Organizational Behaviour

Gender as Predictors of Preferences for Organisational Attributes among College Students

Sachin Anand

Organisational Behavior

University of Western Sidney

School of Management

Campus

Tutorial

Abstract

This study sought to measure the gender differences among college students in their preferences for organisational attributes . 252 college students under the organisational behaviour class in the University of Western Sidney completed a survey questionnaire where they rated which organisational attributes they perceived to be important in their choice of organisation . The results revealed that there were significant differences between

male and female preferences on organisational attributes which included caring for employee 's well-being , career development , use of degree skills and multicultural diversity . The findings indicate that organisations must consider what applicants perceive to be attractive working conditions

Introduction What do people look for in a job ' had been one of the most pondered questions in organisational behaviour as the answer provides the employer with the knowledge of how to attract and retain employees (Bigoness , 1988 . This study sought to measure the differences between male and female college students preferences for organisational attributes in the assumption that these preferences would indicate what organisations would be favoured by prospective college graduates . This study expands the study by Terjesen , Vinnicombe and Freeman (2007 wherein the focus of the study was more on determining whether gender differences exists between their preference for organisational attributes

Organisational-fit theory posited that prospective employees would want to work in an organisation that provides the working conditions that he /she values and perceive to be necessary aspects of his /her working environment . Building on this theory , Terjesen , Vinnicombe and Freeman (2007 ) investigated what organisational attributes college students and whether it increased the likelihood of applying to the said organisations . In a large scale survey of twenty-two universities college seniors where asked to indicate what organisational attributes they considered to be important in their decision to apply to that organisation . The results indicated that college students highly valued organisations that invested on employee development and training caring for employees , professional growth , variety of tasks and modern approach to business . It was also reported that gender differences exist between perceived importances of organisational attributes moreover , women valued more organisational attributes as indicative of an ideal employer while the men found a high starting salary as the key organisation attribute that would make them apply to the organisation

Gender differences in the workplace had been a debated issue due to the reported discrimination between men and women especially in higher managerial positions (Chang , 2004 Konrad , Corrigal , Lieb Ritchie 2000 . Governments and labour groups had called for laws that protect women workers ' rights as they had reported limited opportunity for women as well as lower salaries and benefits (Chew Teo , 1993 . Gender differences had been explained by a number of theories gender socialization says that there will always be differences in how men and women act , think and feel due to the differences in how men and women had been socialized as well as the different...