While over half of people in Poland consider themselves successful, this is defined differently by men and women, a new study commissioned by Erste Bank Polska has found.
According to the Poles’ Perceptions of Success study, 54% of female respondents and 52% of male respondents describe themselves as successful, with women more frequently defining success as health and wellbeing (54%) and happiness and life satisfaction (54%).
Among men, these percentages stood at 47% and 45, respectively.
Financial success was cited by 22% of men and 18% women, while salary levels were considered a higher measure of professional success by women (62%) than men (55%).
Achieving success
The study also examined factors that respondents believe help them achieve success. Good mental well-being was cited by 89% of women and 80% of men. Perseverance was identified by 88% of women and 79% of men, while 87% of women said support from family and loved ones contributed to success, compared with 77% of men.
The researchers also looked at how respondents approach difficulties and setbacks. Women were more likely than men to report taking an active approach to problems and looking for solutions. This was reported by 22% of women and 16% of men.
A further 20% of women said they preferred to take action rather than wait for the right moment or favourable circumstances. Among men, 14% gave the same response.
‘True achievement’
“The percentage differences between women and men regarding the definition of success show that female respondents have a more specific idea of what constitutes true achievement for them,” commented Beata Kajcińska, from the research agency YOTTA, which conducted the survey on behalf of Erste Bank Polska.
“In the case of financial success, they treat it as a foundation for a sense of security rather than an end in itself.” Read more here.
