Respondent No:
School of Management
Universiti Sains Malaysia
11800 Penang
Tel: 604-6533888 Ext. 3355/ Fax: 604-6577448
________________________________________________________________
Dear Respondent:
This present study is designed to understand how changes in careers are
affecting our ability to remain employable, to have mobility if we desire to, and to
achieve work-life balance. The information provided by you will help us
understand better the competencies necessary to remain employable. Since you
are at the workplace, your experience and honest viewpoint is vital for assisting
us obtain useful information.
All information provided by you will be kept strictly confidential. The information
provided will only be accessed for the purpose of research. The identification
number on the questionnaire is only for record purposes. The completed
questionnaires will not be made available to anyone other than us. If you are
interested in the overall summary of the findings of this research, kindly inform
me via email.
Thank you so much for your time and cooperation. Your willingness to be part of
this research endeavour is greatly appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Rachel Samuel
PhD Student
012-9709565
rachelsamuel99@hotmail.com
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Intan Osman
Supervisor
04-6533888 ext. 3355
intan@usm.my
SECTION ONE
The statements below seek to know more about your work-life. Please read carefully
each statement. Then indicate your response towards each statement by ticking (√)
against the appropriate column.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Slightly
Disagree
3
Neutral
4
Slightly
Agree
5
Agree
Strongly
Agree
7
6
___│__________│__________│__________│________ │________│________│____
1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
I have a specific career goal.
I have a specific plan for achieving my
career goal.
I am aware of my skill strengths.
I am aware of my skill weaknesses.
I ask co-workers I respect for feedback on
my performance.
I have changed or revised my career goals
based on new information I have received
regarding myself.
I have changed or revised my career goals
based on new information I have received
regarding my situation.
I have sought job assignments that will help
me obtain my career goal.
I have taken the initiative to discuss my
career goals with my boss.
I have asked my boss to discuss my
specific skill strengths.
I have asked my boss to discuss my
specific skill weaknesses.
I spend my free time on activities that will
help my job.
I have taken courses towards enhancing
my job prospects.
I have joined professional organizations
related to my career goal.
I have kept current on company affairs.
I stay abreast of developments in my line of
work.
I accept compliments given to me
2
2
3
4
5
6
7
/
/
/
/
/
//
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
1
2
18. I believe other people when they tell me
that I have done a good job.
19. I reward myself when I complete a project.
20. I take the time to do the best possible job
on a task.
21. I set difficult but not impossible work goals.
22. I have designed better ways of doing my
work.
23. I have accepted a job assignment for which
I have little or no experience.
24. I have made suggestions to others even
though they may disagree.
27. I look for opportunities to interact with
influential people in my organization.
26. I help co-workers with projects.
27. I have made and maintained friendships
with people in different departments.
28. I have outlined ways of accomplishing jobs
without waiting for my boss.
29. I have evaluated my job performance
against personal standards rather than
comparing it with what others do.
3
4
5
6
7
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
SECTION TWO
The statements below hope to gain insight on the importance of certain practices at the
workplace. Please read carefully each statement. Then indicate your response
towards each statement by ticking (√) against the appropriate column.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Slightly
Disagree
3
Neutral
4
Slightly
Agree
5
Agree
Strongly
Agree
7
6
___│__________│__________│__________│________ │________ │_______ │____
1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Co-workers say that I know a lot of people within the
organization.
I am well connected within the organization.
I have a lot of contacts within the organization.
I have extensive contacts within the industry in which I
work.
Co-workers say that I know a lot of people outside the
organization.
3
2
3
4
5
6
7
/
/
/
/
/
1
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
2
3
I regularly network with individuals outside of my
organization.
I seek out opportunities for continuous learning in my
career.
I have a diversified set of job-related skills.
I remain current on the trends and development in my
profession.
I seek out training and development opportunities.
I constantly update my job-related skills.
4
/
5
6
7
/
/
/
/
/
SECTION THREE
The statements below would help to better understand the workplace environment.
Please read carefully each statement. Then indicate your response towards each
statement by ticking (√) against the appropriate column.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Slightly
Disagree
3
Neutral
4
Slightly
Agree
5
Agree
Strongly
Agree
7
6
___│__________│__________│__________│________ │________ │_______ │____
1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Even if there were downsizing in this organization, I
am confident that I would be retained.
My personal networks in this organization help me in
my career.
I am aware of the opportunities arising in this
organization even if they are different to what I do
now.
The skills I have gained in my present job are
transferable to other occupations outside this
organization.
I could easily retrain to make myself employable
elsewhere.
I have good knowledge of opportunities for me
outside of this organization even if they are quite
different to what I do now.
Among the people who do the same job as me, I am
well respected in this organization.
If I needed to, I could easily get another job like mine
in a similar organization.
I could easily get a similar job to mine in almost any
organization.
4
2
3
4
5
6
7
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
1
10.
11.
2
3
4
Anyone with my level of skills and knowledge, and
similar job and organizational experience, will be
highly sought after by employers.
I could get any job, anywhere, so long as my skills
and experience were reasonably relevant.
5
/
SECTION FOUR
Section 4A: This section looks at the career moves you have made. Please complete
the chart below indicating all job and/or position changes starting with your current
position. Then provide information sequentially on each preceding job and/or position
change, up to a maximum of 6 positions.
Job A: Current position
Job B
(Prior to Job A)
Position held
Firm/Company
Industry
Job C
(Prior to Job B)
Position held
Firm/Company
Industry
Job D
(Prior to Job C)
Position held
Firm/Company
Industry
Job E
(Prior to Job D)
Position held
Firm/Company
Industry
Job F
(Prior to Job E)
Position held
Firm/Company
Industry
Year started: 2006…………
Tick (√) where appropriate.
Same as Job A
Different from Job A
Sup
Convergys
/
Service
│ Tick (√) where appropriate.
Same as Job B
Different from Job B
Year Started
2004
Year Started
Tick (√) where appropriate.
Same as Job C
Different from Job C
Year Started
Tick (√) where appropriate.
Same as Job D
Different from Job D
Year Started
Tick (√) where appropriate.
Same as Job E
Different from Job E
Year Started
5
6
/
7
Section 4B
The questions below would help to better understand the workplace environment.
The statements below would help to better understand your views on job changes.
Please read carefully each statement. Then indicate your agreement or disagreement
Please read carefully each statement. Then indicate your response towards each
with each statement by circling the appropriate number on the right of each statement.
statement by ticking (√) against the appropriate column.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Slightly
Disagree
3
Neutral
4
Slightly
Agree
5
Agree
Strongly
Agree
7
6
___│__________│__________│__________│________ │________ │_______ │____
1
1.
2.
3.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
I seek job assignments that allow me to learn
something new.
I would enjoy working on projects with people across
many organizations.
I enjoy job assignments that require me to work
outside of the organization.
I like tasks at work that require me to work beyond
my own department.
I enjoy working with people outside of my
organization.
I enjoy jobs that require me to interact with people in
many different organizations.
I have sought opportunities in the past that allow me
to work outside the organization.
I am energized in new experiences and situations.
I like the predictability that comes with working
continuously for the same organization.
I would feel very lost if I could not work for my
current organization.
I prefer to stay in a company I am familiar with rather
than look for employment elsewhere.
If my organization provided lifetime employment, I
would never desire to seek work in other
organizations.
My ideal career would be to work for only one
organization.
6
2
3
4
5
6
/
7
/
/
4.
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
SECTION FIVE
This section hopes to understand your preferences in matters outside the job environment.
Please read carefully each statement. Then indicate your response towards each
statement
by ticking
(√) against
appropriate
column.
Not
at all To
a little extent
To the
a limited
To some
extent To a considerable
extent
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Slightly
Disagree
3
extent
Neutral
4
Slightly
Agree
5
Agree
6
Strongly
Agree
7
___│__________│__________│__________│________│________ │_______ │____
1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
I live where I want rather than where my
career demands.
I save my energy and effort for things outside
work.
My work does not have a negative impact on
my quality of life.
I have sufficient flexibility to accommodate a
partner’s career.
I have a sense of balance between work
commitments and home life.
For the time being, building a career is more
important than enjoying myself
2
3
4
5
6
/
/
/
/
SECTION SIX
The following questions are only for the purpose of analysis. Please indicate your
response by ticking (√) against the appropriate column or by filing in the blanks.
1. How old are you?
28_______________
2. Where did you obtain your MBA degree from?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Local University/ College
Overseas
Twinning Program
Others
/
Others, please specify: ………………………………………………
7
7
/
/
3. Please specify year when degree was obtained: 2006…………………
4. Gender
1.
2.
Male
Female
/
5. Your marital status
1.
2.
3.
4.
Married
Single
Widowed
Divorced/ Separated
/
6. Do you have children?
1.
2.
3.
Yes
No
Not applicable
/
7. Years of service in the current organization? ___2.5___ years
8. Number of organizations you have worked for prior to joining this organization?
_____1___
9. Which of the following best describes your position in your current organization?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Strategic decision making
Senior management responsibility
Responsibility for work of others and
organizational influence
First line management
Operational
Others
/
Others, please specify: ……………………….
Thank you for your cooperation.
8
9