Work Ethic among Jews and Muslims: The Effect of Religiosity Degree and Demographic Factors

There are no studies that compare the work ethic of Jews and Muslims in and out of Israel. This study examines and compares the work ethic among Jews and Muslims in Israel according to their degree of religiosity. The sample included 898 Jews and 215 Muslims representing the labor force that filled out the Meaning of Work questionnaire. The work ethic dimensions were obligation norms, entitlement norms, and work centrality. Among Jews, the agreement with obligation and entitlement norms was the highest among religious respondents and the lowest among their secular counterparts, while secular Jews have higher work centrality than traditionalists, especially than religious Jews. Muslim society was found to be more homogeneous than Jewish society, as the work ethic dimensions among Muslims are not affected by religiosity degree and, even when it is controlled, the other demographic variables do not generally influence work ethic dimensions. The meaning of the findings and their implications are discussed.