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Gender differences in the work commitment of Chinese workers: An investigation of two alternative explanations

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  • Peng, Kelly Z.
  • Ngo, Hang-Yue
  • Shi, Junqi
  • Wong, Chi-Sum

Abstract

This study explores the differences in work commitment between Chinese male and female employees. We develop a model that specifies the major antecedents of job and organizational commitment in the Chinese workplace. We then examine whether the gender differences can be attributed to factors related to gender role ideology or unfavorable work conditions encountered by women. Several hypotheses are formulated and tested with a data set collected from 582 employees in Beijing. The findings reveal that employee work commitment is related to organizational support, job characteristics, and perceptions of gender discrimination. Further, it is found that the level of job commitment of women is lower than that of men, whereas the level of organizational commitment is the same for both sexes. The lower level of job commitment of women is due largely to their stronger perception of gender discrimination, receiving less challenging job assignments, and engaging in a low level of leader-member exchange. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Peng, Kelly Z. & Ngo, Hang-Yue & Shi, Junqi & Wong, Chi-Sum, 2009. "Gender differences in the work commitment of Chinese workers: An investigation of two alternative explanations," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 323-335, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:44:y:2009:i:3:p:323-335
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    Cited by:

    1. Peng Nie & Lanlin Ding & Alfonso Sousa-Poza, 2020. "What Chinese Workers Value: An Analysis of Job Satisfaction, Job Expectations, and Labour Turnover in China," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(1), pages 85-104.
    2. Rickne, Johanna, 2010. "Gender, Wages, and Social Security in China’s Industrial Sector," Working Paper Series 827, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    3. Tatli, Ahu & Vassilopoulou, Joana & Özbilgin, Mustafa, 2013. "An unrequited affinity between talent shortages and untapped female potential: The relevance of gender quotas for talent management in high growth potential economies of the Asia Pacific region," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 539-553.
    4. Kelly Z. Peng, 2017. "Responding to emotions in China: Gender differences and the emotion-job outcome relationship," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 443-460, June.
    5. Hang Ngo & Sharon Foley & Ming Ji & Raymond Loi, 2014. "Work Satisfaction of Chinese Employees: A Social Exchange and Gender-Based View," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(2), pages 457-473, April.
    6. Ming Jia & Zhe Zhang, 2013. "Critical Mass of Women on BODs, Multiple Identities, and Corporate Philanthropic Disaster Response: Evidence from Privately Owned Chinese Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 303-317, December.
    7. Chi-Sum Wong & Kelly Peng & Junqi Shi & Yina Mao, 2011. "Differences between odd number and even number response formats: Evidence from mainland Chinese respondents," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 379-399, June.
    8. Ye Luo, 2016. "Gender and Job Satisfaction in Urban China: The Role of Individual, Family, and Job Characteristics," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(1), pages 289-309, January.
    9. Syaeful Bahri & Ma’ruf Akbar & Billy Tunas & Sukemi Kadiman, 2019. "Employee’s Performance in a Commission for General Election of Banten Province, an Evidence from Indonesia," International Journal of Human Resource Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 9(3), pages 176-197, December.
    10. Koveshnikov, Alexei & Tienari, Janne & Piekkari, Rebecca, 2019. "Gender in international business journals: A review and conceptualization of MNCs as gendered social spaces," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 37-53.
    11. Ramamoorthy Nagarajan & Stringer Donna, 2017. "Equity versus equality norms of justice and organisational commitment: the moderating role of gender," The Irish Journal of Management, Sciendo, vol. 36(3), pages 206-220.
    12. Pengyu Chen & Abd Alwahed Dagestani, 2023. "Greenwashing behavior and firm value – From the perspective of board characteristics," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2330-2343, September.
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