Twelfth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

This is the first study of importance of life-domains among women in the ultra-Orthodox community: the fastest growing population in Israel. This population exhibits a unique occupational pattern in which women are the primary economic actors. As women are transitioning into more central occupational and economic players throughout the world, this research has both theoretical and practical implications. 567 employed Jewish Israeli women (309 secular, 138 traditional and 120 ultra-Orthodox) completed a survey about relative importance of life domains. Responses were analyzed via mean-comparison tests, ANOVA and regression analysis. The findings revels that unexpectedly, religiosity was associated with higher work centrality. Work centrality was highest among ultra-Orthodox women, and family centrality lowest. Centrality of religion increased and centrality of leisure decreased with religiosity. No differences emerged regarding centrality of community. This study closes gaps in research examining the impact of religion and of gender on work attitudes. It does so among women in the fastest growing population of Israel, that exhibit a unique occupational pattern that can contribute to both theoreticians and policy planners regarding implications of the transition of women to more central economic roles. The data point to changes in the attitudes of ultra-Orthodox women toward life-domains. Those changes and the increased presence of these women at the workplace challenge both organizational and community leaders to reexamine how to best react to and benefit from the above.

Presenters

Moshe Sharabi
Associate Professor, Department of MA Studies in Organizational Development and Consulting, Yezreel Valley Academic College, Israel

Avi Kay
Senior Lecturer, Business Administration, Senior Lecturer, Jerusalem College of Technology; and Research Fellow, Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel