anger says the survey results accord with his 18 years' experience working in the field of personal and professional development.

"Women are under enormous pressure in the home," he says, "particularly if they're working mothers. They have double the stress because they're effectively doing two full time jobs. The 'new man' image is still largely a myth - women are still far more likely than men to be responsible for household chores and childcare, so the pressures on their home life are far greater. What's great is that they admit it. Admitting you have a problem is getting you halfway to solving it."

But why do men get angrier at work?

Mike Fisher says, "We need to consider that most men are highly competitive and status driven in their careers, which makes them potentially stressed, angry and aggressive towards others. Whilst trying to meet the demands and pressures that they impose on themselves and colleagues, men fail to recognise the affects of their behaviour."

The table below shows the full survey results: -

Total people in Poll 502
Total Females 260
Total males 222
Total No sex ticked 20

The angriest at home are men 177
The angriest at home are women 324
The angriest at work are men 344
The angriest at work are women 156

Female responses
The angriest at home are men 77
The angriest at home are women 182
The angriest at work are men 163
The angriest at work are women 95

Male responses
The angriest at home are men 96
The angriest at home are women 126
The angriest at work are men 166
The angriest at work are women 57

"In conclusion," says Mike Fisher, "it seems the recipe for happy and conflict-free life could be to keep a man about the house and put more women in the boardroom."

BAAM is the only UK centre of expertise for all aspects of anger and conflict management. A privately funded professional body of consultants, counsellors and trainers, BAAM works with children and adults, government bodies, corporations, the education sector, personnel, HR and training managers - anyone dealing with their own or other people's anger.

Note to Editors:
To arrange an interview with Mike Fisher or for any further information, please contact Suzanne Evans at Suzanne Evans Communications on 020 8687 0173 or 07973 149104. Email suzanne-at-suzanne-evans.co.uk Survey results in the form of graphs and pie charts are available on request.