The purpose of this study is to examine ethno-racial differences in job expectations within Peru’s diverse workforce. Specifically, the study evaluates whether members of Peru’s four major ethno-racial groups assign different levels of importance to various job characteristics, how their rank-order prioritizations compare and how these patterns inform organizational practices related to recruitment, retention and employee engagement.
Using Manhardt’s 25-item job expectations questionnaire, 562 Peruvian respondents (White/European, Mestizo, Indigenous/Native and Afro-Peruvian/African) rated the importance of job characteristics on a five-point Likert scale. Mean importance ratings, rank-order patterns and group differences were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance with age, gender and employment status as covariates, followed by analysis of covariances and post hoc comparisons. Spearman rank correlations assessed similarity in value hierarchies.
Ethno-racial identity significantly predicted job expectations across 22 of 25 items. Mestizo and Indigenous/Native respondents consistently assigned higher importance to both intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics than White/European respondents, with Afro-Peruvian/African respondents generally falling between these groups. Despite absolute differences, rank-order correlations indicated moderate-to-strong similarity in how groups prioritized job attributes.
Organizations operating in Peru should tailor recruitment messages, job design and development opportunities to reflect the motivational priorities of different ethno-racial groups, particularly emphasizing security, growth and meaningful work for Mestizo and Indigenous/Native workers.
Findings highlight how ethno-racial stratification shapes work values in Peru, offering insights for more equitable and culturally informed talent management strategies.
This study contributes to the limited body of research on within-country ethno-racial variation in job expectations in Latin America by extending the social characteristics model and self-determination theory to Peru’s distinct sociocultural context.
