GENDER AND ATTITUDES TOWARD WORK

This paper presents some differences between men and women regarding their attitudes to work and the implications of those attitudes regarding counselling. The subjects were 300 Polish students (150 men and 150 women) and 306 German students. The study is part of a larger collaborative research program conducted in 43 countries by Lynn (1991). The results are presented against the background of Weber's (1929) Protestant work ethic, Schumpeter's (1934) theory of competitiveness, McClelland's (1976) theory of achievement motivation, and Wiener's (1981) theory of low valuation of business. All of these theories seek to show the relationship and influence of the psychology of the individual, as that is manifested in attitude, on the economic growth of a nation. The results of the present study support Wiener's theory that the ''social status'' of business occupations play an important role in the growth of economies. They also reveal that men are generally more concerned than women, with the attitudes, and values, that am considered as a motive power of economic growth.