A research team at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School released a new study that shows, “women are less willing to sacrifice ethical values for money and social status and that women associate business with immorality more strongly,” CNN reports.
The research involved three separate studies with a main element focusing on a series of fictitious job descriptions which study participants were asked to evaluate. These job descriptions included an ethics component. CNN reports that only when ethics were involved did women show less interest in the job. They indicated that they would struggle to perform some of the job requirements and would have to sacrifice their values to excel in the job.
Lead researcher Jessica Kennedy offers key suggestions and considerations for both businesses and women based on the data:
- Talent Retention: “Businesses can retain talented women by acting more ethically,” explained Kennedy.
- Job Search: If a worker values ethics highly, then she should analyze the ethos of any organization she considers working for before she applies for a job.
It’s important to point out that the study didn’t find women are more ethical than men in general, but there are significant differences in how men and women think and act in their jobs.
You can follow the link at the beginning of this article to read all of the details about the study.
