Job and Role Dissonance and Withdrawal from Work among Women Workers

The phenomenon of withdrawal from work has been the subject of numerous research studies, many of which have produced conflicting results. The variety of disciplines which have contributed to these studies has resulted in the lack of a common conceptual framework which makes it difficult to compare and assess their results. This paper suggests a conceptual framework within which future studies could be set. The dissonance model which is developed permits the inclusion of factors which previous studies have shown to be associated with withdrawal from work, irrespective of the disciplines from which they originated. The model is partially tested among 109 women manual workers, and the results suggest that it provides a useful conceptual framework for use in future studies.