Abstract

Given the inequitable distribution of men and women in the workplace, this study employed the theory of planned behaviour to investigate whether men are generally less willing to pursue sex-atypical careers than women and, if so, to determine what factors help to explain their reluctance. To this end, an Ajzen & Fishbein (1980) type questionnaire was administered to 212 fifth-form students, randomly selected from secondary schools in Ireland. Strong evidence was provided to suggest that males are much less willing than females to adopt egalitarian roles. Moreover, the present findings clearly demonstrated the importance of self-efficacy theory in the career decision-making process.