The Protestant Work Ethic in Great Britain and Uganda

Abstract

This study examined Protestant work ethic (PWE) beliefs in Great Britain and Uganda. University students completed seven PWE scales that had been used in many countries both from the developing and developed world. A two-way (Sex x Nationality) ANOVA showed many highly significant main effects particularly that for nationality, but few significant interactions. Those who endorsed the PWE were generally females more than males and Ugandans more than Britons. Possible experimental artifacts and moderator variables are considered along with the possibility that genuine cultural differences were found. These results are discussed in terms of the relevant literature on cross-culture studies of the PWE.