EFFECTS OF SEX-BASED PREFERENTIAL SELECTION AND DISCRIMINATION ON JOB-ATTITUDES

The effects of managerial and professional employees' (N = 188) perceptions of sex-based preferential selection and discrimination on their job attitudes were examined. As expected, men and women had negative job attitudes when they believed that selection practices discriminated against their own sex. Contrary to previous findings, however, both men and women had more positive job attitudes when their own sex was given preferential treatment than when decisions were sex-neutral. Overall, there was no support for the notion that preferential treatment has a negative effect on the job attitudes of its intended beneficiaries.