Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2, 191-199 (1972)

Biographic Correlates of Work Attitudes1 J

MERLE E. ACE,3 GEORGE B. GRAEN4 and RENE/V. DAWIS University of Minnesota

The correlation of six biographic variables (sex, age, school grade, future plans, geographic location, and socioeconomic status) with work attitudes (measured by the Youth Opinion Questionnaire) was investigated for two large samples of high school students. Analyses included bivariate correlation, multiple correlation, reciprocal averages prediction, and canonical correlation. Bivariate correlations were generally low. The six bio- graphic variables in combination were significantly, but only modestly, related to work attitudes. Sex was the major factor associated with work attitudes. Future plans was the only other significant factor. Implications of the findings are discussed.

In a previous article (Graen & Dawis, 1971) a measure of work attitudes for high-school-age youth was described. This instrument, the Youth Opinion Questionnaire (YOQ), measures work attitudes on 29 different dimensions covering such content as attitudes toward work as an ethic and as an individual activity; perceptions and expectations about the world of work and its institutions; vocational needs, preferences, and values; and attitudes about one’s self as a prospective worker. The present article examines selected bio- graphic variables as correlates of the work attitudes measured by the YOQ.

It is widely held that attitudes are determined by demographic variables (see, for example, Berelson & Steiner, 1964). Among the variables most frequently found to be associated with attitudes are sex, age, education, socioeconomic status, and place of residence (urban vs. rural location). The significance of at least the first four variables mentioned as determiners of

1Requests for reprints should be sent to: Professor Rene V. Dawis, Department of Psychology, University of Minneapolis, MN 55455.

2Research on which this article is based was conducted under Contract No. 81-22-01 for the Manpower Administration, U. S. Department of Labor, with H. G. Heneman, Jr., and R. V. Dawis as principal investigators. Contributions of the following individuals to the research project are gratefully acknowledged: R. E. Carlson, T. E. Carroll and D. J. Weiss.

3Now at the University of British Columbia. 4Now at the University of Illinois.

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Copyright @ 1972 by Academic Press, Inc.

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work attitudes is well documented (Herzberg et aZ., 1957; Scott et al., 1960). However, the research cited is almost exclusively about adults who have entered into their work careers. Research about youth has focused mainly on occupational aspiration and vocational choice (Borow, 1966). There is no dearth of theorizing about youth attitudes (see, for example, Graubard, 1962), but data are in scant supply.

It is reasonable to expect, on the basis of theory and extrapolation (backwards) from data on adults, that the variables of sex, age, education, socioeconomic status and place of residence should be significantly related to the work attitudes of youth. It is also a reasonable expectation that, in addition to these demographic variables, the variable of future plans should also be significantly associated with youth work attitudes. The present study investigates these expectations.

METHOD

The data were obtained in the course of the normative administration of the YOQ to 8,885 high school students in 1.5 schools in a stratified sample representing grades 9 through 12, urban, suburban and rural locations and low, middle and high socioeconomic status (Heneman & Dawis, 1968). Two samples were drawn for a replication study, with h% of 510 and 616 respectively. Data on the six demographic variables were obtained from the biographical data sheet of the YOQ. The variable “Future Plans” consisted of the following categories: College, Military, Technical School, Job, Housewife, and No Idea. The usual conventional categories were used for the other variables. It should be noted that for this sample (high school students), age and education (grade in school) are very highly correlated, effectively reducing the number of biographic variables under investigation to five.

Four different analyses were performed on the data. For the first analysis, each biographic variable was correlated with each YOQ scale. For this analysis, sex was scored 1 for male and 2 for female; age and school grade were scored as given; “future plans” was scored in the order of the categories, with “college” being scored 1 and “no idea”, 6; geographic location was scored 1 for urban, 2 for suburban, and 3 for rural; and socioeconomic status was scored 1 for low, 2 for middle, and 3 for high. The second analysis involved the multiple correlation of the six biographic variables with each YOQ scale. Recognizing the possibility of non-linear bivariate relationships between some biographic variables (especially “future plans”) and some YOQ scales, the third analysis was an application of the reciprocal averages technique to predicting YOQ scale scores from a weighted combination of the six biographic variables. In the reciprocal average technique, each category of the predictor variable is assigned a weight pro-

CORRELATES OF WORK ATTITUDE 193

portional to the average criterion variable score of all individuals falling in that category, thus automatically compensating for any nonlinear bivariate predictor-criterion relationships in the data (Weiss & Dawis, 1968). In the final analysis, the canonical correlation between the set of biographic variables and the set of YOQ scales was computed.

RESULTS

Table 1 shows the biographic variable which correlates most highly with each YOQ scale and the magnitude of this correlation, for each sample separately. The highest correlation coefficient was -0.39 for Sample I and 0.34 for Sample II. Median correlation for both samples was 0.17. Thus it is obvious from Table 1 that the six biographic variables, taken singly, showed only a slight influence on YOQ scale scores. The five YOQ scales correlating most highly with biographic variables were Contact with People, Self Expression, Risk-taking Attitude, Personal Influence and Fame. The biographic variables correlating most highly with YOQ scales were Sex and Future Plans.

In general, the results for the two samples were consistent in magnitude of correlation, direction of relationship, and biographic variable involved. Where the results were not consistent, the correlations were generally low, with two exceptions (results for the Self Expression and Personal Influence scales).

Table 2 shows the R values for the multiple correlation of the six biographic variables with each YOQ scale. The R's ranged from 0.08 to 0.40 with a median of 0.22 for Sample I, and from 0.07 to 0.39 with a median of 0.21 for Sample II. Except for the scale Steady Job, a significant multiple correlation with biographic variables was observed for each YOQ scale in one or both samples. It can be stated, therefore, that biographic variables were significantly, if only modestly, related to YOQ scale scores.

As one would expect from the bivariate analysis, Self Expression and Contact with People were the YOQ scales most influenced by the biographic variables in combination. Other YOQ scales with significant (10% or more) proportions of their variance accounted for by the combination of six bio- graphic variables included Personal Influence, Meaning of Work, Risk-taking Attitude, Authority, Inconsistency, and Fame. Again, as expected from the bivariate analysis, Sex and Future Plans were the biographic variables with the largest beta weights in the regression equations. For the other four biographic variables, the beta weights were for the most part insignificant.

The results for the reciprocal averages technique generally confirmed the multiple correlation findings. Table 2 also shows the correlations (r) between observed and predicted scores for the reciprocal averages prediction of YOQ scale scores from the six demographic variables taken in combination. These

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TABLE 1

Maximum Linear Bivariate Correlation Between YOQ Scales and Biographic Variables, by Sample

YOQ scale Sample I (iV=5 10) Sample II (N=616)

P Biographic P Biographic variable variable

1. Twin city employment .lO 2. Labor unions -.21 3. Monetary advancement -.16 4. High school dropouts .24 5. High school diploma for trades .08 6. High school diploma for jobs .lO 7. Mental vs. physical activity -.17 8. Authority -.26 9. Accuracy vs. speed .06

10. Minorities .13 11. Self-sufficiency .14 12. The work ethic .ll 13. Reason for working -.22 14. Work vs. leisure .12 15. Risk-taking attitude -.29 16. Meaning of work -.21 17. Contact with people .36 18. Employee integrity -.14 19. Unavoidability of work .13 20. Steady job -.07 21. Working conditions .19 22. Boss .19 23. Personal influence -.34 24. Self development -.21 25. Fame -.32 26. Self expression -.39 27. Humanitarian .13 28. Religious leader .04 29. Scientist -.22 30. Inconsistency .24

Sex .09 Grade -.24 Sex -.09 Plans .19 Location .I5 Sex .20 Plans -.26 Sex -.21 Age .13 Plans .13 SES .12 Plans -.15 Plans -.08 SES .11 Sex -.33 Plans -.28 Sex .34 Plans .08 Sex .17 Grade .22 Sex .22 Sex .13 Plans .24 Plans .18 Plans -.21 Plans .27 Sex .12 SES .16 Sex -.I1 Plans .18

Sex Grade SES Plans Location Sex Plans Sex Sex Plans Grade Grade Plans Location Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex Plans Sex Sex Sex Sex Plans

ar 5.09 is significant at the .OS level; r 5 .I2 is significant at the .Ol level.

r’s ranged from 0.05 to 0.44 with a median of 0.23 for Sample I, and 0.03 to 0.45 with a median of 0.24 for Sample II. The YOQ scales predicted best by the reciprocal averages technique were also the same ones with the highest multiple correlation coefficients. These scales were: Self Expression, Contact with People, Personal Influence, Meaning of Work, Risk-taking Attitude, Fame, Mental vs. Physical Activity and Authority.

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TABLE 2

Multiple Correlation (R) and Reciprocal Averages Prediction (r) for Six Biographic Variablesa with Each YOQ Scale, by Sample

YOQ scale Sample I (N=S 10)

Rb rc

Sample II (N=616)

Rd ,fl

1. Twin city employment .15 .15 .18 .19 2. Labor unions .27 .16 .30 .26 3. Monetary advancement .18 .19 .18 .12 4. High school dropouts .29 .32 .28 .28 5. High school diploma for trades .18 .23 .18 .19 6. High school diploma for jobs .17 .23 .23 .24 7. Mental vs. physical activity .23 .26 .30 .36 8. Authority .33 .34 .26 .28 9. Accuracy vs. speed .ll .12 .16 .20

10. Minorities .19 .19 .18 .27 Il. Self-sufficiency .16 .20 .14 .ll 12. The work ethic .18 .24 .21 .26 13. Reason for working .23 .25 .13 .14 14. Work vs. leisure .17 .20 .13 .15 15. Risk-taking attitude .31 .31 .34 .34 16. Meaning of work .27 .32 .35 .34 17. Contact with people .39 .36 .35 .35 18. Employee integrity .16 .23 .lO .13 19. Unavoidability of work .21 .23 .21 .20 20. Steady job .14 .06 .07 .03 21. Working conditions .21 .25 .25 .26 22. Boss .27 .28 .18 .20 23. Personal influence .37 .29 .30 .37 24. Self development .25 .06 .24 .27 25. Fame .34 .36 .24 .28 26. Self expression .40 .44 .39 .45 27. Humanitarian .19 .19 .13 .17 28. Religious leader .08 .05 .17 .03 29. Scientist .26 .28 .15 .17 30. Inconsistency .33 .17 .25 .30

aSex,age, school grade, future plans, geographic location, socioeconomic status. bR > .16 is significant at the .05 level; R 5.18 is significant at the .Ol level. cr 5.09 is significant at the .05 level; r 5.12 is significant at the .Ol level. dR 5.15 is significant at the .05 1evel;R > .17 is significant at the .Ol level.

For the final analysis, the canonical correlation between the set of biographic variables and the set of YOQ scales was computed. For both samples, the canonical correlation was 0.62 (significant at the .OOl level), indicating a definite relationship between the two sets of variables. The variables with the largest canonical weights were sex 0.97, 09.5 for Samples I

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and II respectively) for the biographical variable set, and Contact with People (0.77, 0.73), Authority (-0.46, -0.45) and Scientist (-0.41, -0.39) for the YOQ scale set.

DISCUSSION

It is clear from the preceding analysis that, whether singly or in combination, the six biographic variables studied were correlated but slightly with work attitudes as reflected in the YOQ. The YOQ scales most influenced by the biographic variables were Self Expression, Contact with People, Personal Influence, Meaning of Work, Risk-taking Attitude, Authority, In- consistency, Fame, and Mental vs. Physical Activity. At an average, only 5%, and at a maximum, 20%, of the variance of YOQ scale scores could be explained by the six biographic variables in combination.

Of the six biographic variables, Sex was by far the most influential in determining YOQ scores. As Table 1 shows, Sex was significantly correlated, in one or both samples, with 18 YOQ scales. It is worth noting that the correlations were positive for attitudes and preferences concerning people (e.g., Contact with People, Boss, and Humanitarian) and negative for such scales as Authority, Risk-taking Attitude, and Scientist. These correlations are to be interpreted with the scoring weights (male, 1, female, 2) in mind.

Future Plans was the only other biographic variable found to be related to work attitudes to any significant extent. Self Expression, Fame, Personal Influence, Self Development, Reason for Working, Mental vs. Physical Activity and Meaning of Work were scales which were negatively correlated with Future Plans. (In interpreting correlations with Future Plans, it is helpful to consider a dimension defined roughly by the weights, College, 1, Job, 4, and No Idea, 6.) It is worth noting that those who had no future plans (No Idea) tended to be the more inconsistent in expressing preferences and attitudes (as reflected in the positive correlation with the Inconsistency Scale). It is also worth noting that for several scales (e.g., Personal Influence, Self Develop- ment, and Self Expression) Future Plans was the most highly correlated bio- graphic variable in one sample and Sex was in the other sample. For these scales, the negative correlation for Future Plans and positive correlation for Sex reflects in part the fact that proportionately more males than females had “no idea” about future plans while proportionately more females than males were planning to go to college.

It would appear from the canonical correlation analyses (and to some extent from the other analyses as well) that the young females in the study tended to approach work with what might be called a “people-orientation” attitude. This is shown in the canonical correlation analysis by the positive weights on Sex and Contact with People. On the other hand, the young males

CORRELATES OF WORK ATTITUDE

TABLE 3

Means and Standard Deviations for Selected YOQ Scales, by SelP

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YOQ scale x SD

M F M F

15. Risk-taking attitude 11.7 9.6 3.24 2.95 30. Inconsistency 7.4 5.8 6.75 4.82

8. Authority 14.6 13.2 2.87 3.10 25. Fame 8.1 7.1 2.41 2.62 29. Scientist 5.1 4.3 3.46 3.47 16. Meaning of work 15.2 16.2 2.66 2.51 27. Humanitarian 4.4 5.6 3.25 3.17 21. Working conditions 3.8 5.2 3.14 3.36 17. Contact with people 14.9 16.6 3.02 2.85

aData from normative administration, N Males = 4174, N Females = 4711. Scales 1-19 are in Likert form, 20-29 in pair comparison form.

in the study exhibited a contrasting attitude emphasizing dominance or autonomy, and interest in science (as shown by the negative weights for Authority and Scientist). These findings are consonant with results from other areas of vocational behavior research, such as those concerning vocational interests, preferences, and values (Tyler, 1965) and job satisfaction (Herzberg ef al., 1957). From research findings in these areas, it might be inferred that interpersonal relationships constitute a (if not the) fundamental source of satisfaction in work for most females. (Alternatively, one might say that people, and interaction with people, constitute powerful sources of reinforce- ment, or motivation, in the work setting for most females). In contrast, most males are apparently more “work-oriented,” that is, more concerned about getting the job done, achieving some goal, being able to control or dominate, or being able to accomplish something. While it might be said that both sexes exhibit both orientations, females tend more toward “people orientation,” while males tend more toward “work orientation.” Such an hypothesis is supported at least in part by the findings in the present study.

It is worth noting that a differentiation in work attitudes between the sexes is detected in the high school period, before the young people have entered into the work stage of their lives. This differentiation is shown in Table 3, which lists the means and standard deviations of the YOQ scales with the most pronounced sex differences.

The genesis of this differentiation of work attitudes between the sexes should be of more than passing interest to those concerned about the problem of sex discrimination in employment. If it is true that females are more “people-oriented” and less “work-oriented” than males, this attitude might

198 ACE, GRAEN AND DAWIS

prove to be an effective handicap to females in their aspirations for equality

in employment. “People-orientation” (or alternatively, a lack of “work- orientation”) might prove to be a stumbling block to “getting abead” in the world of work. One would therefore want to know how such orientations develop.

On the other hand, those concerned about the problem of the “dehumanizing” nature of contemporary work might see in the very “work- orientedness” of the males one major factor contributing to such an un- desirable state of affairs. One could persuasively argue that a reorientation of males to emphasize people and de-emphasize getting the job done or getting ahead is precisely what is needed to “humanize” work. In any event, develop- mental studies are needed to shed light on the origins of such attitudes.

It is also worth noting that “future plans” was the other biographic variable found significantly to have influenced work attitudes. If “future plans” can be interpreted as a behavioral variable, i.e., the behavior of choosing what next to do, then an interesting question is suggested by attitude theorists (Kiesler, Collins & Miller, 1969) who ask whether attitudes are not the result of behavior rather than behavior being produced by attitudes. Did the YOQ work attitudes result from having adopted certain “future plans,” or are “future plans” in part determined by a prior set of work attitudes? Again, developmental studies of attitude formation are indicated.

The significant finding in the present study is that biographic variables are correlated only slightly with work attitudes. More precisely, the correla- tion of YOQ scale scores with sex, age, grade, future plans, geographic location, and socioeconomic status-either singly or in combination-is low. This implies that the YOQ, as a measure of work attitudes, can be profitably utilized as a potential predictor of work behavior and work experience variables since it will contribute unique information not already contained or implicit in biographic variables.

REFERENCES

Berelson, B., & Steiner, G. A. Human behavior: an inventory of scientific findings. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1964.

Borow, H. The development of occupational motives and roles. In Hoffman, L. W., & Hoffman, M. L. (Eds.) Review of child development research: Volume 2. New York, Russell Sage Foundation, 1966.

Graen, G. B., & Dawis, R. V. A measure of work attitudes for high-school-age youth. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 1971, 1, 343-353.

Graubard, S. R. (Ed.) Youth: change and challenge. Daedalus, 1962, Winter (entire issue). Heneman, Jr., H. G., & Dawis, R. V. Youth unemployment: frictions in the threshold of

the work career-an exploratory probe. Final Report. U. S. Department of Labor Research Contract No. 81-22-01, December, 1968 (mimeo).

CORRELATES OF WORK ATTITUDE 199

Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., Peterson, R. O., & Capwell, D. F. Job attitudes: review of research and opinion. Pittsburgh: Psychological Services of Pittsburgh, 1957.

Kiesler, C. A., Collins, B. E., & Miller, N. Attitude change: a critical analysis of theo- retical approaches. New York: Wiley, 1969.

Scott, T. B., Dawis, R. V., England, G. W., & Lofquist, L. H. A definition of work adjustment. Minnesota Studies in Vocational Rehabilitation, 1960, No. X.

Tyler, L. E. The psychology of human differences. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1965.

Weiss, D. .I., & Dawis, R. V. A multivariate prediction technique for problems involving multifunctional predictor-criterion relationships. Proceedings, 76th Annual Con- vention, American Psychological Association, 1968, 229-230.

Received: June 24,197l