ABSTRACT
Stereotypes are culture-dependent sets of beliefs about social entities (i.e., groups or social categories). Based on classification and categorization of individuals into groups, stereotypes pertain to the attribution of characteristics, intentions, and attitudes of individuals according to the groups in which they were categorized. 1 In certain situations, stereotypes are applied undiscriminatingly to all members of these entities, even though the generalizations do not fit the entire group for which they were created. In the labor market, stereotypic generalizations tum population characteristics (such as gender, race, or age) into bases for attributing selective productivity-related characteristics to different social categories and groups. As a result, diverse expectations are developed and different work behaviors are predicted for specific groups of workers. Because many stereotypes are attached to gender and the division of labor between men and women, they-and the prejudice they create-form an inherent limitation on women's labor market attainment, and create the basis for discrimination.
