Protestant Work Ethic Beliefs Research Articles

Comparing the Protestant work ethic in the employed and unemployed in Australia

There has been considerable variation in suggestions by popular press and academic researchers that the Protestant work ethic (PWE) is on the decline or is changing. Surprisingly, research investigating the relationship between PWE beliefs and work-related variables is relatively recent, yet is important given its connection with numerous work attitudes and behaviours. Many PWE scales provide a unitary measure of the construct, despite evidence highlighting its multidimensionality. Using a sample of 206 employed and 193 unemployed participants, the present study investigated the relationship between work variables, such as the latent and manifest benefits of employment and specific PWE dimensions, and further sought to determine if these relationships significantly influenced the psychological well-being of these populations. It was found that analysing the separate dimensions of the PWE with the latent and manifest benefits of employment was valuable in better understanding the contribution each has to the psychological well-being of employed and unemployed individuals. Importantly, no differences existed between the employed and unemployed in their commitment to the values of the PWE.

Time structure and purpose, Type A behavior, and the Protestant work ethic

This study extended pioneering research of M. J. Bond and N. T. Feather (1988) into time structure and purpose. These investigators reported generally positive relationships between five time structure components and Type A behavior and orthogonal relationships with the Protestant work ethic (PWE). Such findings seemed inconsistent with theoretical expectations, and therefore potentially threatened the nomological validity of Bond and Feather's Time Structure Questionnaire (TSQ). In this study, two samples of employed persons (total N=407) completed self-report surveys. No time structure component was associated with global Type A or PWE measures. Orthogonal relationships also appeared with impatient, irritable, and time-pressured aspects of Type A behavior, and with three PWE beliefs concerned with asceticism, leisure, and perceived superiority to others. On the other hand, some TSQ dimensions, particularly Persistence, related positively to PWE beliefs that hard work is essential to produce valued outcomes. Moreover, five of six TSQ components tended to be strongly and positively linked with the hard-driving, competitive, and achievement-oriented side of Type A behavior. This study reconciled past and current research findings, and affirmed the potential importance of time structure and purpose in the study of organizational behavior. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Time structure and purpose, Type A behavior, and the Protestant work ethic

This study extended pioneering research of M. J. Bond and N. T. Feather (1988) into time structure and purpose. These investigators reported generally positive relationships between five time structure components and Type A behavior and orthogonal relationships with the Protestant work ethic (PWE). Such findings seemed inconsistent with theoretical expectations, and therefore potentially threatened the nomological validity of Bond and Feather's Time Structure Questionnaire (TSQ). In this study, two samples of employed persons (total N=407) completed self-report surveys. No time structure component was associated with global Type A or PWE measures. Orthogonal relationships also appeared with impatient, irritable, and time-pressured aspects of Type A behavior, and with three PWE beliefs concerned with asceticism, leisure, and perceived superiority to others. On the other hand, some TSQ dimensions, particularly Persistence, related positively to PWE beliefs that hard work is essential to produce valued outcomes. Moreover, five of six TSQ components tended to be strongly and positively linked with the hard-driving, competitive, and achievement-oriented side of Type A behavior. This study reconciled past and current research findings, and affirmed the potential importance of time structure and purpose in the study of organizational behavior. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Comparison of Protestant Work Ethic Beliefs in Thirteen Nations

Abstract This study was concerned with the measurement and comparison of Protestant Work Ethic scores in 13 countries. Subjects completed seven work ethic scales, which have varying reliabilities and validities. Cronbach alphas indicated that five of the seven had acceptable reliability. For every measure, there was a highly significant difference between the scores of subjects from the different countries, and the differences tended to be consistent over the various measures. Subjects from richer, First World countries tended to have lower scores than those from Third World countries. Also, the correlation between the most well known work ethic scale score and Hofstede's (1984) power-distance score for the 13 countries was highly significant, indicating that work ethic beliefs were associated with differential weights placed on prestige, power, and wealth in a society. The results are discussed in terms of the extensive literature on cross-cultural comparison, particularly with reference to work beliefs ...

The protestant work ethic and economic beliefs

This study investigated the structure and correlates of economic beliefs among a sample of 256 adult Australians. Two interpretable components containing traditional left-wing and right-wing items were identified. This supports previous British findings (Fumham, 1985b). As predicted, Protestant work ethic (PWE) beliefs correlated significantly with each scale in the expected direction. Demographic correlates of the economic and PWE beliefs are noted, and the results discussed with reference to Eysenck's (1954) theory of attitude structure and previous research into economic and social attitudes.

A Content, Correlational, and Factor Analytic Study of Seven Questionnaire Measures of the Protestant Work Ethic

A review of the literature revealed seven, quite different self-report measures of the Protestant Work Ethic (PWE). This study set out to compare and contrast these different measures by content, correlational, and factor analysis. Over 1000 English-speaking respondents completed all seven scales. Content analyses revealed seven dimensions to the PWE measures, and correlational analyses confirmed this. Factor analyses yielded five readily interpretable factors. The results are discussed in terms of the multi-dimensional nature of the PWE beliefs, the psychometric evaluation of the different scales, and the difficulty of defining the PWE in current contexts.

The Protestant work ethic and the Prisoner's Dilemma Game

Although previous research has not always found a clear relationship between personality variables and cooperative vs. competitive behaviour on experimental games, this study set out to investigate the relationship between Protestant work ethic (PWE) beliefs and game play. The Prisoner's Dilemma Game (PDG) was presented in one of two formats (conventional matrix or business simulation) and played by pairs of high, low or mixed scorers on the PWE. As predicted, the business simulation elicited more competitive responses than the conventional matrix. Furthermore, high PWE scorers tended to be more competitive than low PWE scorers. Results are discussed in terms of PWE beliefs and behaviours.

Predicting protestant work ethic beliefs

Two correlational studies attempt to determine the aetiology of Protestant Work Ethic (PWE) beliefs by looking at the relationship between it and various theoretically related variables. In the first study, three demographic and seven psychographic variables were regressed onto the PWE using step‐wise multiple regression. Five of the ten predictors were significant indicating that people with high internal and powerful other locus of control beliefs, limited educaztion, conservativel free‐enterprise economic beliefs, and strong postponement of gratification beliefs and practices were most likely to endorse the PWE. In the second study parents and college‐age children completed the same questionnaire to indicate family resemblances in PWE beliefs. Using a within‐family analysis it was found that there were family resemblances in PWE, economic and voting beliefs and that sons were less similar to their parents than were daughters. Results provide partial support for both McClelland's and Weber's theses, and underline other results suggesting the role of psychological conservatism in the development of PWE beliefs.

The Protestant Ethic in West Africa

Beit-Hallahmi had found Protestant Work Ethic beliefs did not discriminate between Protestants and Catholics. It may be interesting to measure these values in an Islamic context. The Protestant Ethic Scale (6) was administered to 163 secondary school students (81 girls and 82 boys) from Dakar, ranging in age from 17 to 21 yr. The mean was 19.6 yr. They were subdivided according to socioeconomic status (33 subjects from rich families, 80 from the middle class, and 50 from poor farnilies). The scale is one of the most widely used rating scales for measurement of the Protestant work ethic ( 3 ) . Although severely criticized (8) for the pugnacious tone of the items, this scale has excellent reliability coefficients ( 4 ) . Present results are very similar to prior ones (5, 6 ) . The mean score was 85.0 and the standard deviation 13.7. Over two-thirds of subjects endorsed strongly the items: Any man who is willing and able has a good chance to succeed; Life would have little meaning if we never had to suffer; and If one works hard enough, he will make a good life for himself. Like others ( 2 , 3 ) we found no significant correlations for demographic variables such as age, sex, and class, and scores on the Protestant Ethic Scale. Earlier research (7) in which university students had a very high mean score cannot be generalized to West Africa.

Many sides of the coin: The psychology of money usage

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between various demographic and social belief variables, and people's attitudes to, and habits of, money usage. Over 250 people from a variety of different backgrounds completed a number of standardized questionnaires, as well as two questionnaires on money. A factor analysis of the Money Beliefs and Behaviour Scale revealed six clearly interpretable factors, which were later computed into six subscale scores. Analysis of variance showed that age, education and Protestant Work Ethic beliefs most differentiated Ss' attitudes to money. A canonical correlational analysis revealed three significant variates. There were also a few interesting differences in how Ss viewed the way in which they treated money in the past and in how they expected to do so in the future. The results are discussed in terms of previous literature in the field, and suggestions for further research are considered.

The protestant work ethic: A review of the psychological literature

AbstractDespite criticism of Weber's thesis concerning the Protestant Work Ethic (PWE) and the rise of Capitalism, few have challenged the specification of the behaviour patterns, goals and values of those adhering to this ethic. Whereas psychologists have not been very interested in the nature of the historical, political and sociological arguments concerning the PWE, they have devoted a great deal of research to its measurement and correlates. In this paper the concept of the PWE; the literature on the instruments devised to measure the PWE; studies on the relationship between the PWE and work and unemployment; as well as research on the PWE and individual differences is reviewed. Despite great heterogeneity in aims, methodology and instruments used in different studies, a coherent picture of PWE beliefs emerges. Finally an elaboration of a new perspective on PWE research is suggested.

The protestant work ethic, human values and attitudes towards taxation

The literature on demographic determinants of attitudes towards taxation was briefly reviewed. Whereas most previous concerned the relationship between such things as income, vote etc. and tax attitudes, this study examined the relationship between Protestant Work Ethic beliefs, social value systems and attitudes toward taxation. It was demonstrated that subjects who strongly endorsed the Protestant Work Ethic were more opposed to taxation than those who did not strongly endorse these beliefs. Further many of the instrumental and terminal value systems of subjects who were pro-taxation were significantly different from those who were anti-taxation. The results are discussed in terms of the psychology of lay-economic beliefs and implications for social change were noted.

The Protestant work ethic and attitudes towards unemployment

The literature on personal correlates of Protestant work ethic beliefs and the relationship between these beliefs and various aspects of paid work is briefly reviewed. A study is described which examines the relationship between Protestant work ethic beliefs and attitudes to unemployment. Subjects rated the importance of various explanations for unemployment in Britain, as well as their agreement with statements about social security (welfare) payments to the unemployed. As predicted, people who strongly endorsed the Protestant work ethic stressed negative individualistic explanations for unemployment and were, by and large, more against welfare payments than those who did not strongly endorse those beliefs. The results are discussed in terms of the psychology of lay economic explanations, and some implications for social change are noted.