He said, she said : gender differences in perception of work and its relation to the negotiation of work and non-work boundaries

Abstract

This study explores the gender differences in which work is perceived by fresh university graduates who have just entered the workforce. It aims to facilitate a better understanding of how millennials, often perceived by older generations to be lacking in work ethics, attach meaning to the various aspects of work and how these meanings in turn influence the way each gender negotiates the twin domains of work and non-work. It was found that gender differences in perception of work are shaped by changes in Singapore’s socio-political landscape as well as by contemporary phenomena such as the changing nature of work. Besides differences, the study also surfaced some similarities between both genders with regards to their desire for increased autonomy in order to better negotiate their work and non-work domains.