Gender Differences In Motivation Research Articles

Gender differences in motivations to attend festivals in Saudi Arabia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to conduct a within-gender analysis and between-gender differences in seeking (personal and interpersonal) and escaping (personal and interpersonal) motivations to attend a non-traditional festival in Saudi Arabia. Specific objectives were: to conduct a within-gender analysis in motivations to attend a non-traditional festival in Saudi Arabia; and to examine between-gender differences in motivations to attend a non-traditional festival in Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachBased on the data collected from 458 attendees at a non-traditional festival in Saudi Arabia, the authors employed network analysis for within-gender analysis and MANOVA and ANOVA for between-gender comparison. The network analysis served two purposes, in that it examined each item’s predictability for each gender, and analyzed the correlations among motivation items within each gender. In addition, the General Linear Model served to compare the male and female groups’ motivations to attend the non-traditional festival. The authors first performed MANOVA for each dimension and then ANOVA for each dimension’s individual items.FindingsWithin-gender analysis reveals that several sets of motivations were associated strongly for both genders. This suggests that Saudi Arabians seem to enjoy entertainment because it projects the festival mood; they want to escape both from home and work and attend the festival to relieve stress by changing their routine pace. However, gender differences were apparent in several other items, especially for the group of women. Between-group comparison analysis shows significant gender differences in several elements of motivation. Overall, personal seeking and escaping were greater for males than females. In contrast, interpersonal seeking was greater for females than males.Research limitations/implicationsEntertainment seems to be a key contributor to the festival mood because entertainment and the festival mood were related closely for both genders. In fact, personal and interpersonal escaping means were greater than personal interpersonal seeking means for both genders. Indeed, opportunities exist to develop non-traditional festivals in the country further. Gender differences were identified in several items of personal seeking and escaping, and interpersonal seeking. With respect to personal seeking, men tend to seek the entertainment, festival mood and the event’s uniqueness more than do women, a finding that their higher means in personal escaping supported. It is clear that men view the festival as a way to enjoy themselves to escape from their jobs and daily stress to a greater degree than do their female counterparts. Women are more likely to seek interpersonal experiences in that they are more likely to enjoy the festival because it offers the opportunity to meet new people and spend quality time with family and friends. This study has several limitations, leading to suggestions for future research. Because seeking and escaping motivations have been used relatively little in the festival setting, future researchers should develop a valid scale of personal and interpersonal seeking and escaping motivations specifically for festivals employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. Second, while the data were collected at a single non-traditional festival, future research can use multiple sites to increase the ability to generalize the findings. Third, although this study was limited to Saudi Arabia, further research can apply seeking and escaping motivations, both at the personal and interpersonal levels, to other cultures to extend the applicability of the framework used in this study.Practical implicationsNon-traditional festival managers need to focus on an atmosphere that provides festivities, as many people in the Saudi Arabian culture appear to be escaping from their everyday lives to enjoy themselves and with family and friends. To appeal to male workers, festival organizers and managers need to advertise and market the events’ mood and liveliness overall with photos of workers leaving the office free of stress and looking forward to attending an event. To appeal to women who desire unique experiences that a variety of forms of entertainment provide, event managers must ensure that the entertainment is innovative and creative, and differs from what other festivals provide to attract more female attendees. Also, festival planners must focus on events that incorporate the family unit and promote the opportunity to meet new people to appeal to women in Saudi Arabia.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine gender differences in festival motivations in Saudi Arabia. The relaxation of the historically strict and conservative cultural values, coupled with the country’s desire to develop its tourism and event sector, provides an ideal opportunity for future research. The authors hope that this research will stimulate further interest in the country with the goal to develop and market its tourism sector and products on the world’s stage.

The Role of Sociocultural Factors in Student Achievement Motivation: A Cross-Cultural Review

Motivation is an essential determinant of academic learning, educational choices, and career decisions during adolescence and early adulthood. While achievement motivation has been widely studied across Western populations, recent work has emphasized the importance of examining the universality versus cultural specificity of motivation constructs across countries or diverse cultures. This article is a systematic review of the current discourse surrounding developmental and gender differences in student motivation in the disciplines of mathematics and English, offering comparisons of how these patterns are deployed within Western and East Asian countries. Guided by expectancy–value theory, this review focuses on ability self-concept and task values as two prominent motivational constructs. The authors first examine age and gender differences in the development of ability self-concept and task values among those from Western and East Asian countries from primary school to secondary school. Next, the sociocultural and contextual factors driving developmental and gender differences in motivation are discussed. The article concludes by summarizing the limitations of existing literature and suggesting new lines of inquiry to advance knowledge in cross-cultural studies on student achievement motivation.

Regional and Gender Differences in Self-employment Motivation: Implications on Job Sustainability

The aim of this study was to determine regional and gender differences in motivators for establishing home-based businesses (HBBs) in a former Communist country, Serbia. It is widely accepted that a divide exists between opportunity-driven and necessity-driven entrepreneurs, with HBBs having a greater chance of survival if they are established for opportunity reasons. The fact that a large proportion of HBB owners in the sample reported opportunity motivators (56.7%) suggests that HBBs have a good chance of success in Serbia. The sample was devised of 310 HBB owners (contacted via a postal survey), stratified by gender, location (urban/rural) and type of residence (city/village). When asked to select their primary motivator, 43.3% of respondents selected the necessity motivator, stating that an HBB was “the only chance of employment”. Necessity motivators were more frequently cited in urban areas, compared to rural areas, and 48.9% of women and 35.8% of men started their own business out of necessity. This indicates that there is still a long way to go before gender gaps are closed, as well as that equality must further be promoted in employment and other spheres of public policy (e.g. local economic development). These observations may contribute to establishing home-based business activities as significant contributors to the sustainability of rural communities, as well as to the promotion of awareness and support for self-employment.

A meta-analysis of gender differences in volunteers' motivations: sport vs. non-sport events

The current study meta-analytically examined empirical studies to assess the gender differences in volunteer motivation, using the volunteer function inventory (VFI), and investigated the moderating effect of volunteering context (sport vs. non-sport events) on the relationship between volunteer gender and motivation. A total of 19 studies, published from 2007 to 2017, met the inclusion criteria, and were reviewed by two readers. Cohen's Kappa was calculated for the reliability between the two coders and all meta-analyses were conducted using the comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) program. Results from this meta-study suggested that women scored higher than men on three of the six subscales of the VFI instrument, particularly social, understanding and value-related motivation. Moderator analyses indicated the type of volunteering context is a meaningful moderator of the relationship between gender and motivation. The results also suggested the volunteering context influenced the magnitude and direction of gender differences in all motivational dimensions, except social motivation.

Gender differences in musical motivation at different levels of expertise

Recently, models have been developed that recognise the complexity of motivation. These set out the interactions that occur between environmental (cultural, institutional, familial, educational) and internal factors (cognition and affect) enhancing or reducing motivation. Despite this we know very little about gender differences in motivation in relation to playing an instrument. The current study aimed to address this issue, exploring gender differences in motivation and whether these changed as expertise developed. A total of 3325 children ranging in level of expertise from beginner through to Grade 8 level in independent instrumental music examinations completed a questionnaire that included a seven-point Likert scale with statements exploring different aspects of motivation. A principal components analysis was undertaken and six factors emerged: support and social affirmation; social life and enjoyment of musical activities; enjoyment of performing; self-beliefs; enjoyment of lessons, playing and practise; and disliking practise. The only statistically significant gender difference was in relation to self-beliefs with the boys consistently scoring higher. Further research is needed to establish why this is the case. The findings have major implications for education.

Intention to use flexible work arrangements

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate gender differences in motivations to use flexible work arrangements (FWAs) in Korea.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review on theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study considers four motivational factors that influence the intention to use FWA: motivation for personal life, motivation for productivity, peer behaviour and concerns about career disadvantages. Survey response data drawn from 92 male and 105 female Korean workers were used to analyse differences by gender.FindingsAs for the male respondents, all four motivational factors have a significant effect on the intention to use FWA. However, in the female respondents, the effects of concerns about career disadvantages on the intention to use FWA are not significant. The results of gender differences analysis show that significant difference was not found in the effect of motivation for personal life on the intention to use FWA while the other three motivational factors have significant differences by gender.Research limitations/implicationsIn this research, basing its conceptual background on TPB, a novel approach is taken by introducing motivational factors as the antecedents of intention to use FWA. This is a more systematic view on individuals’ behavioural mechanism relating to the intention to choose FWA. It is also meaningful in that this study looks at the intention to use FWA from a broader perspective by suggesting gender differences as critical analysis criteria given the uniqueness of Korean labour market.Practical implicationsFor an effective operation of FWA, it is important not only to launch a flexible working programme itself, but also to ensure that the users are properly understood and fairly evaluated.Originality/valueConsidering the motivations of utilising FWA from various angles will contribute to coming up with various measures to raise the use and effectiveness of FWA.

Gender, Escalatory Tendencies, and Verbal Aggression in Intimate Relationships.

This study examined the relationship between gender, escalatory tendencies, and the use of verbal aggression among four types of heterosexual dyads: couples with no verbal aggression, man-only verbal aggression, woman-only verbal aggression, and both-partner verbal aggression. The study was based on a community sample of 65 couples (130 men and women). The findings show that while there is no gender difference in the prevalence and incidence of verbal aggression, there is a difference in the levels of motivation to put one's partner "in his or her place" and avoid a confrontation with one's partner. Thus, there is a gender difference in escalatory tendency. This difference is evident in the greater motivation to put one's partner in his or her place observed among women, as compared with men, and in the lower motivation to avoid confrontation observed among women, as compared with men. Moreover, unlike among men, among women, the motivation to put one's partner in his place is higher than the motivation to avoid confrontation. It follows that the escalatory tendency among women is greater than the escalatory tendency among men. The findings also demonstrate significant gender differences in motivations and escalatory tendencies within the different types of dyads examined. These findings establish the relationship between escalation and aggression and also provide a glimpse into the mechanisms that sustain that relationship.

Gender Differences in Motivation to Learn Math Using Role Play Game in Smartphone

Math is often regarded as a difficult subject, so motivation is required from students to learn it. Motivation can be improved through games, one of them is a mobile game. Role Play Game is a game that is often used, by males and females. Female students are better at mathematical thinking, but who is better at learning to use games is still confusing. Most of the previous studies only show that a learning motivation was based on the gender, however, they did not consider the math sides and the kind of games they used yet. This study aims to determine the comparison of students’ learning motivation between males and females in learning using a mobile game. In this research, there were 32 students aged 12-14 years old, males (n = 16) and females (n = 16) that studied the same social arithmetic material using RPG. The result of this research, the males had a better score in math learning motivation based on the questionnaire before and after given treatment t(30) = −2.238, p = 0.033, but female students did fewer mistakes. This paper also summarized the characteristic design of the game.

Gender differences in motives for participation in sports and exercise among Norwegian adolescents

Gender differences in motives for participation in sports and exercise among Norwegian adolescents

Gender Differences in Motivation and Teacher Performance in Core Functions in Kenyan Secondary Schools

Abstract This study investigated gender differences in teacher motivation and performance of the core functions. A mixed method research approach was adopted and within it the concurrent triangulation design was used. The target population was 223 teachers, 45 Principals, 45 DOS’s, and 1 DQASO. The sample size comprised of 100 teachers, 14 Principals, 14 HOD’s Co-curricular, 14 DOS’s and 1 DQASO. Validity was ensured by expert judgment by University supervisors at CUEA and their input were incorporated in the final document while reliability of the instruments was ensured and determined by piloting the instruments in four secondary schools of different categories which constituted 10% of the population. A Cronbach reliability coefficient of 0.7134 was reported. Data collected from questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive statistics in form of percentages, means and frequency counts as well as independent samples t-test. The study reported that gender difference did not have an effect on both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of teachers to perform their core functions. The study also found that gender difference did not have an effect on teachers to perform their core functions. The Kenyan Teachers Service Commission should work out incentive packages to increase teachers’ motivation to perform their core functions effectively.

German Version of the Inventory of Motivations for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteerism: Are There Gender Differences?

The present study examined gender differences in motivations for volunteering for hospice using a German version of the Inventory of Motivations for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteerism (IMHPCV). The IMHPCV was translated into German and back-translated into English following the World Health Organization's guidelines for the translation and adaptation of instruments. In an online survey, 599 female and 127 male hospice volunteers from hospice organizations throughout Germany completed the translated version of the IMHPCV, the Scales of the Attitude Structure of Volunteers as well as questions pertaining to their volunteer experience. Based on an exploratory structural equation modeling approach, adequate model fit was found for the expected factor structure of the German version of the IMHPCV. The IMHPCV showed adequate internal consistency and construct validity. Both female and male hospice volunteers found altruistic motives and humanitarian concerns most influential in their decision to volunteer for hospice. Personal gain was least influential. Men rated self-promotion, civic responsibility, and leisure as more important than women. Analyses provided support for the use of the IMHPCV as a measurement tool to assess motivations to volunteer for hospice. Implications for recruitment and retention of hospice volunteers, in particular males, are given.

Analyzing Predictors of Drinking and Driving among Gender Cohorts within a College Sample

The current study focuses on predominant predictors associated with men’s and women’s engagement in driving under the influence (DUI) in an attempt to determine whether gender-specific interventions would be more affective at reducing impaired vehicle operation. A male-only subsample (n = 863) and a female-only subsample (n = 975) from a survey administered at a large Southeastern university containing self-reported measures of DUI were used to evaluate gender differences in motivations and correlates of DUI behavior. A series of logistic regressions containing indicators drawn from theories of deviant behavior (e.g., Akers’ social learning theory (SLT) and Gottfredson and Hirshi’s low self-control (LSC) theory) yield results indicating that differential association and imitation, both factors associated with SLT, are significant predictors for both gender cohorts’ DUI behavior. Low self- control was a significant predictor within female-only models, but not the final male-only models. This suggests that peer associations and modeling may be targets of intervention generally, but that, as it relates to DUIs, women may particularly benefit from programs focused at limiting impulsivity and risk-taking behavior as these are components of Gottfredson and Hirschi’s LSC construct.

Gender Differences in Motivations for Identity Reconstruction on Social Network Sites

ABSTRACTSocial network sites provide people a unique opportunity for self-presentation. Due to various reasons, people may build an online identity that is partly or even completely different from their identity in the real world. Adopting social role theory as the theoretical foundation, the current study investigated gender differences in the motivations for virtual identity reconstruction on QQ, a social network site based in China. A total of 418 respondents participated in the study. As hypothesized, the results showed that men and women are motivated differently when reconstructing their identity – while women focus more on physical vanity, men emphasize achievement vanity. The authors also identified gender differences in other motivations for online identity reconstruction: bridging social capital, disinhibition, and privacy concerns. The results, which suggest that men and women behave in gender-specific ways, are in line with the propositions made in social role theory.

Gender Differences in Nonprescribed Psychostimulant Use in Young Adults

ABSTRACTBackground: In order to better understand the recent rise in nonprescribed use of psychostimulants on college campuses, motives, outcomes, and acceptability of nonprescribed psychostimulants have been evaluated. Despite knowledge that students use nonprescribed medical stimulants for improved academic performance and recreational use, gender differences in these motives have not been examined, despite the fact that the social construction of gender may well affect motives for use. Objectives: The goal of the present study was to examine gender differences in motives, outcomes, and acceptability of nonprescribed psychostimulant use. Methods: 2716 undergraduates (1448 male) between the ages of 17 and 57 years (M = 19.43 years, SD = 1.7 years) completed an online survey examining subjective motives of nonprescribed psychostimulant use, as well as behaviors after use and moral views of nonprescribed use. Results: Consistent with hypotheses and known gender differences in social motivation, results suggested that while females are more likely to use nonprescribed psychostimulants for reasons related to schoolwork, males are typically more likely to use psychostimulants for reasons related to partying and socializing. Additional gender differences were that males are more likely to take part in other risky behaviors after use of psychostimulants, as well as view nonprescribed use as more moral and less physically dangerous than females. Conclusions/Importance: This work suggests that there are striking gender differences in motivation and outcomes of use of nonprescribed psychostimulants, which may have implications for personalized approaches for prevention of nonprescribed psychostimulant use on campuses based on gender.

The male-female earnings gap for nurses in Germany: A pooled cross-sectional study of the years 2006 and 2012

BackgroundNursing is one of the largest occupations for women in every country. Evidence suggests a substantial male-female pay gap for registered nurses in the U.S., possibly contributing to disparities between genders more broadly. Differences in motivation and skills between men and women have long been considered important factors in the gender earnings gap, but these factors are difficult to measure. Because of country specific educational pathways and limited upward job mobility in Germany, nurses tend to be more homogenous in their motivation to work and their work skills compared to the U.S. ObjectiveTo study male-female earnings in the nursing labor market in Germany. DesignThis is a pooled cross-sectional study of survey data collected for the years 2006 and 2012. MethodsWe used a representative survey of nurses (n = 828) who are active labor force participants. In a multivariate ordinary least squares regression, the analysis estimated the log of monthly earnings for male and female nurses. The full model accounted for demographic, human capital, and geographic characteristics, in addition to employment characteristics, such as hours worked, additional education obtained, years of nursing experience, years of labor market experience, career inactivity, years with the employer, and responsibilities at work, among other factors. We conducted follow-up analyses to test alternative explanations for the pay gap, examining earnings for nurses who no longer worked in nursing and testing potential differences in motivation with the likelihood of working nightshifts and length of time with current employer. ResultsUnadjusted monthly earnings for full-time male nurses were 30% higher, or 700 Euros more, than monthly earnings for full-time female nurses. In the fully adjusted analysis, male nurses out-earned female nurses by approximately 9.3%, or 260 Euros per month. Follow-up analyses suggested that better outside options exist for male than female nurses in the German labor market, while we found no support for gender differences in motivation.

Gender differences in motivation for participation in extra-curricular dance: application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

A key influence on motivation to take part in lifelong physical activity is experience of physical education during the school years. Curriculum-based dance is important for providing a pathway into extra-curricular dance because, for many young people, physical education is their only opportunity to experience dance. A sample of 362 adolescents (mean age 11.10 years, SD .85) from four UK schools completed questionnaires assessing predictors of intention to participate in extra-curricular dance, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Mixed measures analysis of variance were conducted to establish whether intention, attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control changed over time and if any observed change differed between boys and girls. Girls were significantly more motivated to participate in extra-curricular dance than boys. Participation in dance during physical education did not influence this difference. Creating the opportunity to participate in dance is not sufficient to enhance motivation for participation.

Do Women Want to Lead? Gender Differences in Motivation and Values

This paper considers the impact of gender differences in motivation and values on women’s participation in management and senior executive roles, together with the extent to which women who do attain these roles resemble their male peers in terms of their motives and values. The results of a large, quantitative study using the Hogan Motives, Values and Preferences inventory (N = 7571) are presented. These indicate that women do differ significantly from their male peers on 9 out of 10 motive and value scales but that the differences between senior women and their non-managerial female colleagues are less than those between senior men and their non-managerial male colleagues. As a result, key gender differences increase rather than decreasing at senior levels.

Gender differences in motivation, engagement and achievement are related to students' perceptions of peer—but not of parent or teacher—attitudes toward school

The aim of this study was to examine gender differences in students' motivation, engagement, and achievement. Participants were recruited (n=848) from two public secondary schools in the Philippines. Boys showed a more maladaptive profile in terms of academic motivation, engagement, and achievement. Path analyses indicated that these gender differences were associated with peer attitudes toward school. Boys perceived their friends to have more negative attitudes toward school. These perceptions of negative peer attitudes toward school were associated with boys' lower levels of motivation, engagement, and achievement. There were no significant gender differences in terms of perceived parental and teacher support. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Exploring Gender Differences in Motivations for Using Sina Weibo

While Facebook and Twitter get worldwide attention, these popular SNSs are not available in China. As the leading local SNS, Sina Weibo has garnered much of the attention in China. The purpose of the study was to explore why Chinese college students use Sina Weibo and if gender differences exist in the motivations for using it. The results from a survey of 360 respondents show that Chinese students used Sina Weibo mainly for information-gathering, followed by accessibility to celebrity, social connection, self-presentation and entertainment. Among them the most dominant reason for using Sina Weibo was found to be information-gathering. This finding suggests that Sina Weibo functions as a platform to search for information on social issues and interests. The study also found that these motivations were significantly different between male and female users. Interestingly, female respondents used Sina Weibo much more broadly than male counterparts, accessing it to satisfy all needs such as information gathering, accessibility to celebrity, social connection, self-presentation and entertainment. Based on these findings limitations and direction for future studies are discussed.

The Structure of Students’ Motivation: Expectancies and Values in Taking Data Science Course

In this paper we explore motivational structure of students taking a challenging university course. The participants were second-year undergraduate students majoring in Economics, Sociology, Management and Humanities, enrolled in the Data Science minor. Using expectancy-value theory as a framework, we aim (1) to analyze gender differences in motivation; (2) to identify the link between the components of motivation and academic achievement; (3) to estimate the role of the previous academic achievement and educational choices. Two alternativetheoretical models are proposed and tested on empirical data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) in M Plus 7.31 was used for analysis. We found that the course is more popular among males students, who also demonstrate higher level of expectancy for success. However, there is no gender difference in academic performance. Students majoring in Sociology and Economics perceive Data Science as more interesting and useful than Management and Humanities students. SEM analysis empirically validated the model in which expectancy of success directly influences academic achievement, and values influence is mediated by expectancies. The final model that includes motivation, gender, student’s major, and previous achievement explains 34% of variance in academic performance. We discuss the role of different components of student motivation and practical significance of our results.