Sectoral Ethos: An Investigation of the Personal Values Systems of Female and Male Managers in the Public and Private Sectors

The personal values systems of 884 public- and private-sector managers are compared. From that comparison inferences are drawn regarding the ethos of each sector, and potential implications for managers are discussed. Although the personal-values systems in the two sectors are quite similar, results reflect a public-sector ethos that is significantly higher in Delayed Gratification and Self-Expansion and a private-sector ethos that is significantly higher in Competence, Personal Orientation, and Family Security. In addition, this study furthers the view that the personal-values systems of male and female managers within a given employment sector are not significantly different.