Project topics and materials
Get Complete Project Material File(s) Now! »
Women in the workforce, job satisfaction and career progression in corporate organisations
For the majority of women, the most important aspect of a career is job satisfaction. Job satisfaction may be defined as the “positive emotional state resulting from evaluating one’s job experiences” (Mathis & Jackson, 2006:571). This implies that women are more likely than men to leave a job if they are not experiencing job satisfaction.
Job satisfaction within an organisation is likely to increase when there is gender equity in the workforce (Lee, 2000). Many researchers describe job satisfaction as a state of mind and provide different interpretations of the concept. For example, Gregson (1987) defines job satisfaction as the positive emotional state resulting from the individual appraisal of one’s job or experience, while Chay and Bruvold (2003) define job satisfaction as an individual’s affective response to specific aspects of the job. On the other hand, Noe (1996) defines job satisfaction as the pleasurable feeling that results from the perception that one’s job fulfils one or allows for the fulfilment of one’s important job values (Appelbaum, Ayre & Shapiro 2002). Accordingly, job satisfaction has been defined in various ways.
In the context of this study, job satisfaction is perceived as an attitudinal variable which is based on how an individual feels about her job and which measures the degree to which an individual likes or is averse to her job: Job satisfaction is simply how people feel about their jobs and different aspects of their jobs. It is the extent to which people like (satisfaction) or dislike (dissatisfaction) their jobs (Spector, 1997:42).
An alternative approach to the concept of job satisfaction is that proposed by Sousa-Poza and Sousa-Poza (2000). This approach is based on the assumption that there are basic and universal human needs, and that if an individual’s needs are fulfilled in his/her current situation, then that individual will be happy. This framework postulates that job satisfaction depends on the balance between work-role inputs, including education, working time and effort, and work-role outputs, including wages, fringe benefits, status, working conditions and other intrinsic aspects of the job. Thus, if work-role outputs (“pleasures”) increase relative to work-role inputs (“pains”), then job satisfaction will increase (Sousa-Poza & Sousa-Poza, 2000).
Other theorists (e.g. Rose, 2001) have viewed job satisfaction as a bi-dimensional concept comprising both intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction dimensions. Intrinsic sources of satisfaction depend on the individual characteristics of the person, such as the ability to use initiative, relations with supervisors, or the work that the person actually performs. These, in turn, are symbolic or qualitative facets of the job. On the other hand, extrinsic sources of satisfaction are situational and depend on the environment, such as pay, promotion or job security. Thus, these are the financial and other material rewards or advantages of a job. Both extrinsic and intrinsic job facets should be represented, as equally as possible, in a composite measure of overall job satisfaction. Chen, Chang and Yeh (2004) surveyed the capability of career development programmes to respond to career needs at different career stages and their influence on job satisfaction, professional development and productivity among research and development personnel. One of the major findings of the research was that career development programmes influence job satisfaction, professional development and productivity positively. With these findings one would expect that the output of the organisation will improve in terms of turnover (sales) and profit if they can invest in training the employee and motivating them on the job. Achieving this aim means spending more money and is accompanied by expectation, as these employees are expected to perform in order to justify the need for such monetary investment in their professional development. The key factor in this discussion is that it is debatable whether some employees can actually experience job satisfaction when they come back from the training. The contextual factors that would allow the employee to perform are different and whether they would experience satisfaction on the job would depend on what motivates them to perform – this varies from person to person and organisation to organisation.
Education, lifelong learning and women’s career progression in corporate organisations
Women’s access to education and training, as well as to measures supporting labour market insertion, may be key factors in enhancing the role that women play in the socioeconomic growth and development of any society. This is a role that is widely recognised in Europe where increasing numbers of economists argue that the rising rates of female employment represent a major driving force in the growth experienced over the past two decades. Even outside the European Union, research has shown that women may be key players in economic development, particularly if their economic involvement is combined with increased access to education and training (Murthy, Sagayam, Rengalakshmi & Sudha 2008:113).
However, women have, traditionally, not had access to the same opportunities for education and employment as men, although it would be too simplistic to depict women as the victims of history (Hornick-Lockard, 2008:15). Access to educational institutions is widely available and accessible. A paper presented in November 1999 to female Asian leaders in Malaysia highlighted education as one of the primary strategies that women should employ to assist them in progressing to senior management positions (Singh, 1999:30).
From the literature reviewed it appears that higher education is a prerequisite for professional women to gain access to top positions. However, given the small number of women with higher levels of education, enrolment in tertiary education has grown faster in sub-Saharan Africa than any other region over the last four decades. While there were fewer than 200 000 tertiary students enrolled in the region in 1970, this number soared to over 4.5 million in 2008 – a more than 20-fold increase (UNESCO Institute of Statistics, 2010:18). Women are still underrepresented; contrary to global trends women remain disadvantaged in terms of access to tertiary education in sub-Saharan Africa. The tertiary Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in sub-Saharan Africa for women is 4.8%, compared to 7.3% for men, despite the significant efforts that have been made to achieve gender parity since the 1990s (UNESCO, 2010:68). It is no surprise then that very few women have access to senior management positions.
Moreover, it is to be noted that although higher education is necessary, it is often not sufficient. Indeed, the pathway to senior executive positions is complex, as this study shows further (UNESCO Institute of statistics, 2010).
CHAPTER 1
BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 RATIONALE BEHIND THE STUDY
1.3 THE SELECTION OF THE SPECIFIC CORPORATE SECTOR
1.4 HYPOTHESIS
1.5 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
CHAPTER 2
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 LIFELONG LEARNING: A CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION
2.2 HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
2.3 WOMEN AND HIGHER EDUCATION
2.4 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 3
LITERATURE REVIEW
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 EARLY DETERMINANTS OF CAREERS
3.3 WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE, JOB SATISFACTION AND CAREER PROGRESSION IN CORPORATE ORGANISATIONS
3.4 EDUCATION, LIFELONG LEARNING AND WOMEN’S CAREER PROGRESSION IN CORPORATE ORGANISATIONS
3.5 WOMEN’S PLACEMENT AND LOCATION IN THE HIERARCHICAL ORDER OF CORPORATE ORGANISATIONS
3.6 BARRIERS AND IMPEDIMENTS TO WOMEN’S CAREER PROGRESSION IN CORPORATE ORGANISATIONS
3.7 CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIFELONG LEARNING
3.8 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 4
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
4.3 POPULATION OF THE STUDY
4.4 SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
4.5 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS AND PROCEDURES
4.6 QUESTIONNAIRE
4.7 SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS
4.8 RESEARCH ETHICS
4.9 INFORMED CONSENT
4.10 TRUSTWORTHINESS
4.11 PARADIGM PERSPECTIVES
CHAPTER 5
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS (NIGERIA)
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS: RESPONDENTS’ BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
5.3 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 6
QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS (NIGERIA)
6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 THE INTERVIEWEES
6.3 THEME 1: CAREER CHOICES OF THE PARTICIPANTS
6.4 THEME 2: CONTINUOUS LEARNING ON THE PART OF WOMEN
6.5 THEME 3: JOB SATISFACTION ON THE PART OF THE RESPONDENTS
6.6 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 7
QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS (SOUTH AFRICA)
7.1 INTRODUCTION
7.2 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS – RESPONDENTS’ BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
7.3 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 8
QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS (SOUTH AFRICA)
8.1 INTRODUCTION
8.2 THE WOMEN MANAGERS
8.3 THEME 1: CAREER CHOICES OF WOMEN
8.4 THEME 2: CONTINUOUS LEARNING ON THE PART OF THE RESPONDENTS
8.5 THEME 3: RESPONDENTS’ JOB SATISFACTION
8.6 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 9
SUMMARY, ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION
9.1 INTRODUCTION
9.2 HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND LIFELONG LEARNING
9.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
9.4 LIMITATIONS TO THE STUDY
9.5 RECOMMENDATIONS
9.6 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
9.7 CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
