Work orientation and job satisfaction of social workers in direct practice and administration : a focus on men in a non-traditional occupation

Social work has been considered a female-dominated profession where men are disproportionately represented in supervisory and administrative roles. Recently, the proportion of men in social work compared to women has declined while the work place on the whole has been becoming more integrated by sex. The current study investigated how sex, sex-typed attitudes and behaviors, and work role may influence job satisfaction of social workers. Data were collected on 200 Master's level social workers in the state of Tennessee who were employed in public practice. The sample consisted of four groups, 52 women in direct practice, 50 women in administration, 45 men in direct practice, and 53 men in administration. Sex-typed attitudes and behaviors were measured using a factor analysis solution which resulted in intrinsic and extrinsic work orientation dimensions. Job satisfaction was measured using a factor analysis solution which resulted in intrinsic, extrinsic, and financial dimensions. Two-way ANOVA was used to test the effects of sex and work role on work orientation, and sex, work orientation, and work role on job satisfaction. The results showed that women were more intrinsically oriented than men, and administrators were both more intrinsically and extrinsically oriented than direct practice workers. Administrators were more satisfied with the intrinsic, extrinsic, and financial dimensions of their jobs than direct practice workers. Sex had little effect on the intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions of job satisfaction while men were more satisfied with the financial dimension than women. These findings have implications for the understanding of men in occupations non-traditional for their sex.