Relevancia del género y de las variables sociodemográficas en locus de control y en factores motivacionales relativos al área laboral

Abstract

This study analyzes the relevance of gender and sociodemographic variables on locus of control and motivation in the workplace. The sample was comprised of 215 men and 319 women from the general population, between 18 and 65 years old (mean age = 28.7; SD = 10.5). We did not find statistically significant interactions on locus of control and motivational factors between gender and educational level, gender and occupation, gender and marital status (single vs. married) and gender and having or not having children. When we controlled for age effect, we only found statistically significant gender differences on two of the six motivational factors and on two of the eight factors of locus of control. Furthermore, the effect-size of the differences was small, except on the factor of inhibition as a reaction to stress. Women showed moderately increased inhibition as a reaction to stress compared to men. We lound that the effect of educational level was more pronounced than gender on locus of control and motivational factors in the workplace. People with university-level studies showed less indifference to work, less inhibition as a reaction to stress, and less self-critical external and internal locus of control. When age and educational level were controlled, we did not lind statistically significant differences in either motivational, or locus of control lactors between single and married people, between people with and without children and between people with different occupations.