What values drive tech workers? New study shows they’re liberal– but not uniform

A new study offers the first large-scale, data-driven examination of tech workers’ values across Europe. The findings reveal that while developers tend to be highly individualistic, open to change, and driven by universalist ideals, non-developers often align more closely with other occupational elites like managers and professionals. This challenges the notion of a unified “tech elite” and highlights the importance of internal diversity in shaping the ethics and impact of the tech industry.

In an era where digital innovation shapes nearly every aspect of life, the people behind the technology—tech workers—are often portrayed as a powerful and unified elite. But a new study led by Gilad Be’ery and Dr. Dmitry Epstein from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem offers the first large-scale, data-driven insight into the values of European tech workers, revealing a more complex reality. Based on nearly a decade of data from the European Social Survey and grounded in the widely respected Schwartz Theory of Basic Human Values—developed at the Hebrew University by Prof. Shalom Schwartz—the study shows that developers, in particular, hold distinct value profiles that set them apart from both the general public and other occupational elites.

The research shows that developers hold significantly different values from both the general public and other occupational elites. They exhibit a strongly liberal worldview—marked by openness to change, individualism, and universalism—while tending to reject values associated with conservatism and tradition.

“These findings matter because developers are not just workers—they’re architects of the      technological infrastructures that governs our lives,” said Gilad Be’ery, a PhD candidate at the Federmann School of Public Policy and Governance at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Head of the Economic Reforms Program at the Israel Democracy Institute. “It positions them as a rising elite of our digital age. Understanding their values is      critical to understanding the ethical foundations of our digital future as well as the trajectories of influence in wider societal and political issues.”

The study also highlights that tech workers are far from a monolithic group. Non-developer tech workers—such as IT support, QA specialists, and other roles—tend to share more in common with other occupational elites than with developers. This internal divide challenges simplistic narratives of a unified “tech elite.”

“The popular image of tech workers as a single, cohesive class is misleading,” said Dr. Dmitry Epstein, senior lecturer at the Federmann School. “For example, developers are more open to change and less conservative compared to non-developers—and that has implications for how the public and policy makers think about ethics, responsibility, and diversity in the tech industry.”

The research further suggests that part of what makes tech-worker values distinct could be      the sector’s skewed socio-demographic profile: young, well-educated, affluent men. This correlation between demographics and value orientation underscores the importance of diversity—not only for equity and opportunity but also for shaping the value landscape embedded in technology.

By revealing the complex nature of the value profiles within the tech workforce, this study sets the stage for future conversations about how the personal beliefs of developers influence the technologies we rely on.