Rural and Urban Differences: One More Time

THE HYPOTHESIS THAT WORKER RURAL-URBAN BACKGROUND IS RELATED TO JOB-ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR WAS TESTED IN A PLANT EMPLOYING 1,700. DATA WAS COLLECTED DURING WORKING HOURS AS FOLLOWS - 1. A VOLUNTARY QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED. 2. EACH COOPERATING WORKER'S IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR COMPLETED AN APPRAISAL FORM RATING WORK EFFECTIVENESS. 3. COMPANY PERSONNEL RECORDS WERE USED TO COLLECT JOB CLARIFICATIONS AND ATTENDANCE DATA FOR EACH COOPERATING WORKER. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY PROVIDED LITTLE SUPPORT FOR THE HYPOTHESIS TESTED. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO POPULATIONS (RURAL VERSUS URBAN WORKERS) ON THE BASES OF FREQUENCY OF ABSENCES AND RATED PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE DIFFERENCES WERE EXPLAINABLE BY LENGTH OF COMPANY SERVICE. THE ONE RELATIONSHIP NOT EXPLAINABLE WAS THE DIFFERENCES IN RATED PERFORMANCE BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN WORKERS - LOW SENIORITY RURALS TENDED TO BE RATED HIGHER. CHART.