Abstract
This research identified mediators explaining the relationship between gender and attitudes toward affirmative action programs for women. Structural equation modeling was conducted on survey data obtained from academics at an Australian university (n = 198 with listwise deletion of missing data). Findings indicated that the relationship between gender and affirmative action attitudes was mediated by (1) perceptions of affirmative action's impact on material self-interest, (2) belief in the existence of gender discrimination, and (3) traditional attitudes toward women. Implications for organizations, policymakers, and researchers are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Arbuckle, J. L. (1997). AMOS (Version 3.61). Chicago: SmallWaters.
Bell, M. P., Harrison, D. A., & McLaughlin, M. E. (1997). Asian American attitudes toward affirmative action in employment: Implications for the model minority myth. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 33, 356-377.
Benokraitis, N. V. (1997). Subtle sexism: Current practice and prospects for change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Bobo, L. (1998). Race, interests, and beliefs about affirmative action. American Behavioral Scientist, 41, 985-1003.
Bobo, L., & Hutchings, V. L. (1996). Perceptions of racial group competition: Extending Blumer's theory of group position to a multiracial social context. American Sociological Review, 61, 951-972.
Bobo, L., & Kluegel, J. R. (1993). Opposition to race-targeting: Self-interest, stratification ideology, or racial attitudes? American Sociological Review, 58, 443-464.
Bobocel, D. R., Son Hing, L. S., Davey, L. M., Stanley, D. J., & Zanna, M. P. (1998). Justice-based opposition to social policies: Is it genuine? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 653-669.
Burn, S. M. (1996). The social psychology of gender. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Coontz, P. D. (1995). Gender bias in the legal profession: Women “see” it, men don't. Women and Politics, 15, 1-22.
Dougherty, D. S. (1999). Dialogue through standpoint: Understanding women's and men's standpoints of sexual harassment. Management Communication Quarterly, 12, 436-468.
Feldman, S. (1988). Structure and consistency in public opinion: The role of core beliefs and values. American Journal of Political Science, 32, 416-440.
Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women's development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hallstein, D. L.O. (1999).Apostmodern caring: Feminist standpoint theories, revisioned caring, and communication ethics. Western Journal of Communication, 63, 32-56.
Harding, S. (1991). Who's science? Who's knowledge? Thinking from women's lives. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Hartsock, N. C. M. (1987). The feminist standpoint: Developing the ground for a specifically feminist historical materialism. In S. Harding (Ed.), Feminism and methodology (pp. 157-180). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Jacques, R. (1997). The unbearable whiteness of being: Reflections of a pale, stale male. In P. Prasad, A. J. Mills, M. Elmes, & A. Prasad (Eds.), Managing the organizational melting pot: Dilemmas of workplace diversity (pp. 80-106). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Kern, J. A. (1994, August). Making sense of gender inequality: An investigation of ideology in organizations. Paper presented at the annual meetings of the Academy of Management, Dallas, TX.
Kluegel, J. R. (1985). “If there isn't a problem, you don't need a solution”: The bases of contemporary affirmative action attitudes. American Behavioral Scientist, 28, 761-784.
Kluegel, J. R., & Smith, E. R. (1983). Affirmative action attitudes: Effects of selfinterest, racial affect, and stratification beliefs on whites' views. Social Forces, 61, 797-824.
Konrad, A. M., & Linnehan, F. (1995). Race and sex differences in line managers' reactions to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action interventions. Group and Organization Management, 20, 409-439.
Konrad, A. M., & Linnehan, F. (1999). Affirmative action: History, effects and attitudes. In G. N. Powell (Ed.), Handbook of gender and work (pp. 429-452). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Konrad, A. M., & Spitz, J. (1999, August). Explaining demographic group differences in affirmative action attitudes. Paper presented at the meeting of the Academy of Management, Chicago, IL.
Kravitz, D. A., & Platania, J. (1993). Attitudes and beliefs about affirmative action: Effects of target and of respondent sex and ethnicity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 928-938.
McIntosh, P. (1990, Winter). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Independent School (pp. 31-36). (Reprinted from Peace and Freedom, July/August, 1989).
Morgan, B. L. (1996). Putting the feminism into feminism scales: Introduction of a liberal feminist attitude and ideology scale (LFAIS). Sex Roles, 34, 359-390.
Myaskovsky, L., & Wittig, M. A. (1997). Predictors of feminist social identity among college women. Sex Roles, 37, 861-883.
Renzetti, C. M. (1987). New wave or second stage? Attitudes of college women toward feminism. Sex Roles, 16, 265-277.
Sears, D. O., & Funk, C. L. (1990). Self-interest in American's political opinions. In J. J. Mansbridge (Ed.), Beyond self-interest (pp. 147-170). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Sheridan, A. (1998). Patterns in the policies: Affirmative action in Australia. Women in Management Review, 13, 243-252.
Sidanius, J., Pratto, F., Martin, M., & Stallworth, L. M. (1991). Consensual racism and career track: Some implications of social dominance theory. Political Psychology, 12, 691-721.
Smith, S. M., & DeMan, A. F. (1996). Selected personality characteristics and attitudes toward feminism. Social Behavior and Personality, 24, 273-278.
Smith, E., & Witt, S. (1990). Black faculty and affirmative action at predominantly white institutions. Western Journal of Black Studies, 14(1), 9-16.
Spence, J. T., & Helmrich, R. (1972, Spring). The attitude toward women scale: An objective instrument to measure attitudes toward the rights and roles of women in contemporary society. (JSAS) Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 2, 66-67.
Spence, J. T., & Helmrich, R. (1978). Masculinity and femininty: Their psychological dimensions, correlates, and antecedents. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
Steeh, C., & Krysan, M. (1996). Affirmative action and the public, 1970-1995. Public Opinion Quarterly, 60, 128-158.
Thompson, E. H., Jr., Pleck, J. H., & Ferrera, D. L. (1992). Men and masculinities: Scales for masculinity ideology and masculinity-related constructs. Sex Roles, 27, 573-607.
Tougas, F., & Beaton, A. M. (1993). Affirmative action in the work place: For better or for worse. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 42, 253-264.
Tougas, F., & Veilleux, F. (1990). The response of men to affirmative action strategies for women: The study of a predictive model. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 22, 424-432.
Twenge, J. M. (1997). Attitudes toward women, 1970-1995: A meta-analysis. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 35-51.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Konrad, A.M., Hartmann, L. Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action Programs in Australia: Effects of Beliefs, Interests, and Attitudes Toward Women. Sex Roles 45, 415–432 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014317800293
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014317800293