HAJNALKA FÉNYES
Gende Di e ences in Wo k A i udes and Wo k
Expe ience in a S uden Sample
S a us inconsis ency can be ound be ween women's educa ion le el and labo ma ke
posi ion. Conce ning pa icipa ion a es in o mal educa ion he ad an age o women
can be obse ed as ea ly as he 1980s1 (Fo ay 1986), whe eas e en ecen ly women in
he labo ma ke seem o be in a disad an ages posi ion compa ed o men. Howe e
women's ad an age canno be said o be comple e e en in he educa ion sys em. Boys'
and gi ls' schools go in di e en di ec ions; ho izon al seg ega ion is aking place
acco ding o gende . A “neoseg ega ion” o boys' and gi ls' schools is gaining g ound
as coeduca ion is d i en back, which may pu he gi ls in a disad an aged posi ion. “In
he e ical s uc u e o he educa ion sys em gi ls ha e gained ad an age o e he
boys, bu in he ho izon al s uc u e he adi ional choices ha e p o ed o be
o e whelming.” (Fo ay, Hegedűs 1987: 234). In he g amma schools o mino
se lemen s and in he ou ski s o ci ies gi ls a e in majo i y, whe eas in schools o
highe p es ige in ci ies he gende a es seem o be balanced. Also in oca ional
seconda y schools seg ega ion by adi ional male and emale p o essions is p e alen
(Fo ay 1986). Besides, seg ega ion by gende can also be ound in highe educa ion
(see Fényes 2009b).
Among he unde lying easons o he s a us inconsis ency in women's posi ion in his
pape we a e dealing wi h he di e ences be ween he wo k a i ude and wo k
expe ience o boys and gi ls gained du ing hei s udies in highe educa ion, as hese
di e ences may p edic hei achie emen s o ailu es in he labo ma ke .
In es iga ing he di e ences in wo k a i udes is also impo an because one o hei
consequences is he sepa a ion o wo kplaces by gende ha “ eminized” and “male
dominan ” wo kplaces a e di e ed and he numbe o women is sca ce in CEO
posi ions.
1 Fo ay(1989) has poin ed ou ha oma women s ill lag behind in he pa icipa ion o o mal educa ion
compa ed o oma men, hus emancipa ion in educa ion has no eached he le el o he o al
popula ion.
Hajnalka Fényes:
Gende Di e ences in Wo k A i udes and Wo k Expe ience in a S uden Sample 17
The e m wo k a i ude co e s in an “absolu e sense” wha wo k means in he
indi idual li e, and in a “ ela i e sense” i e e s o he cha ac e is ics o “good li e”
and in which ways hey a e ela ed o wo k (Kó ódi 2006) A simila e m o wo k
a i ude is labo alue, which co e s he opinions ela ed o he ma e ial and subjec i e
ewa ds o wo k (Megyesi, Róbe 2000).
The s udy o he wo k a i ude o young people seems o be jus i ied by he ac ha
“in E icson's de ini ion wo k a i udes a e ac ually deep- oo ed ideas which a e
es ablished in ea ly childhood due o he impac s om socie y, and hese “only” a e
being shaped unde he in luence o new expe ience”(quo e by Kó ódi 2006:290).
Young people's wo k a i ude can be in luenced by hei wo k expe ience du ing hei
s udies, bu he e ec o pa en s and o he adul s can also be conside able. Fo he
examina ion o wo k a i ude an in e na ionally accep ed ques ion consis ing o se e al
i ems was used2, a simila one was also applied by Medgyesi and Róbe in hei
esea ch (Medgyesi, Róbe 1998, 2000, 2008).
Acco ding o Al o jai and Róbe di e ence can be made be ween ins umen al
(sala y-o ien ed) and commi ed ( alue-o ien ed) wo k a i udes, whose impo ance by
gende can be expec ed o be di e en . Fo people wi h ins umen al a i ude high
sala y is impo an , hey conside wo k as a way o make money and no hing else.
Those wi h commi ed wo k a i ude would wo k e en i hey had no needed money,
and hey ind i impo an ha hei wo k should be bene icial o socie y and could
assis o he s. Howe e i is an in e es ing esul ha ins umen al a i ude does no
imply ad an age in sala ies, on he con a y, commi ed employees go highe wages
(Al o jai, Róbe 2006).
O e he pas ew yea s employees in Hunga y conside he secu i y o job, he size o
he sala y and p omo ion op ions highly impo an , whe eas he social bene i o
wo k, assis ing o he s and lexi ime a e no ha impo an as hey used o be.(
Medgyesi, Róbe 1998, 2000, 2008). Acco ding o he esul s o he da abase
ISCED54 o he “Regional Uni e si y” esea ch (Kó ódi 2006, 2007) o highe
educa ion s uden s he secu i y o he job, he high sala y and he challenge o he
p ospec i e job a e he mos essen ial ea u es.
The u he esul s by Kó ódi also show ha in he egion called Pa ium only as
much as 12.4 pe cen o he s uden s in highe educa ion wo ked egula ly in 2005,
and 62 pe cen o hei job did no ela e o hei s udies. The easons why hey ook
hese jobs we e mainly inancial necessi y, ge ing mo e independen om he pa en s,
2 On a ou deg ee scale how impo an a e he ollowing: wo k in a good a mosphe e, sense o
achie emen , iendly colleagues, mee ing people, helping o he s, wo k use ul o socie y, eam wo k,
ime o he amily, i should no be oo exhaus ing, wo k ocusing on achie emen , high sala y,
p omo ion p ospec s, and inally he op ion o independen decision-making.
18 METSZETEK 2014/2. szám
and gaining expe ience. I is also a no ewo hy esul ha he wo k a i ude o he
s uden s wi h wo k expe ience did no eally di e om ha o he s uden s wi h no
wo k expe ience.
Hypo heses and da abase
Ou i s hypo hesis is conce ned wi h he wo k a i ude o young people. Due o he
di e se ca ee o ien a ion, o women well-balanced emo ional ies and in e pe sonal
ela ions a wo k a e a lo mo e impo an , whe eas o men i is powe and money
ha eally ma e (Koncz 2005). Thus i can be en isaged ha women will highly
app ecia e socially bene icial wo k, helping o he s (al uis ic, alue-o ien ed,
commi ed wo k a i ude, see Al o jai, Robe 2006). Besides, he secu i y, di e si y
and he challenge o he job is also impo an o hem and due o lexi ime and less
exhaus i e job hey could also ha e enough ime o he amily. Fo gi ls he high
mo ale o he wo kplace, mee ing people and wo king wi h iendly colleagues a e also
impo an , including eam wo k and he sense o achie emen can be mo e ele an
o he gi ls due o hei lesse sense o sel con idence.
In case o men high sala y, wo king independen ly, achie emen - o ien ed job and
esponsibili y and p omo ion p ospec s will be mo e impo an .
Ou second hypo hesis is ha boys do mo e egula job du ing hei s udies han gi ls
and he wo k hey do is mo e closely ela ed o hei s udies, which ac also may
p edic men's labo ma ke success. In case o he easons o ha ing job du ing he
s udies such as inancial necessi y, ma e ial independence, gaining expe ience, sel -
ul illmen , wo k done a eques , p o essional ambi ions, wo k done a compulso y
p ac ice no signi ican di e ence can be expec ed by gende . The unde lying eason
o his migh be ha mos o he s uden s ha e no s a ed a amily, so he con lic
be ween wo k and amily does no appea and in his way he mo i es o doing a job
a e mos ly simila bo h in case o he boys and he gi ls.
Ou esul s a e shown elying on he da abase ISCED54 o he Regional Uni e si y
Resea ch (NKFP 26-0060). We examined s uden s be o e g adua ion because hey
p esumably ha e mo e ealis ic ideas abou hei u u e job and in his pa icula
ques ionnai e se e al i ems a e ela ed o he a i ude o wo k (N=940).
Hajnalka Fényes:
Gende Di e ences in Wo k A i udes and Wo k Expe ience in a S uden Sample 19
Gende di e ences in wo k a i udes and wo k expe ience
Resul s ela ed o he wo k a i ude o young people showed as ea ly as in he 1980s
ha boys app ecia e high sala y and mino in ellec ual e o , whe eas gi ls conside
good wo king condi ions, he social aspec and aes he ic alue o he job mo e
impo an . Taking social backg ound also in o conside a ion he di e ence be ween
he wo k a i ude o socially disad an aged boys and gi ls was bigge han ha o he
socially ad an aged boys and gi ls (Fo ay 1986). We do no examine his ela ionship
a his poin , bu we in end o do i .
Kó ódi (2006, 2007) made use o he same ISCED54 da abase o he Regional
Uni e si y esea ch p ojec , bu he s uden s om ac oss he bo de we e no
included, and she examined only he di e ence in he a e age sco es o he ques ions
ela ed o wo k a i ude. Acco ding o he esul s o women in highe educa ion i is
mo e impo an o do socially bene icial job, o help o he s besides hey also
app ecia e he secu e and in e es ing jobs. Rega ding independen job pe o mance
and p omo ion he e we e signi ican di e ences by gende , mo eo e i was a he
peculia ha gi ls conside ed high sala y mo e impo an han boys. Wha may lie in
he backg ound o his ac is ha he inancial si ua ion o he gi ls was wo se han
ha o he boys.
Ou esul s, based on he o al ou - yea cou se s uden s da abase o Regional
Uni e si y esea ch (ISCED54, N=940) a e as ollows. Wo k a i udes we e compa ed
by means o h ee me hods by gende . Simila ly o Kó ódi he a e ages o he wo k
a i ude a iables (1: absolu ely no impo an , 2: no impo an , 3: impo an , 4: e y
impo an ) we e compa ed by gende and he e he ANOVA alue signi icance was
conside ed. Then we examined simple c oss- abs and chi-squa e s a is ics. Finally he
ques ion ela ed o wo k a i ude was ans o med in o a wo- alue one, wi h
impo an o no impo an alues, and we used he e also c oss- abs he chi-squa e
s a is ics.
Absolu e ad an age o he boys measu ed by all h ee me hods canno be de ec ed in
none o he wo k a i ude a iables. Gi ls' ad an age was howe e signi ican
measu ed by all h ee me hods in he ollowing wo k a i udes (shown by he da a o
he hi d me hod).
20 METSZETEK 2014/2. szám
Table 1. Gende di e ences in se en wo k a i udes, pe cen ages o impo an and e y impo an
eplies pu oge he
Impo an …
Boys (N)
Gi ls (N)
Chi-squa e
wo k in good a mosphe e
93.7% (303)
98.4% (622)
***
sense o achie emen
95% (301)
98.1% (622)
*
iendly colleagues
91% (300)
95.5% (620)
**
mee ing people
81% (300)
88.7% (621)
**
helping o he s
63% (303)
84.8% (620)
***
socially bene icial wo k
70.7% (300)
82.3% (620)
***
eam wo k
65.3% (303)
72.2% (622)
*
In line wi h ou hypo heses helping o he s and socially bene icial wo k a e much mo e
impo an o women han men due o he di e se ca ee o ien a ion and he
adi ional gende ole beha io . Women end o be al uis ic, alue-o ien ed and
mo e commi ed o wo k han men. Team wo k, iendly colleagues and mee ing
people a e also impo an aspec s o wo k o women, which is also in acco dance
wi h he social skills o women and he ac ha hey app ecia e being in communi y,
hus wi h colleagues as well. Sense o achie emen , especially ex e nal
acknowledgmen is mo e impo an o women han o men, which can be explained
by di e en gende socializa ion. (Acco ding o Michelson (1989) o women ex e nal
acknowledgmen is mo e impo an , whe eas men ha e highe sel -con idence.) Wo k
in good a mosphe e is also mo e impo an o gi ls.
In he able below wo k a i udes a e shown in which mino ad an age o gi ls/boys
was ound. Among he h ee me hods one o wo we e no signi ican by gende , bu
in he hi d one gi ls'/boys' ad an age is shown.
Table 2. Gende di e ences in u he eigh wo k a i udes
Mino ad an age o
gi ls
Mino ad an age o
boys
No di e ence by gende
ime allo ed o he
amily
lexi ime
p omo ion
a ie y in wo k
no oo exhaus ing job
independen decision-
making
challenging job
achie emen -o ien ed job
secu e job
high sala y
esponsible job
As i was expec ed, also in acco dance wi h gende oles mino ad an age o gi ls was
ound in he wo k a i ude ha ime should be allo ed o he amily, when

Hajnalka Fényes:
Gende Di e ences in Wo k A i udes and Wo k Expe ience in a S uden Sample 21
compa ing he a e ages o he eplies, bu he di e ence is no signi ican acco ding o
c oss ables.
As shown by c oss ables a ied and in e es ing job is a bi mo e impo an o gi ls
han boys, bu he a e age sco e o he eplies o he ques ion did no di e
signi ican ly. In a s udy o he mo i es o u he educa ion (see Fényes 2009a) in gi ls’
ca ee p ospec s i is no necessa ily he high sala y ha ma e s, bu a he
p o essional in e es , and he enhancemen o cul u al capi al, which may come also
use ul in hei amily. Va ied and in e es ing job is a alue in i sel o hem.
As i was supposed, secu e job is a bi mo e impo an o he gi ls, bu he di e ence
is no signi ican by all he h ee me hods. (This aspec was impo an o he boys and
e y impo an o he gi ls.) Howe e , con a y o ou hypo hesis esponsible wo k is
also mo e impo an o gi ls acco ding o he ou - alue c oss ables, bu he
di e ence is no signi ican acco ding o he o he wo assessmen me hods.
Boys conside ed lexi ime a bi mo e impo an , and acco ding o c oss ables, gi ls
did no ind i so much impo an as boys, which ac is in con adic ion wi h he
di ision o labo by adi ional gende oles, since amily and childca e is s ill he
esponsibili y o women and lexi ime would be mo e conduci e o his ole.
Mickelson (1989) says his phenomenon pe haps can be explained by he ac ha
women in highe educa ion may ha e un ealis ic expec a ions, i.e hey unde es ima e
hei labo ma ke disad an age and hey expec men's equal pa icipa ion in
household cho es. Besides p e e ence o lexi ime by boys may be ela ed o hei
g ea e demand o independence and eedom.
Con a y o ou hypo hesis he need ha he wo k should no be “exhaus ing” is also
mo e impo an o he boys.3 As i can be seen in he gende di e ences in u he
educa ion mo i a ions (Fényes 2009a) boys can be cha ac e ized by a so o
“laziness”. They en e highe educa ion because ha hey did no need o wo k e en
du ing his ime, and apply o a pa icula majo because hey did no ha e o ake an
en ance examina ion. As shown by c oss ables no e y exhaus ing job was
impo an o gi ls, bu a lo mo e impo an o boys.
Achie emen o ien ed wo k and high sala y a e a bi mo e impo an o boys han o
gi ls, which ac co esponds o ou hypo hesis.
3 This ac is also ha mony wi h Fo ay's (1986) esul s om he 1980s, namely ha young boys a ou ed
mino in ellec ual e o when doing wo k.
22 METSZETEK 2014/2. szám
Fu he mo e, he e is no signi ican di e ence be ween boys and gi ls ega ding
p omo ion p ospec s and independen decision making by none o he assessmen
me hods, al hough boys’ ad an age could ha e been expec ed.
In he ables below gende di e ences in doing wo k du ing he s udies can be seen.
These di e ences can also be ela ed o wo k a i udes and u u e job pe o mance.
Table 3. Wo k done du ing s udies by gende
Boys
Gi ls
Yes, egula ly
16.5%
11.2%
Yes, occasionally
33.3%
31.2%
Yes, bu no paid wo k
3.3%
2.3%
Did no wo k
46.9%
55.3%
N
303 (100%)
618 (100%)
Chi-squa e is signi ican *.
Table 4. To wha ex en he wo k done was ela ed o hei s udies by gende
Boys
Gi ls
Always
16.7%
10.6%
Mos o he ime
27.2%
23.0%
No
56.2%
66.4%
N
162 (100%)
274 (100%)
Chi-squa e is almos signi ican (p=0,069), and he eason o his ac can be ha he i em numbe s
a e smalle , since only he gende dis ibu ion o he s uden s doing wo k is aken in o conside a ion.
As i can be seen a la ge numbe o boys wo k egula ly du ing hei s udies han
gi ls, and he wo k hey do is mo e ela ed o hei s udies han in he case o gi ls.
This ac may ha e some hing o do wi h he u u e labo ma ke success o he boys.
Unpaid cha i y wo k was no ha common among s uden s a he ime o he que y
(in 2005), and he e is no di e ence be ween boys and gi ls in his espec . The
mo i a ions o doing wo k du ing hei s udies, such as inancial necessi y, ma e ial
independence, gaining expe ience, sel - ul illmen , wo k done a eques , p o essional
ambi ion and wo k du ing compulso y p ac ice in line wi h ou hypo hesis did no
di e by gende . Due o he lack o signi icance ou da a a e no shown he e. Ou
esul s showed no signi ican di e ence in employmen ab oad4.
4 The mo i a ions o his can be sligh ly di e en by gende (un o una ely no da a a e a ailable). The
main easons like lea ning languages and inancial conside a ions a e equally impo an o boys and
Hajnalka Fényes:
Gende Di e ences in Wo k A i udes and Wo k Expe ience in a S uden Sample 23
Summa y
In his pape we in ended o ind ou why women a e s ill in disad an age in he labo
ma ke despi e hei ad an age in he educa ion sys em. One o he possible easons
can be he di e ence be ween he wo k a i ude and wo k expe ience o boys and gi ls
in highe educa ion.
As shown by ea lie esea ch esul s women p e e well-balanced emo ional and
in e pe sonal ela ions a wo k, whe eas men a he app ecia e powe and money.
These di e ences can also be ound in he wo k a i udes o highe educa ion
s uden s. Wha may lie in he backg ound o di e se ca ee op ions and wo k a i udes
a e iden i ica ion wi h adi ional gende oles and socializa ion o gende oles.
In line wi h ou hypo hesis socially bene icial wo k, helping o he s, he secu i y,
a ie y and challenge o he job a e impo an aspec s o he gi ls and also he ac
ha mo e ime should be allo ed o he amily. Mo eo e high mo ale o he
wo kplace and also mee ing people he e, iendly colleagues and eam wo k we e
highly app ecia ed by gi ls. The sense o achie emen is also mo e impo an o hem,
which pa ly can be explained by hei mino sel -con idence.
In acco dance wi h di e se ca ee o ien a ions high sala y and achie emen -cen e ed
job a e impo an o men, bu con a y o ou hypo hesis, esponsible wo k was mo e
impo an o he gi ls. Beside also con a y o ou expec a ions wo king
independen ly and good p omo ion op ions we e equally impo an o bo h o he
gi ls and he boys. I is also in con adic ion wi h ou hypo hesis ha lexi ime and
no oo exhaus ing jobs a e a bi mo e impo an o boys. I can be explained by he
un ealis ic expec a ions o gi ls (Mickelson. 1989), namely gi ls may unde es ima e
hei labou ma ke disad an age, and hey expec equal pa icipa ion by men in amily
and childca e and also by boys’ g ea e demand o eedom and independence.
In acco dance wi h ou hypo hesis a la ge numbe o boys wo k egula ly du ing hei
s udies han gi ls and hei wo k is mo e closely ela ed o hei ield o s udies. The
mo i a ions o doing wo k du ing hei s udies a e no di e en by gende , since
mos o hem ha e no s a ed a amily, and he con lic be ween he asks o
employmen and amily do no appea ye . Thus hei mo i a ions o employmen
seem o be simila .
Thus di e ences can be obse ed in he wo k a i udes and wo k expe ience o boys
and gi ls. All in all he ac ha boys do wo k mo e egula ly du ing hei s udies and
gi ls, bu in case o gi ls p epa ing o gende oles can also be mo i a ing when hey wo k as baby-
si e s e.g.
24 METSZETEK 2014/2. szám
also he ac ha hei wo k was mo e closely ela ed o hei s udies and high sala y
and achie emen -cen e ed job a e mo e impo an o hem may con ibu e o hei
la e labo ma ke success.
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