Work Orientations of Males and Females: Exploring the Gender Socialization Approach*

Abstract

Earlier surveys show differences in work orientations of males and females, but these were based on mostly sex‐segregated workers. Two broad explanations are used to examine differences in work orientations of males and females: namely the socialstructural and the gender‐socialization approaches. A secondary analysis of 22 separate sudies of specific occupations are combined and used to determine if the sexes display different patterns on ten work dimensions when occupation is held constant. Patterned differences in work orientations between the sexes persist supporting the gender socialization approach. Implications for workplace discrimination are discussed.