Relation of Sex to Perceived Legitimacy of Organizational Influence

Abstract

Based on the hypothesis that many female managers experience job difficulties as a result of their failure to accept male-determined organizational behavior patterns, this study investigated the question, “Does sex, as an independent variable, contribute to differences in male-female perceptions of the legitimacy of various organizational influences?” Data collected from 108 male managers and 145 female managers with use of the Schein-Ott Legitimacy of Organizational Influence Questionnaire were analyzed by means of Fisher's exact probability test and the coefficient of association asymmetric lambda. The findings indicated that factors other than sex play a major role in determining employee response patterns to the legitimacy of various organizational influences. This conclusion serves to throw doubt on numerous studies purporting to provide evidence that differences exist between male and female organizational behavior patterns.