Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Demographic Effects of Work Values and Their Management Implications

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A survey of 316 participants from Chinese enterprises indicated that the level of their work values was more likely in line with increasing age and education, and associated with employment position and gender. The older the employees, the higher the work values they perceive. The higher the education one receives, the higher the work values he or she counts. Managers rate higher work values than the employees do, and male employees show higher work value perceptions than do those of females. The results of the study suggest that the employees’ age, education, position and gender are important antecedents of work values, and these demographic effects can be a good revelation to enterprise management in both theory and practice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abboushi S. (1990) The Impact of Individual Variable on the Work Values of Palestinian Arabs. International Studies of Management and Organization 20:53–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Abdel-Halim A. A. (1982) Social Support and Managerial Affective Responses to Job Stress. Journal of Occupational Behavior 3:281–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ali B. (2002) Workplace Challenges Coming Your Way. Workforce Network News 1(8):6–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Azam, M. S.: 2002, ‹A Study of Supervisor and Employee Perceptions of Work Attitudes in Information Age Manufacturing Industries’. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Illinois State University, Normal

  • Baron K. M., Kenny D. A. (1986) The Moderator-mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychology Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 51(6):1173–1182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Shem I., Avi-Itzhak T. E. (1991) On Work Values and Career Choice in Freshmen Studies: The Case of Helping vs. Other Professions. Journal of Vocational Behavior 39:369–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boatwright J. R., Slate J. R. (2000) Work Ethic Measurement of Vocational Students in Georgia. Journal of Vocational Education Research 25(4):503–531

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton B. (1985) Work Values Inventor, Test Critique. Test Corp of America II:835–843

    Google Scholar 

  • Chai H., Mo J. H. (1997) A Perspective of the Enterprise Employees’ Work Values. Journal of Zhongshan University 06:42–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Chattopadhyay P., Glick W., Miller C. C., Huber G. (1999) Determinants of Executive Beliefs: Comparing Functional Conditioning and Social Influence. Strategic Management Journal 20:763–789

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connor P. E., Becker B. W. (1975) Values and the Organization: Suggestions for Research. Academy of Management Journal 18:550–561

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawis R. V., Lofquist L. H. (1984) A Psychological Theory of Work Adjustment. Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press

    Google Scholar 

  • De Vaus, D. A.: 1991, Social Surveys; Social Sciences; Research; Methodology (UCL Press, London and North Sydney, NSW, Australia). ISBN 1863730990

  • Elizur D., Borg I., Hunt R., Beck I. M. (1991) The Structure of Work Values: A Cross Cultural Comparison. Journal of Organizational Behavior 12:21–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ford R. C., Richardson W. D. (1994) Ethical Decision Making: A Review of the Empirical Literature. Journal of Business Ethics 13:205–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuchs R. (1971) Different Meaning of Employment for Women. Human Relations 24:495–499

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furnham A., Muhiudeen C. (1984) The Protestant Work Ethic in Britain and Malaysia. Journal of Social Psychology 122:157–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, B. (2000) Age Works. New York: The Free Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Herzberg, F. (1966). Work and the Nature of Man. Cleveland and New York: The Word Publishing Company

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill R. B. (1997) Demographic Differences in Selected Work Attitude Attributes. Journal of Career Development 24(1):3–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede G. (1999) Problems Remain, but Theories will Change: The Universal and the Specific in 21st-Century Global Management. Organizational Dynamics 18:34–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, T. C.: 1993, ‹The Study of the Youth Work Values and Organizational Centripetal Force’ (Paper in Chinese), Research Report for the Youth of Taibei, Taibei Youth Instruction Committee

  • Huang, S. S.: 2004, ‹A Study on the Relationship of Work Values and Organizational Commitment for QC Personnel’. Published Dissertation, JI Nan University, China.␣DG200501.2004119293.NH

  • Itzhak J. (1999) The Transformation of Work Values in Israel. Monthly Labor Review 122(5):46–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Izzo, J, Withers, P. (2001) Values Shift: The New Work Ethic and What It Means for Business. Vancouver, BC. Canada: Fair Winds Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennifer, M. G. and R. J. Gareth: 1997, ‹Experiencing Work: Values, Attitudes, and Moods’, Human Relations. 50(4), 393–416, New York

  • Johnson J. K. V., Powell P. L. (1994) Decision Making Risk and Gender: Are Managers Difference? British Journal of Management 5(2):123–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joyner T. (2000) Gen X-ers Focus on Life Outside the Job, Fulfillment. The Xecured Lender 56(3):64–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Judith K. P., Una O. C. G. (1990) Women in Management: Strategy for Survival at Success. Women in Management Review 5(4):5–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence B. (1997) The Black Box of Organizational Demography. Organization Science 8:1–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Locke, E. A. (1976) The Nature and Causes of Job Satisfaction. in M. Dunette (ed.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (pp. 1297–1349). Chicago, IL: Rand McNally College Publishing Co

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu L., Lin G. C. (2002) Work Values and Job Adjustment of Taiwanese Workers. Research and Practice in Human Resource Management 10(2):70–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Luzzo D. A. (1995) Ethnic Group and Social Class Differences in College Student Career Development. The Career Development Quarterly 41:161–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma, J. H. and C. M. Ni: 1998, ‹The Analysis of Enterprise Employees’ Work Value Characteristics’, (in Chinese) Applied Psychology, 1998(1):10–14

  • Manheim B. A. (1988) Social Background Schooling, and Parental Job Attitudes as Related to Adolescents’ Work Values. Occupations 2:79–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meredith G., Schew C., Hiam A. (2002) Managing by Defining Moments. New York: Hungry Minds, Inc

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, W. F.: 1986, ‹Emerging Technologies and their Implications for America’, USA Today, 60–65

  • Mitra A., Jenkins D. J., Gupta N. (1992) A Meta-analytic Review of the Relationship Between Absence and Turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology 77:897–889

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mowday R. T., Steers R., Porter L. (1979) The Measurement of Organizational Commitment. Journal of Vocational Behavior 32:92–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunnally, J. C. (1978) Psychometric Theory. McGraw Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Oakley J. (2000) Gender-Based Barriers to Senior Management Positions: Understanding the Scarcity of Female CEOs. Journal of Business Ethics 27:321–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pastor M. C. (1982) A Study of Higher Order Need Strength and Job Satisfaction in Secondary Public School Teachers. Journal of Educational Administration 20:21–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, E., C. Z. Kulik and J. Zhou: 1999, ‹A Closer Look at the Effects of Subordinate-Supervisor Age Differences’, Journal of Organizational Behavior. 20(3), 341, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Petty G. C., Hill R. B. (1994) Are Women and Men Different? A Study of the Occupational Work Ethic. Journal of Vocational Education Research 19(1):71–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinneau S. R., Milton A. (1958) The Ecological Veracity of the Self-Report. Journal of Genetic Psychology 93:249–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Pryor R. (1979) In Search of a Concept: Work Values. The Vocational Guidance Quarterly 27:250–258

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabinowitz S., Hall D. T. (1977) Organizational Research on Job Involvement. Psychology Bulletin 84(2):265–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ralston D. A., Egri C. P., Stewart S. (1999) Doing Business in the 21st Century with the New Generation of Chinese Managers: A Study of Generational Shifts in Work Values in China. Journal of International Business Studies 30(2):415–427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ralston D. A., Gustafson D. J., Cheung F., Terpstra R. H. (1993) Differences in Managerial Values: A Study of U.S., Hong Kong and PRC Managers. Journal of International Business Studies 24:249–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Repetti R. L., Cosmas K. A. (1991) The Quality of the Social Environment at Work and Job Satisfaction. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 21:840–854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhodes S. R. (1983) Age-Related Differences in Work Attitudes and Behavior: A Review and Conceptual Analysis. Psychological Bulletin 93:328–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowley J. (1996) Motivation and Academic Staff in Higher Education. Quality Assurance in Education 4(3):11–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salovey R., Rodin J. (1991) “Provoking Jealousy and Envy: Domain Relevance and Self-Esteem Threat. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 10:395–413

    Google Scholar 

  • Sekaran U. (2000) Research Methods for Business: A Skill-building Approach. 3rd edition. John Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharon, J. B.: 2003, ‹An Examination of Multi-Generational Work Values of Selected Texas A & M University Employees’. Published Dissertation, Texas A & M University. UMI Number: 3102388

  • Sidani Y. (2000) Work Values Among Lebanese Workers. Journal of Social Psychology 140(5):597–608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan W., Sullivan R., Buffton B. (2002) Aligning Individual and Organizational Values to Support Change. Journal of Change Management vol. 2(3):247–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Super, D. E. (1970) Manual: Work Values Inventory. Boston: Houghton-Miffin

    Google Scholar 

  • Super, D. E. (1973) The Work Values Inventory. in D. G. Zytowski (ed.), Contemporary Approaches to Interest Measurement (pp. 189–205). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H. and J. Turner: 1986, ‹The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior’, in S. Worchel and W. Austin (eds.), Psychology of Intergroup Relation (Nelson Hall, Chicago), pp. 7–24

  • Tsui A. S., Xin K. R., Egan T. D. (1995). Relational Demography: The Missing Link in Vertical Dyad Linkage. in Jackson S. E., Ruderman M. N. (eds.) Diversity in Work Teams. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, pp. 97–129

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, J. (1987) Rediscovering the Social Group: A Self-categorization Theory. Oxford: Blackwell

    Google Scholar 

  • Yankelovich, D. (1981) New Roles: Searching for Self Fulfillment in a World Turned Upside Down. New York: Random House

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu, C. Q.: 1995, ‹The Study of the Antecedents of the Work Values for People in Management Positions’ (in Chinese), Journal of Economics and Business of Dongwu University, Taiwain 16, 1–30

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Management School, Xian Jiaotong University, No. 28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an, Shanxi Province, 710049, China

    Wanxian Li, Xinmei Liu & Weiwu Wan

Authors
  1. Wanxian Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xinmei Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Weiwu Wan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wanxian Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, W., Liu, X. & Wan, W. Demographic Effects of Work Values and Their Management Implications. J Bus Ethics 81, 875–885 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9554-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9554-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation