WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT

Women in Management

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

Management scholars have long argued that managers are neither born nor graduated from management schools. Becoming a manager is a gradual process where an ongoing transformation of identity takes place within work environment. This implies that managerial competence acquisition is relational, situational and social. Managers are conceptualized as social learners and they learn mostly from experiences at the workplace. However, the disparity in the percentage of senior managers at the top level between male and female and the increased interest for gender diversity underscores the initiatives to understand the process of women managers' competence acquisition. This paper presents the exploratory pilot findings which focused on the first three women managers' workplace learning experiences in the context of competence acquisition. Through qualitative research design, they were purposely selected from three sectors in Organization i.e. the public sectors, private corporations and government-linked corporations (GLCs). The research method used were in-depth interviews followed by solicited research diary writings. This paper highlights findings from three pilot interviews which applied also solicited diary as a research method to provide access into women's experiences which tend to be embedded within the complex social and cultural realities. The pilot findings suggested that complex interaction of personal, organizational and societal contexts are subtle yet powerful in shaping the experiences of women in management. Against the growing need for gender diversity at the top management and the dominant western concept of competence, this study consider issues of relevance to competence acquisition for women managers situated within the Asian cultural setting.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Introduction1

Significance of the study2

Problem statement4

Theoretical framework4

Purpose & research questions5

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW7

The Concept of Competence7

Conceptual difference7

Terminological difference8

The US Approach8

The UK Approach9

The Holistic Approach9

Recent Trends in Competency-based Research10

The Process of Competence Acquisition12

The Theories Surrounding Learning12

Contextual Factors: Gender, Organisational and Societal Realities15

Proposed Conceptual Framework16

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY18

The Research Paradigm18

Study Cohorts19

Research Tools19

In-depth Interviews19

Solicited Research Diaries20

Pilot Interviews21

Pilot Solicited Research Diaries22

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS/DISCUSSION23

Participant Demographics23

Pilot Interviews and Analysis23

Different interpretation of competence25

Learning at the workplace26

The gendered divisions of labour and/or responsibility27

Gender stereotyping27

Discussion28

Barriers to success29

Types of barriers31

Overcoming barriers41

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION43

Conclusion43

Lessons learnt43

Friendship developed44

Insight gained44

REFERENCES46

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Managers' pivotal role in the organizations is to build their organizations core competitive advantage by mobilizing all the resources available, monitoring performances and shaping strategies. Thus it is natural that managers are considered as one of organizations most valuable assets (Sheehan, 2012). The notion that managers are neither born nor produced in the graduate management schools have been a prevailing view in the management literature led by prominent author such as Mintzberg (see Mintzberg, ...