Perceptions of Membership and Women in Administration

This paper addresses the special situation of the female administrator, her perceptions of membership in the work group and organization, and how these conceptions may reflect her sense of efficacy and impact on the organization. Jay Jackson's theory of psychological membership is the basis for examining perceived work group and organizational membership among male and female managers in three public agencies. The Person-Group Relationship Scale and Person-Organization Relationship Scale were used to collect the data. Finally, the article explores how the psychology of membership may affect the effective participation of female managers in public organizations.