Institute for Manpower Research, Human Sciences Research Council, Private Bag X41, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.

Abstract

Abstract In this study, the way in which a need for power (n Power) was expressed by a group of 167 English-speaking South African women was examined. The possible influence of age, working patterns, and level of education was taken into acount, as were other aspects of personality, such as self-esteem, extraversion-introversion, locus of control, assertiveness, and sex-role identity. The results indicate that South African women express n Power through helping behavior as well as through femininity as a personality trait. Masculinity and extraversion (as personality traits) were related to assertiveness. A motive to fear assertiveness, defined here as a component of the power motive, was negatively related to direct assertiveness. Both a high n Power (scores above the 75th percentile) and fear of assertiveness were associated with dependency. Moderate n Power (scores between the 25th and 75th percentile) was associated with assertiveness, masculinity, and a variety of behavior patterns, indicating that i...