Love your job? Thank your mom
By Aaron Hurst, Washington Post
The key to not growing up to be money obsessed and unhappy at work is simple: Have a strong relationship with your mother.
It has been understood since the 1970s that our initial development of values and behaviors happens during our middle- and high-school years. And research has consistently shown that, despite the influence of friends and media, parents have the greatest role in shaping these patterns.
What’s been less clear until now is the difference in impact that mothers and fathers have. So prior to receiving her doctorate and joining Google, Kathryn Dekas partnered with her University of Michigan faculty adviser, Wayne Baker, to explore how parents affect the work lives of kids once they leave the nest.
They knew based on previous research — including seminal work by their colleague, Amy Wrzesniewski — that people tend to identify with one of three work orientations and maintain that orientation throughout their entire careers, regardless of job type.