Story highlights After a CNN column on women and work, many commenters said they prefer working for men

New Gallup survey finds more Americans still choose a male boss, but the gap is narrowing

In survey, 23% said they prefer working for a woman, the highest number in study's history

A double standard contributes to the gender gap, say experts on women in the workplace

"My last boss was a woman. All she did was micromanage everyone."

"Every woman boss I've ever had was extremely passive-aggressive in their leadership."

"It (was) much easier being managed by a male because he didn't put up with the pettiness or the gossip."

Sorry, ladies of the working world. Those are comments we received in response to my recent piece about how companies with more women in C-suites and corporate boards do better financially.

But so many commenters said they absolutely preferred working for a man, we knew we had to explore the "why" behind that sentiment.

Then this week, the Gallup organization added some numbers -- and fuel -- to the debate.

'I'm not surprised'

In telephone interviews with a random sample of 2,059 adults, Gallup found that Americans still prefer a male boss over a female, with 35% choosing to work for a man and 23% saying they prefer women supervisors. It's the highest-ever number recorded for women bosses since Gallup has been asking.

When you compare these results to the 1953 responses -- that's when Gallup first asked this question -- the gap has narrowed significantly. In 1953, 66% chose a male boss and 5% picked a female one, a huge gap that has been reduced to a 12-point difference today.

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"I think it's great to see that trend, so I'm very encouraged by it, but I'm not surprised that it's still a 2-to-1 ratio of people preferring to work for men than women," said sociologist and workplace consultant BJ Gallagher, who has written several books, including a best-seller on diversity called " A Peacock in the Land of Penguins ."

Topping the list of reasons, according to Gallagher, is the fact that men still have more power in the workplace than women.

"If you had your druthers, you'd rather work for somebody who has some influence, some power, some clout, some status and that's true for men and women," Gallagher said.

"It trickles down so that if you work for a powerful boss, you're a little bit more powerful. Your whole department is seen in a more positive light if the boss is a powerful (and) influential person," she said.

'How to Tell a Male Boss From a Female Boss'

In conversations with Gallagher and other experts, it's clear another factor is at work -- the real stereotypes that exist about working for a woman.

"It's an old stereotype that women may not be good bosses so when that happens, it sticks," said Susan Nierenberg, vice president of global marketing and corporate communications for Catalyst, a nonprofit focused on expanding opportunities for women in business. "Because the stereotype is in the water, and there are fewer women leaders than men, you may remember the woman who treated you badly and say, 'Oh yeah, I remember her.' And it reinforces the stereotype.

Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – General Motors, No.7 on this year's overall Fortune 500 list, promoted Mary Barra to serve as the new chief executive officer on Tuesday, December 10. Barra will serve as the first female head of a major U.S. automaker. Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – Meg Whitman is the head of information technology company Hewlett-Packard, which came in 15th on this year's overall Fortune 500 list. Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – Virginia Rometty is president and CEO of IBM. She is the first woman to lead the technology giant, America's 20th-largest company, according to Fortune. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – As CEO of food processing corporation Archer Daniels Midland, Patricia Woertz has presided over a 30% increase in revenues since 2011, leading ADM to 27th position in the Fortune 500 list. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – Indra Nooyi sits at the helm of Pepsico, the 43rd-largest company in America, according to Fortune. Nooyi has overseen a shift in focus from soft drinks into less-profitable, but healthier, snack-food markets in recent years. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – Marillyn A. Hewson is president and chief operating officer of Lockheed Martin. The aeronautics company and major defense and security contractor is ranked No. 59 in the Fortune 500. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – Ellen Kullman is CEO of DuPont, the 72nd-biggest company in America, according to the Fortune 500 list. Kullman oversaw an 18% rise in revenues and a 14% increase in profits at the chemical company in 2011. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – As CEO of Kraft Foods, Irene Rosenfeld presides over America's 88th-biggest company. Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – Phebe N. Novakovic is the chairman and CEO for General Dynamics, which ranked 98th this year. Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – Carol Meyrowitz is the CEO of retail clothing firm TJX. The company ranked 115th in this year's Fortune 500 list. Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list Top women in 2013 Fortune 500 list – Ursula Burns made history in 2009 by becoming the first African-American woman to head a Fortune 500 company. Xerox ranks 131st on the 2013 Fortune list. Hide Caption 11 of 11

Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, right, chats with Lisa Stone at the 2013 BlogHer conference in Chicago. Sandberg is among the highest-paid female executives in the country. Click through the gallery for more top women earners: Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Women have long struggled to reach equality in pay, and while many argue that equality has still not been met, here are 10 women who have risen to the top of the ranks among women in the business world. In 2011 Safra A. Catz made $51.7 million as president and CFO of Oracle, making her the highest-paid female business executive in the United States. To see more of the highest paid women in business check out CNNMoney's list. Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Wellington J. Henahan made $35 million in 2011 as vice chairman, chief investment officer and chief operating officer of Annaly Capital Management. In November 2012, Denahan became the firm's chairman and CEO. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Sandberg made $31 million in 2011 as Facebook's chief operating officer. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Debra Cafaro made $18.5 million in 2011 as chairman and CEO of Ventas. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Margaret C. Whitman made $16.5 million as president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard in 2011. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Carol Bartz made $16.2 million in 2011 when she was president and CEO of Yahoo. Bartz was fired from Yahoo in September 2011. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Irene Rosenfeld made $15.7 million as chairman and CEO of Kraft Foods in 2011. Rosenfeld is now chairman and CEO of Mondelez International. Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Mary Erdoes, pictured with her husband Phillip, made $15.4 million as CEO for asset management at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2011. Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women – Ina Drew made $14.9 million as JPMorgan Chase's chief investment officer in 2011. Drew left JPMorgan Chase in May 2012. Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Photos: Highest-paid women Highest-paid women –



To see more of the highest paid women in business Indra Nooyi made $14.1 million as chairman and CEO of PepsiCo in 2011.To see more of the highest paid women in business check out CNNMoney's list. Hide Caption 11 of 11

Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's photo spread in Vogue magazine has proven controversial, with some saying it detracts from the 3,000-word article that focuses on her successes and vision in a male-dominated tech world. The profile describes Mayer as an "unusually stylish geek." Take a look at other photos of her through the years. Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – Mayer was always an exceptional student, excelling in biology and chemistry. "When I was first at Stanford, I was very certain I was going to be a pediatric neurosurgeon," she says. However, a summer at youth science camp resulted in a change in thinking, and the path that would eventually lead to Google and later Yahoo. Hide Caption 2 of 10 Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – In December 2009, Mayer married Zachary Bogue, a private-equity executive a year her junior. Hide Caption 3 of 10 Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – While Mayer describes herself as an introvert, she says her husband, who she met after they were set up, is the flip side of the coin. "He finds social situations very energizing and for me, I find them very intimidating and draining." Hide Caption 4 of 10 Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – Mayer accepted the National Design Award on behalf of Google in October 2008. But public speaking and social events haven't always been easy, says Mayer: "I'm a really shy person. ... Yet at Google, my colleagues would never believe that; because here, I'm outspoken because I feel comfortable and I feel like I can express my opinions and find my voice." Hide Caption 5 of 10 Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – Early days at Google, Halloween 2004. After agonizing over 14 job offers, she chose to join Google in 1999 because, she says, "I felt like the smartest people were there, I felt like it was a risk and I felt like it was something I wasn't really prepared to do." Hide Caption 6 of 10 Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – Mayer says every new product raises users' expectations. Here, Mayer is at Grand Central Station in New York for the launch of the Transit feature on Google Maps in 2008. Hide Caption 7 of 10 Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – When she can, Mayer enjoys outdoor and sporting activities. She says, "I did a cross-country ski race once, it was 56 kilometers long, which is like 32 miles and I did it without training. ... I actually was slower on the cross-country skis than I would have been if I walked." Hide Caption 8 of 10 Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – Mayer says gender doesn't matter if you have a passion for what you do. "I'm surrounded by all kinds of other people who are just as passionate and that passion is gender neutralizing." Hide Caption 9 of 10 Photos: Marissa Mayer: Proud geek Marissa Mayer: Proud geek – Pictured in 2013, Mayer has often been named one of the most powerful women in business. "I didn't set out to be at the top of technology companies," she told Vogue magazine . "I'm just geeky and shy and I like to code. ... It's not like I had a grand plan where I weighed all the pros and cons of what I wanted to do—it just sort of happened." Hide Caption 10 of 10

"Perception is not reality, and stereotypes are perceptions."

Gallagher has created a list titled "How to Tell a Male Boss From a Female Boss" with examples of perceived gender differences -- "A male boss is assertive; a female bossy is bossy" and "A male boss is attentive to details; a female boss is picky."

"There is a double standard," said Gallagher, who also wrote "Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Other Women." "The same exact behavior in a male boss is seen as a plus, and the same behavior in a female boss gets seen as a negative."

For instance, Gallagher said if a male boss "gets agitated and slams his fist down on the table and goes, 'I want this done by 3 o'clock this afternoon,' everyone goes, 'Ooh, take charge kind of guy.'"

If a woman does the same thing, Gallagher said, people are likely to say, "Oh, what a bitch."

"So the same tone of voice, the same words, the same body language, the same everything gets filtered through our stereotypes and assumptions about how various groups should behave," she said.

The 'token woman' issue

Fueling the stereotypes, Gallagher and leaders from Catalyst said, are environments with few women in leadership positions.

"When there's going to be a token woman, one woman is going to make it to the top, what does this do?" said Ilene Lang, president and CEO of Catalyst, during an interview last month.

"Does that encourage anybody to support women? Does it encourage women to support other women? It's a culture that will encourage women to fight with other women or to discourage other women."

But when the culture of the organization focuses on mentorship and sponsorship, and there are more women in leadership positions, that "Queen Bee myth" of women not helping women gets busted, Lang said.

In fact, a report by Catalyst found that 73% of women who received career development support are helping to support and develop other women, versus 30% of men.

"Our research shows that women not only sponsor and support other women, but that they do other men as well, and they really do pay it forward to a huge amount," Lang said.

Shaer is senior executive vice president and general counsel of the legal services firm That's been the experience of Karen Shaer, one of the women I profiled last month. Shaer is senior executive vice president and general counsel of the legal services firm Garden City Group , where eight of the company's 15 executives are women.

Ex-federal prosecutor Karen Shaer says of bosses: "I'm looking more for qualities that can be shared by men and women."

"It could be that some women tend to be more critical, but I haven't seen that," Shaer said. "I've seen more of the efforts for women to be supportive of other women."

The mom of two said, "It's infectious. When women help other women, then the women they help (have) a role model in that regard. And then ... if (they) develop and grow into a position of power or authority, I expect they will be more likely to turn around and treat someone that way."

'I've had good experiences with both'

Shaer, a former federal prosecutor, said she doesn't have a preference -- she's had good experiences with female and male bosses.

"I'm looking more for qualities that can be shared by men and women," she said. "I'm looking for someone who's a good communicator, who's going to be someone who is a good teacher, as well as be supportive, someone who is open to giving opportunities for growth and development and that can be provided by a man or a woman."

CNN's Kelly Wallace says the best and worst bosses of her career were women.

Complaints we saw from readers that women micromanage, hold grudges and are unable to make decisions didn't reflect Shaer's experience, she said.

"Maybe I've just been blessed with very good bosses, supervisors," she said. "It has not been my experience that women do those things. I think my experience maybe has been contrary to that."

When I asked an unscientific sampling in my Facebook community about the new survey's findings, I received a handful of responses, the majority with positive comments about working for women.

"With one notable exception, all my great bosses have been women," said Kim Kennedy, a television news producer in New York. "The best ones are collaborative and intuitive, give you some room to accomplish things beyond your assignment or job description, and many have been good mentors as well."

On the other side is Joy Lipkin, a college educator in New York who also works with young special-education students.

"Men are more straightforward, less emotionally attached (I mean this in a good way)," Lipkin said on Facebook. "Women hold grudges and seek vengeance on their subordinates. That's been my experience."

A father of two who didn't want to use his name said he reports to two women now who are "so much nicer" to work with than the male supervisors in his last job. But he added, "I think, overall, it just depends on the individual people."

I agree.

The most horrible boss I've had in my career was a woman. The most amazing, mentoring and supportive boss I've had was also a woman. I've also had good and bad male bosses.

So, like Shaer from the Garden City Group, I don't have a preference. My current boss is a woman, so, of course, these days, I lean in that direction.