Gender differences in work related values of middle and upper class freshman college students in Turkey

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study is a part of a cross-national research conducted by Dr. Richard Lynn (1990), whose principal objective was to find questionnaire measures for the personality and motivational traits which theoreticians have posited may underlie national rates of economic growth and to get them administered in a large number of countries including Turkey. These traits are Work Ethic, Achievement Motivation, Achievement via Conformity, Competitiveness, Mastery, Money Beliefs, Saving Attitude, and career preferences on the occupations of Director of a Large Company, Medical Doctor, Social Worker, Small Business Owner, Teacher, and Farmer. In this study, although not related to national rates of economic growth, all the above values are analyzed examining sex differences for the middle and upper class freshman college students in Turkey, and then, the results are evaluated in relation to Lynn's findings, within the framework of Hofstede's (1983) Masculinity-Femininity dimension. While females obtain significantly higher scores on Work Ethic, Achievement Motivation, Achievement via Conformity, preferences for the occupations of Director of a Large Company, Medical Doctor and Social Worker, males obtain higher scores only for the occupation of Farmer. No significant sex differences are found on Competitiveness,Money Beliefs, Saving Attitude and regarding the occupations of Small Business Owner and Teacher. Above findings indicate that, middle and upper class female freshman college students are highly androgynous in Turkey. They do not show fear of success; they are willing to work in highly prestigious and male-dominated jobs, like the occupations of Director of a Large Company and Medical Doctor, and they are reluctant for the low-prestige jobs, like the occupation of Teacher. Females have similar aspirations with males, regarding the money issues, and they have a higher motivation than males for achievement.