Work Values: A Gender Comparison and Implications for Practice

Abstract

The work values of 7,629 managerial and clerical women and men across various industries in the United States were explored. The groups' patterns or rankings of values indicated an over-all lack of similarity among the four groups. Clerical women and men were the least similar to each other while the value patterns of managerial men and women approached similarity. Surprisingly, being treated with respect in the workplace was of paramount importance to both clerical and managerial women. Managerial women also ranked working for a supervisor whom they respect at the top of their value hierarchy.