Factors that Contribute
Toward Women Being
Successful at the Workplace?
Presented by:
Ummu Kolsome
and
Associate Professor Dr. Intan Osman
Women in the Malaysian Labor Market?
Perceived as successful?
Since independence in
1957 more than 47%
in labor market!
5.5% in professional
category
4.5% in legislative,
senior officer and
management positions
Research Questions
• What factors influenced women’s
perception of success at the workplace?
• What factors are perceived by women to
hinder their success at the workplace?
• Profile of a successful woman in Malaysia?
Research Objectives
• To identify the factors that determine
women’s perception of success at the
workplace
• To identify the factors that hinder women
from being successful at the workplace
• To unearth the profile of a successful
woman in Malaysia
Benefit of Research Findings?
• Pool of skilled workers getting smaller
• Attract and retain women at the skilled and
higher earning groups
Literature Review
• Factors that Contribute Toward Success?
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Individual motivation
Ability
Lucky circumstances
Work harder & perform better
Intelligent juggling of work and family demands
Sacrifice family in favor of career
Investment in cultural capital
• Improve educational level
• Modification to speech and behavior
Barriers?
• Factors that are barriers towards success?
– Internal
– External
Barriers-Internal?
• Internal?
– Psychological phenomenon
• Cultural beliefs
• Societal attitudes
– Inept at using career development strategies
•
•
•
•
Self-advertising
Career planning
Networking
Mentoring
Barriers-External
• External?
– Educational segregation
– Occupational segregation
• Placed in jobs that are supportive
• Excluded from functional aspects of business organization
– Men’s prejudice towards women
• Sexual harassment
– Work style or company culture that is masculine,
aggressive, competitive and demanding long hours at
work
– Male networks & peer similarities
– Work-family balance
Profile of a Successful Woman?
• First-born or only
child
• Supportive parents
• Good schooling
• High internal locus of
control
• High need for
achievement
• Autonomy
• High degree of self
efficacy
• More innovative
• Single minded
• Striving to meet ambitions
• Persistent
• Professional
• Honest
• Are themselves
Theoretical Framework
•
•
•
•
•
Independent variables
Work-family interference
Influence tactic
– using connection
– instrumental dependency
– self-enhancement
– using charm
– rational persuasion
– upward appeal
Intrinsic need
– achievement need
– power need
Self efficacy
Self monitoring
Dependent
variable
Perception of subjective
success
Our Respondents? Some
Background…(demographic profile)
Demographic by Age
15%
0%
<25 years
14%
26-35 years
36-45 years
32%
39%
46-55 years
>55 years
Demographic by Tenure in
Organization in Terms of Years
>7 years
39%
6-7 years
13%
<2 years
13%
2-3 years
18%
4-5 years
17%
<2 years
2-3 years
4-5 years
6-7 years
>7 years
Demographic by Number of Years
Working Experience
<2 years
17%
10%
59%
7%
7%
4-5 years
6-7 years
8-9 years
>9 years
Demographic by Salary in Ringgit
Malaysia
6% 2% 3%
27%
21%
41%
<2001
2001-4000
4001-6000
6001-8000
8001-10000
>10000
Demographic by Race
7% 5%
35%
Malay
Chinese
Indian
53%
Others
Demographic by Marital Status
widow
1%
divorced
3%
single
30%
single
married
divorced
married
66%
widow
Demographic by Education Level
12%
4%
10%
Diploma
31%
Bachelor
Master
PhD
43%
Others
Demographic by Job Function
sales
finance
21%
operations
18%
info.service
3%
personnel
19%
15%
9%
5%
10%
manager
R&D
others
Demographic by Management Level
missing
senior 11%
low er
21%
15%
low er
middle
senior
middle
53%
missing
Demographic by Industry Type
others
10%
manufacturing
29%
manufacturing
service
service
61%
others
Demographic by Source of Business Ownership
buy in
16%
no ow nership
from scratch
inherited
14%
no ow nership
from scratch
60%
inherited
buy in
10%
Demographic by Membership of Professional
Organization
Yes
22%
No
78%
No
Yes
Demographic by Number of Professional
Organizations Involved
9% 7%
3%1%0%
79%
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
none
How do Respondents Perceive The Following Variables?
• Work-family interference – FIW(slightly disagree), WIF (slightly
agree)
• Influence tactic
– using connection
– instrumental dependency
Tactic
– self-enhancement
employed
– using charm
most
– rational persuasion
– upward appeal
• intrinsic need- higher need for achievement compared to power
– achievement need
– power need
How do Respondents Perceive The Following Variables?
• self efficacy- between slightly agree to agree
• self monitoring
– self-monitoring
– lack of self monitoring
Honest and forthright
• support
Spouse support
• subjective success
Wavering between
undecided
to slightly agree
What Factor has Significant Influence on
Perception of Success?
• Self-efficacy ( keep trying until I can, when
decision made go right to work, failure just
makes me try harder, certain that I can
make plans work)
has
• a significant influence on perceived
subjective success
What Factors are Perceived as Hindrances
Towards Success?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Family orientation/involvement (4.65)
submissiveness (4.09)
non-rational (3.98)
same sex jealousy (3.88)
complacent(3.77)
lack of career orientation (3.65)
lack of ambition (3.48)
lack of self worth (3.35)
Profile of Successful Woman in Malaysia?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
strong father figure (3 out of the four women said so)
good support from parents
good schooling
high need for achievement
high level of self efficacy
mentorship
networking
lack of self monitoring
creative and innovative
positive attitude-see an obstacle as an opportunity
strategically managed work-family nexus (3 out of
four)
Conclusion?
• Women have need for achievement and power;Women do
not lack ambition or self worth;Women are self efficacious:
are a talent pool to be tapped!
• Women are heavy at middle level management and perceive
WIF: take work home? Not enough time for family? Affects
perception of success which vacillates between undecided to
slightly agree: will halt move up the corporate ladder!
• Work family nexus needs to be balanced. Organizations
need to get involved. How?
– Flexible work hours, job rotation, organization culture to change
etc