Perceptions of service occupation stereotypes among American and Turkish millennials

Abstract

The service sector has consistently expanded within the global economy and has become a significant component of national economies. Advancements in the service sectors of national economies have generated new service-related jobs and professions, which have become a primary source of employment. While these job opportunities have provided employment for both men and women, a persistent issue is how these new roles are viewed through the lens of occupational stereotypes. In many high-status professions, men continue to dominate, whereas women tend to occupy lower-status roles, particularly in collectivist cultures. Gender discrimination in the workplace has emerged as a major obstacle to achieving the U.N.‘s Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. Thus, suitable employment strategies for the fulfillment of positions with young labor, namely millennials, have gained importance in business settings. Different from other studies, this study investigated millennials’ perceptions of service profession-status stereotyping by gender in Türkiye and the USA. Data were collected using a survey instrument from a convenience sample of Turkish and American millennials. This study provided insights about service-status stereotyping using seventeen different services. Results showed that for some service occupations, status stereotyping significantly exists among millennials.

Keywords

• Millennials
• Occupational stereotypes
• Service occupations
• Cross-country comparisons

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