THE CORPORATE WOMAN OF THE 1990s

Attention to gender and the impact of perceived female/male differences on vocational choices, vocational behavior, and career opportunity peaked in the late 1970s and seemed to reach a plateau with the conclusion that most workplace gender differences can be accounted for by other variables, for example, job tenure and organizational level. Women who entered the workplace in the mid 1970s are now reaching the middle levels of organizations and provide a cohort group on which to test this hypothesis. This study examines gender comparisons on paper-and-pencil personality tests and interest surveys in a group of executive-level adults representing a wide variety of industries and job functions. Gender comparisons are discussed either as a function of occupational choice or membership in a minority group. Acknowledging and explaining gender differences where they exist can provide women with validation and support for their own experience.