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8/8/2019 Final(Full Set) (2)
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FACTORS THAT AFFECT WOMEN’S PROGRESSION IN
ENGINEERING WORKFORCE – A CASE STUDY IN PETRONAS
CARIGALI SDN BHD
NURFADILLAH BT AHMAD MAHMMUD
(2007126479)
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WITH
HONOURS (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS)
FACULTY OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
SHAH ALAM
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April 2010
TABLE OF CONTENT
DECLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK………………………………… iLETTER OF SUBMISSION…………………………………………………. ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………… iii
LIST OF FIGURE…………………………………………………………… iv
LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………….. iv
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BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................................................................
48
APPENDICES.............................................................................................
CHAPTER
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Background of PETRONAS…………………………........................... 1
Background of Study………………………………………………….…. 2Problem Statement…………………………………................................. 4Research Questions ……………………………………………………. 6
Research Objectives…………………………………………………..….. 8
Scope of Study ……………………………………………………….…. 9Significant of Study………………………………………………………
Definition of Terms.....................................................................................
Limitation of Study......................................................................................
10
11
13
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction……………………………… 14Career progression……………………………………………………….. 13
Barriers to Career progression…………………………………................. 15
• Work-Life Balance........................................................................... 17
• Opportunities for Growth .……………………………………….. 20
• Working Environment..........…………………………………….. 22
Theoretical Framework………………………………………………. 25Hypothesis………………………………………………………….. 26
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN
Data Collection Method………………………………………………. 27Sampling Technique…………………………………………………...... 31
4.0 DATA ANALYSIS & FINDINGS..........................................................
Descriptive Statistics..................................................................................
Regression Analysis..................................................................................
33
34
40
5.0 CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION.......................................... 45
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BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
WITH HONOURS (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS)
FACULTY OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
“DECLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK”
I, Nurfadillah Bt Ahmad Mahmmud, (I/C Number: 850413-14-5832)
Hereby, declare that:
• This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree, anylocally or overseas and is not being concurrently submitted for this degree or any
other degrees.
• This project paper is the result of my independent work and investigation, except
where otherwise stated.
• All verbatim extracts have been distinguished by quotation marks and sources of my information have been specifically acknowledged.
Signature: ……………………….. Date: …………………….
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22nd April 2010.
Puan Azlina Bt Haniff
Encik Nurul Hafiz Bin Abdul Halil
Faculty of Business ManagementUniversiti Teknologi MARA
40450 Shah Alam
Selangor
Dear Sir/Madam,
SUBMISSION OF FINAL REPORT (DRAFT)
Enclosed is a copy of final draft report on Factors that Affect Women’s Progression inEngineering Workforce – A Case Study in PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd. Basically, this
paper will help the management to determine the major issues surrounding women’s
progression in the technical profession and assist them in developing and implementing better strategies in the future.
The main purpose for the submission of this project paper is to fulfill the practical
training requirement as needed by the Faculty of Business Management, UniversitiTeknologi MARA.
Thank you.
Regards,
………………………………… NURFADILLAH BT AHMAD MAHMMUD
BBA (Hons) International Business
Faculty of Business Management
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Enclosure: Final Draft Report
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, praise to Allah, the Almighty, the Generous for His blessings and
guidance for giving me the inspiration to carry on this research study and instilling all the
strength to complete this research successfully. Thousand of compliments were awarded
to all respondents who promptly answered and returned the questionnaires completely as
well as those who kindly allowed themselves to be interviewed during the study.
I would like to express my honorable gratitude to all Carigali Human Resources
department especially People Strategy & Planning Section, the Managers and executives
whom has shared their experience and knowledge during conducting my study in
PETRONAS Carigali Sdn. Bhd. Without their assistance and guidance, I may not be
able to get respondents to answer my questionnaires.
I am heartily thankful to my supervisor, Puan Azalina Bt Hanif whose encouragement,
guidance and support from the initial to the final level enabled me to develop an
understanding of the subject. Not forgotten, the second examiner, Encik Nurul Hafez
Abdul Halil.
Lastly, I offer my regards and blessings to all of those who supported me in any respect
during the completion of the project.
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LIST OF FIGURE
Figure
1
2
3
4
Theoretical Framework…………………………………….
Demographic Profile (Diagram I)…………………...............
Descriptive Statistics (Variables).............................................
Regression Plot.........................................................................
25
34
35
44
LIST OF TABLES
Table
3.1 Rating Scale (Section B)…………………………………..... 313.2 I am interested in my job......................................................... 35
4.1 I Feel Stressed in my job.......................................................... 354.2 I am satisfies with the professionalism of my co-wrokers....... 36
4.3 I see more positive than negative aspects in my job............... 37
4.4 The Organisation has reasonable expectations of its employees...... 37
4.5
4.6
Regression ………..…………………………………………
Reliability Test ……………………………...........................
41
42
4.7 Correlation ………………………………………………..... 43
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1.0 - INTRODUCTION
1.1 – Company Background
Petroleum Nasional Bhd ( PETRONAS ), is Malaysia’s national petroleum
corporation established on 17 August 1974 under the Company’s Act 1965. Since
its incorporation, PETRONAS has grown to be an integrated international oil and
gas company with business interests in 35 countries. As at the end of March
2005, the PETRONAS group comprised of 103 wholly – owned subsidiaries, 19
partly-owned outfits and 57 associated companies.
PETRONAS is ranked among the Fortune Global 500 largest corporation in
the world. The Fortune Global 500 is a ranking of the top 500 corporation
worldwide as measured by revenue. The list is compiled and published annually by
Fortune magazine. Fortune ranks PETRONAS as the 80 th largest corporation in the
world in 2009. It also ranks PETRONAS as the 8th most profitable company in
Asia.
Basically, PETRONAS’ primary business activities can be divided into
three major activities which are the international operations, upstream activities
and downstream activities. PETRONAS is actively engaged in the exploration,
development and production of crude oil and natural gas both at home and
abroad. In Malaysia, these activities are undertaken and managed through
production sharing contracts (PS) with a number of international oil and gas
companies as well as its’ subsidiary, PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd.
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PETRONAS Carigali Sdn bhd or PCSB in short is the wholly – owned
subsidiary of PETRONAS incorporated on 11 May 1978. PCSB was formed to
expand the exploration and development activities of foreign oil companies and
enhance the pace of development of upstream sector in the country.
1.2 – Background of Study
In today’s global market, companies are surrounded by competitors,
regardless of industry. To develop a competitive advantage, it is imperative that
companies truly leverage the workforce as a competitive weapon. A strategy for
improving workforce productivity to drive higher value for the organisation has
become an important focus. Companies seek to optimize their workforce through
comprehensive development programmes not only to achieve business goals but
most importantly, to survive and thrive for the future.
To accomplish this undertaking, companies will need to invest resources
to ensure that employees have the information, skills and competencies they need
to work effectively in a rapidly changing and complex environment. For this,
companies need to understand policies and programmes that would enhance
employee satisfaction and improve their performance.
PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd (PCSB) has grown to become (established
itself) a full-fledged field operator and is one of several companies currently involved
in crude oil and gas production in Malaysia. Having earned a place alongside
multinationals in the country's petroleum sector through determination and hard work,
PCSB is actively expanding beyond the shores of Malaysia towards attaining its vision
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to be A Multinational Exploration and Production ( E&P ) Company of Choice
Creating Value through Continuous Improvement and Growth.
As part of the E & P arm, PCSB has a big role in building distinctive
capabilities to support international growth and ensure excellent performance. This
is because, the success of exploration and production ( E & P) operations depends
on the skills of its workforce to discover and develop oil and gas reserves. The E
& P’s team work in increasingly technical challenging conditions consist of four
Petro-technical disciplines; subsurface and wells, projects and engineering, drilling
and completions and safety and operations. It takes talented, highly educated and
motivated engineers and scientists to meet this challenge.
At present, PETRONAS has a workforce of more than 30000 people
operating in more than 30 countries over the world. This number represents 28
nationalities with varying capabilities, knowledge and skills to undertake various
upstream and downstream projects in a variety of geographic and business
environment. Inspired by a vision to become oil and gas multinational of choice,
PETRONAS is strategically developing it’s core capabilities in the exploration and
production ( E&P ) business to achieve competitive advantage and growth
internationally. Thus, PETRONAS requires a regular supply of technically
proficient and organizationally prepared graduates. Furthermore, PETRONAS strive
to recruit and retain the best and brightest talents in a variety of challenging
fields ( PETRONAS, 2005 ).
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Historically, the image of engineering has been heavy, dirty and involving
machinery. Both women and men have seen engineering as a masculine profession.
However, advancement in computer technology and improvements in working
condition have softened the field and is attracting more and more women.
Nowadays, more women are joining the engineering profession to exploit their
potentials in engineering field even if it is physically demanding. For instance, the
total number of professional women engineers in the UK is expected to reach 12
percent by the year 2010 from 4 percent in 1990 ( Evetts, 1998 ). Similarly, there
have been progressive increases of female engineers in the USA including
technologist and technicians.
Engineering is often seen as a non-traditional career for women. In Malaysia,
the enrolment of women and the number graduating in engineering has increased
steadily in the last 5 years ( DOS, 2000 ). The growth of industries in Malaysia has
resulted in an increased numbers of engineers, both men and women working in
large industrial organisations. Statistics show that there are about 35500 engineers
in the country. They are included in the group of professional and technical
workers which accounted for 10.6 percent of the total employed population in the
country. (2000).
Due to the equal opportunity in education for both genders in Malaysia,
the participation and contribution of women in the engineering field in the last
few decades are invaluable. Besides, there is a demand for women engineers in
many areas including in petroleum industry.
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1.3 – Problem Statement
As a technical – based company, hiring and retaining employees that can add
value to the company is a priority. Currently, the average oil and gas employee is 50
years old and while this translates to an experienced workforce, when these people retire,
there are not enough skilled people to take over (Devon, 2008).
According to the centre for work – Life Policy in New York (2008), large
numbers of women scientists, engineers and technologists are giving up their
chosen professions. Hewlett, Luce and J.Servon, (2008 ) indicated that 52 percent of
these talents drop out at the age ranging between 35 to 40 years old. Based on the
demographics, it seems likely that they leave to start families. Besides, there are
other contributing factors such as work culture, nature of the career path and the
working environment. Furthermore, the researcher found that 63 percent of women
in science, engineering and technology have experienced sexual harassment (2008).
The number of woman engineers registered with Board of Engineers
Malaysia is still very low as compared to male engineers. In Malaysia, women
engineers accounted less than 10 percent of the total professional workforce
despite the encouraging number of Malaysian girls enrolling in the field of
engineering, locally and abroad. PETRONAS’ recognition of women’s competitive
advantage in the engineering field can be strengthened by the unique perspective
that women can bring to the workplace. Thus, there are efforts established to
attract and retain women in engineering profession by enabling talented people to
develop their fullest potential.
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Currently, in PCSB, there are 712 female executives in various technical
fields such as Geosciences, Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and
Electrical Engineering. Although the number of male versus female workers remains
uneven as it is a predominantly male work force, the trend is changing rapidly and
women are rising through the ranks at PCSB and PETRONAS as a whole.
However, the number of career change requests among women engineers who are
currently working in PCSB is on the rise.
Although a minority, women engineers can be found in a broad spectrum
of engineering expertise (Institute of Engineering Malaysia, 2002). They have
proven themselves capable, not only in the office but also on site. At present, the poor
retention rate of women engineers in engineering workforce could essentially be
due to the challenges that they face being a woman performing their duties in a
male-dominated profession. These challenges could deter capable women from
advancing their careers in engineering. Among these challenges, sexual harassment
is not an issue. However, some women engineers have cited cases of discrimination
in terms of pay and promotion (2002).
Given the above discussion, this research seeks to identify the challenges
faced by women engineers in practicing their engineering skills. It focuses
particularly on job factors, organizational factors and quality of life for women
engineers. At present, such study has never been conducted particularly for PCSB. Thus,
this study provides valuable information to PCSB in designing policies and
strategies to promote women’s pursuit of engineering careers. Additionally, the
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findings from the study may be used by the company to ensure the retention of their
women engineers in the profession.
1.4 – Research Questions
1.4.1 – Main Research Question
i. What are the barriers that affect women’s progression in
engineering workforce?
1.4.2 – Secondary Research Questions
i. What are the factors that affect women engineers’ career
progression?
ii. What measures can the management take to retain and
motivate women engineers to progress in their career?
iii. Is there a relationship between work life balance factors and
career progression?
iv. Is there a relationship between working environment factors
and career progression?
v. Is there a relationship between opportunity for growth factors
and career progression?
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1.5 – Research objectives
1.5.1 – Main Objective
The main purpose of this study is to examine the major issues related
to career progression and job satisfaction among women in engineering workforce.
In addition, this study seeks to identify the problematic areas relating to the
company’s current managerial practices that may serve as obstacles to women
engineers career progression in the company.
1.5.2 – Secondary Objective
The other objectives of this study are:
1. To analyse the major factors that give affect to women engineers’
career progression.
2. To suggest policies that can be implemented to retain women
engineers in the workforce.
3. To identify the relationship between work life balance factors
and career progression in order to develop better policies to
improve women advancement in engineering workforce.
4. To identify the relationship between working environment factors
and career progression in order to develop better policies to
improve women advancement in engineering workforce.
5. To identify the relationship between opportunity for growth
factors and career progression in order to develop better policies
to improve women advancement in engineering workforce.
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1.6 – Scope of Study
This cross-sectional study will be carried out in Petronas Carigali Sdn
Bhd where a survey will be conducted among the female executives in various
technical skills such as geologists, geophysicists and engineers in various
departments. The sampling population is estimated to be 100 respondents.
For the study, the researcher deals with three issues related to the career
progression of women in engineering field which are work life balance, working
environment and opportunity for growth. These criteria are being used as
independent variables because they play a crucial role in measuring job
satisfaction among women engineers that ultimately influences their career
progression
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1.7 – Significance of the Study
As mentioned earlier, to date, not much study has been conducted to examine the
issues surrounding women engineers’ career progression particularly in a technical-based
company such as PCSB. Thus, the present study will fill this scarcity in knowledge.
Through this study, the challenges faced by women engineers in the male-dominated
workforce can be identified. Currently, the much-needed talent of women engineers is
being wasted and underutilized as a result of the challenges they unnecessarily face.
This study is significant as it aims to contribute to the theoretical
knowledge about women’s career and the barriers they encounter, as well as for
Carigali Human Resource Department professionals to better implement planning
initiatives and training programs with gender sensitivity. Many organizations today
are trying to retain their female employees in response to regulations that call
equal treatment; therefore, understanding the barriers that women face would help
in creating a friendlier and more gender sensitive work environment.
This study also presents the researcher with an opportunity to gain valuable
knowledge and experience on the correct technique to conduct research. Besides,
the researcher also learns how to manage time effectively and efficiently in
conducting the research and doing practical training at the same time.
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1.8 - Definition of Terms
Engineer A person employed in technical work for which
normal qualification is a Degree in Science or
Engineering.
Career Succession of related jobs through which persons
in an ordered sequence overtime and progressively
more responsible roles within an organization
Career advancement Progression through a sequence of jobs, involving
continually more advanced or diverse activities
and resulting in wider or improved skills, greater
responsibility and prestige.
Work Life Balance Satisfactory level of involvement or “fit” between
the multiple roles in a person’s life.
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1.8- Definition of Terms
Secondary Data Data that have already been collected for the purpose
other than the problem in hand.
Primary Data Primary data are originated by a researcher for the
purpose of addressing the problem at hand.
Questionnaire Define as a formalized set of question to obtain
information from respondent.
Sample Define as a subgroup of the population selected
participation in the study.
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1.9 – Limitation of Study
The study raises important issues for women engineers in the
engineering workforce but is limited only to those who are currently working in
Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd and the barriers that they faced were based on the
perception of the respondents.
Future research could broaden the macro and micro factors explored, as
well as compare these results with those of women in other fields and industries,
women at other career stages, and women across other geographic regions. This is
because, in this study, most of the respondents were in the early career stage,
having relatively short job and organisational tenures. It may not be clear to what
extent the findings can be generalized to women professionals with longer job and
organisational experience.
Other limitations faced by the researcher while conducting this study
include the researcher’s lack of experience and knowledge as she has never before
been exposed to a proper research exercise. As such, the quality of research may be
affected by this limitation. In addition, there is insufficient time to collect the necessary
information or data that could be used to increase the quality and scope of the research.
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2.0 – LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 – INTRODUCTION
This chapter reviews the current literature related to the topic. Specifically, it focuses on
the findings from existing studies regarding the issue of barriers in career progression
among women. It helps the researcher to include all the relevant variables in the research
project and provides a good basic framework to proceed with the investigation ( Sekaran,
2003 ). From the discussion, the foundation for a comprehensive theoretical framework can be
developed. This would enable the researcher to formulate several hypotheses for testing
purposes (2003).
2.2 - Analysing career progression
From previous studies, the interpretations of career progression of engineers are
grouped into two relevant career routes( Bowden, 1997; Pool and Langan – Fox, 1997 ). The
first is the technical career route which is a career pathway in which an employee
progresses in his or her career while still remaining involved in technical specialization.
The second route is the managerial route, which slowly moves a person away from
technical work. Between the two routes, the second route is the path most usually described as
successful. It is generally the more attractive because it carries with it the higher prestige
and often provides employees such as engineers with the possibility to have real
influence on the technical growth of an organization ( Maimunah, 2003 ).
As conceptualized by Petroni ( 2000 ), there are two other relevant career routes
experienced by engineers, namely from “ project to project” and technical transfer. The
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former refers to a situation in which an engineer neither desires nor expects promotion
up a managerial or technical lader but would prefer the opportunity to engage in
challenging engineering activities irrespective of promotion. The technical transfer route
meanwhile refers to the transfer of technology out of the R & D laboratory for production
and commercialization purposes.
2.3 – Barriers to women’s career progression
Many studies indicated that the possibility of Malaysian women participating and
succeeding in careers inherently depends on their ability to manage multiple roles as a
wife, mother and worker ( Maimunah, 2006 ). To put in more general terms, career success
depends on the interplay between work, family factors , organizational demands, women’s
socio – demographic characteristics and the development climate in the country
( Maimunah and Ahmad, 1999, Maimunah and Roziah, 2006 ).
In the world of work, Schien ( 2001 ) finds that barriers to women in their career
progression exist worldwide. Morrison ( 1992) has developed a model for successful career
progression which consist of three elements. These elements are challenge, recognition and
support. According to Morrison ( 1992 ), all these three elements have to be balanced in
order to succeed in the career progression.
Morrison ( 1992 ) proposed that, for women, an imbalance typically occurs such that
the level of challenge exceeds the other two elements. Her research shows that aspects of
assignments and day-to-day life that constitute challenge are often overlooked. Common
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barriers to advancement ( Stereotypes, prejudice, male discomfort ) contribute to the
imbalance and as a consequence, women become exhausted, experienced failures and may
bail out of this frustrating work situation ( White et al. , 1992 ).
In a survey of chief executive officers and human resources professionals in
Fortune 500 companies in USA, Mattis, ( 1995 ) identified several barriers to women’s
advancement in corporations which include stereotypes, lack of access to line positions,
lack of careful planning, exclusion of women from informal channels of communication
and counterproductive behaviour of male co-workers.
In 1992, The Canadian Committee on women in engineering published a list of
“common and difficult” barriers faced by women engineers. The list includes lack of
collaboratively planned career development, absence of policies that support individuals,
balancing career and family, workload demand, promotion policy, traditional attitudes
towards women in professional roles, absence of network, lack of role models and
mentors.
It is important to first understand these barriers that women face in order to
implement better career strategies for women to succeed in their career advancement. The
following section discusses three barriers, which are; work life balance, opportunities for
growth and working environment.
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2.3.1 – WORK LIFE BALANCE
Work life balance is a global topic of growing importance and frequently
discussed nowadays. It is defined as satisfactory level of involvement or “fit” between the
multiple roles in a person’s life ( Hudson, 2005 ). Research indicated that failure to achieve
the correct balance, effort and rest is linked to a feeling of over your workload, plus
lack of energy to fulfill personal goals and commitments. If the balance is wrong, the
result may be fatigue, poor performance and dissatisfaction with the job ( The Work-Life
Balance Trust, 2004).
Women make up an increasing proportion of the full-time workforce and of
managers around the world ( Wirth, 2001). Yet, they are still under-represented in
management in most countries and in senior management everywhere ( Davidson and
Burke, 2004; Wirth, 2001). This may be attributed to having to juggle both work commitment
and family responsibilities simultaneously. According to Lift and Ward (2001) and Metz and
Tharenou (2001), many women believe that family responsibilities are a barrier to their
advancement. They also believe that their focus on family responsibilities partly affects their
collegues’ and superiors’ perception of them (Griffith and MacBride-King, 1998; Ragins and
Sundstrom, 1989; Swiss and Walker, 1993). This is in line with the time scarcity hypothesis,
in which time spent in fulfilling family responsibilities is time that cannot be spent at
work.
These perceptions and stereotypes of women with children can lead to
discriminatory behavior, thus creating an additional obstacle to advancement for mothers.
Women often feel that they have to make choices between work and family life, as the
demands on being effective in both areas are difficult to achieve. They often perceive
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two distinct areas of responsibility that are in direct competition with each other and feel
guilty being at work and guilty being at home.
Traditionally, society has always maintained that a woman’s place is at home
( Jacob, 1999 ; Moore, 1995 ). However, with the introduction of education and the
changing role that women play, they started to participate in the public domain and
progressed into the managerial ranks. Woman typically would work for a period of time
after completing education and then marry, raise children and may or may not have re-
entered the labour force. Many women still follow this sequential career pattern, although
the trends are moving towards more and more women staying in the labour force after
they marry and have children.
In studies of women scientist and engineers by Rosser ( 2004 ), Maskell-Pretz and
Hopkins (1997) and Miller (2004), the pressure that women face in balancing career and
family is the most significant barrier in women’s attempt to advance in their career.
Rosser’s research has shown that women in the field of engineering fail to reach senior
positions due to 12 -14 hours work duration. Maskell-Pretz and Hopkins note that women
engineers face career advancement as they began to consider starting a family. Little time
off, long and tiring work call for a sacrifice of private life which many women are not
prepared to make at least until their children grow up. Miller’s study at an oil company
indicate that women have to reinforce the masculine system values in order to gain
promotion and recognition of the industry which have been shaped by the philosophies, values
and interest of men.
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A recent research done by Maimunah and Mariani, ( 2008 ) in a Malaysian
multinational oil company support the previous studies that having family responsibilities
was considered the most significant barrier by career women indicated that women’s
involvement in the family reduces their career commitment due their duty in the family.
According to the results, women appear to know where they stand in the family
structure and that they have their parts to play.
As such, when it comes to household duties, women agree that they should
not shirk their household responsibilities in chasing their career. This is in accordance with
the gender role theory ( Konrad and Linnehan, 1999; Connell, 2002 ).
Furthermore, women also agree that they should not sacrifice their femininity in
order to be successful in their career ( Maimunah & Mariani, 2008). Besides, most women
disagree that women should not marry or better off not become mothers, indicating that
women still have the opportunity to progress in the organization without compromising
their womanhood. The two key findings directly related to family barriers conclude that
women’s involvement with the family reduces their career commitment and vast changes
need to be made to the family structure to promote women’s careers ( 2008 ).
Furthermore, the finding indicates that most women strongly believe that their husband’s
support is key to their quest of becoming career women.
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2.3.2 – OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH
Opportunities for growth can be defined as the opportunity that is offered by top
management to employees in order to use or expose their skills and abilities in their
work. Opportunities are actually the interaction between oneself and the change nature of
organizations. As an organization is in its stage of dynamism, opportunities are being
created and recreated ( Maimunah, 2003 ). Allen and Ketz ( 1992 ) and Petroni ( 2000) have
demonstrated that organizational expansion especially through establishment does give
impact to the career growth of engineers.
A study done by Bigliardi, Petroni and Dormio (2005) indicates that management
system does not have a sound understanding of engineers’ expectations as professionals.
Standards of job description and advancement are generally put forward by management
in a fuzzy and unclear fashion (2005). Most respondents in the study also claimed that
firms still put emphasis on measuring engineers’ productivity in a traditional way and
low effort is spent by managers to communicate on what criteria would be used in
measuring individual’s achievement( 2005).
Opportunities for growth for women engineers are the same as that for men.
Evidence from the study by Gasomax, ( 2003 ) has supported and further strengthened the
fact that in order for an engineer to go to higher positions in the career ladder one
should go through managerial posts as well as technical post. However, Evetts (1997)
finds that a career move into management results in increased difficulties for women
since the woman manager has to resolve contradictions in gender and work identities. It
is difficult for a woman to manage men since gender expectations are in conflict with
managerial responsibilities (1997). There are some indications that these gendered patterns
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also apply in professional engineering. The analysis by Glover et al.(1996) of the Labour
Force Survey indicates that there are higher proportions of young women professional
engineers in management.
Promotion on the professional ladder continues to be clearly specified and
depends on work done ( Evetts, 1997). In that sense, promotion is retrospective i.e
individuals have to demonstrate that they have operated and performed at a particular
level before getting promoted (1997). Research done by Evetts (1997) for women
engineers at Airmax found that their career movement was more difficult than men’s. They
were as able as the men in developing their expertise and skills but were not being
promoted in the company’s managerial ladder. Only women and men with a single-minded
focus on career were likely to climb to this level. In Airmax, no women held the company
senior staff positions. The only one in a director post was single and child-free ( 1997 ).
The previous study is supported by a research done by Maimunah (2003). In her research,
male engineers have more advantages in terms of career advancement in the engineering
field. This is because, their performance may not be affected after marriage. In contrast,
the priority for married women is inclined more towards the family. Pregnancies and taking
care of young children are two most important factors to slow down their performances.
There are managers who do not favor women engineers in his team because after they
get married, they have to take leave and refuse to go out station or to the operating
plant. In her research, Maimunah concluded that women engineers have chances to go up
the career ladder but limited only to a certain level.
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Maimunah (2008) also found that 72 percent of the 103 female executives in her
study cited organizational barriers as those that include the organization being very male-
oriented and inhospitable where women have to compete on men’s terms without
consideration to women’s needs. Meanwhile, 49.9 percent of women agreed that they have
to work harder and longer to prove their credibility in order to achieve the same
progress. Furthermore, skills and support from their supervisor would help in their career
advancement ( 2008 ).
2.3.2 – WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Working environment refers to the physical surroundings required for human
activity or industrial processes. Career success and person-environment fit have significant
studies of the workplace. People generally want to work in an environment where
differences are accepted, appreciated and encouraged.
Sometimes, without being conscious about it, companies can encourage and value
certain behaviour that are foreign or natural to women ( Society of Petroleum
Engineering, 2008). This is probably the main reason for women to not continue working
because they perceive that they will not progress ( 2008 ). J.Burke , Burgess and Fallon
(2006) found that it is important for the management to understand the qualities of
work environments that are supportive to women’s career aspirations. These include top
management support and commitment to the exercise, the explicit use of gender in
decision making in recruitment, career planning and development, as well as the
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development of policies and procedures consistent with the goal of supporting women’s
advancement.
The concept of organizational culture is important to understand barriers faced by
career women. Harvey and Brown (1996) define organizational culture as a system of
shared meanings, values, beliefs, practices, group norms of the members to produce
behavioural norms with regards to the working conditions of the organization.
Organizational culture is often cited as either the key facilitator or barrier to work-life
policies, as cultural norms often over-ride formal policy intentions.
A supportive culture can improve morale and motivate people to reduce stress
and absences ( Wise and Bond, 2003). The cultural association of power and authority
with masculinity makes it difficult for women to hold positions of power and because
their gender identity contradicts that of the masculinity of power (Charles and Davies,
2000).This is supported by other study (Robinson and Mcllwee, 1999) which indicated that
the culture of the engineering profession is clearly identified with the masculine gender
role. It dictates patterns of trust and behavior that make it difficult for women to be
integrated professionally ( Robinson and Mcllwee (check spelling of the name), 1999).
The CREW study (2002) confirms that cultures of many engineering workplaces
are female- and family – unfriendly. Women are generally more dissatisfied with workplace
culture and conditions than their male counterparts. Women are disadvantaged by negative
perceptions about their abilities and commitment to engineering, their exclusion from
social and other networks and harassing behavior from male colleagues (2002).
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Another research done by Society of Petroleum Engineering, ( 2005 ) indicates
that a hostile and lonely workplace ranked high in the survey for those women working
for independent and major oil companies. One of the issues most often listed for
prompting one to consider switching jobs is job satisfaction. The result shows that the
industry currently has more work than it has people and jobs are not structured in a
satisfying way which do not really address the career development needs (2005).
The finding is supported by another study of a Malaysian multinational oil
company which indicates that most women acknowledged that there were policy supports
for a friendly work environment but the organization should consider and provide
appropriate suppport to women to help their advancement (Maimunah and Mariani, 2008).
Overall, more women perceived the organization’s culture as discriminating and that the
organization should specifically address this issue in order to retain and promote women
(2008).
After a brief literature of this study, the researcher had identified several factors which
are frequently mentioned that affect the women’s engineer career progression. Women are
disadvantaged by the engineering culture which is dominance by men where there is little
recognition for women. Some of the key factors that explain women engineer at disadvantages
include organisational structures, promotion criteria and processes, lack of mentoring, sexual
harassment and discrimination as well as balancing career and family. Thus, the researcher has
grouped all these factors into three; work life balance, opportunity for growth and working
environment.
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2.4 – Theoretical Framework
Barriers to career progression:
Independent Variables Dependent Variable
The literature review assist the researcher in developing the theoretical framework of the
study which the most frequent variables are choosed. The dependent variable is the career
progression among female engineers in PCSB. From the dependent variable, the researcher can
derive the independent variables which are working environment, work life balance and
opportunity for growth. The researcher expected that there is a significant relationship between
the dependent variable and the independent variables.
25
Career progression
among female engineers
in PCSB
Work Life Balance (H1)
Opportunity for Growth (H2)
Working Environment (H3)
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Once the researcher has identified the important variable and established the relationship
among them through logical reasoning in the theoretical framework, it is time to test whether the
relationships that have been theorised in fact hold true. As such, several testable statements
called hypotheses must first be formulated before being tested scientifically through the use of
appropriate statistical analysis. The results from the tests enable the researcher to ascertain on
what kind of relationships exist among the variables. They can also offer us some insights into
minimizing the obstacles faced by women engineers in their career development.
The hypotheses that have been developed for this research are as follows:
H0: There is an insignificant relationship between work life balance and barriers to career
progression.
H1: There is a significant relationship between work life balance and barriers to career
progression.
H0: There is an insignificant relationship between opportunity for growth and barriers to
career progression.
H1: There is a significant relationship between opportunity for growth and barriers to career
progression.
H0: There is an insignificant relationship between working environment and barriers to
career progression.
H1: There is significant relationship between working environment and barriers to career
progression.
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CHAPTER 3.0
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN
3.1 DATA COLLECTON METHOD
In general, this chapter discusses the research methodology and design of the study. More
specifically, the chapter describes how data is collected and how the data analysis technique is
carried out. It is important to ensure that all data gathered are relevant to subject of
study, up dated and help in conducting effective study.
A preliminary search was conducted on the web, databases and print materials to
specify the scope of the research topic. For this research study, primary data for researcher
were the data collected from the questionnaires that will be completed by 100 respondents from
various technical backgrounds who are currently working in PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd.
Secondary data is gathered through literature review on issues relating to women’
career advancement in engineering field gave a comprehensive insight of the study. There
are two journals used as a main reference for this study which are from Malaysian researcher
(Maimunah and Mariani,2008) and Australian researcher (Roberts and Ayre, 2002).
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3.1.1.1 Design of Questionnaire
A set of questionnaire has been designed to get the required data to
meet the purpose of the study. Most of the questions are derived from other
related journals but had been edited by researcher so that it is best suited
to the respected respondents .
The researcher decided to distribute the entire questionnaire by
personally administering questionnaires to groups of individuals in the Lady
Technical Forum organised by the Human Resource department in Carigali.
It helps the researcher to establish rapport with the respondents while
introducing the survey, provide clarifications sought by the respondents on
the spot and collect questionnaires immediately after they are completed.
There are 27 questions in total and it has been divided into 2
sections to give clear understanding what the researcher actually searching
for. In section A, it consist of 4 questions focused on demographic profile
such as age, marital status , length of services and the position of the
respondents in the organization.
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Next , for section B , consist of 24 questions and it is divided into 3
subsection, which based on the variables related to working environment ( 8
items ), opportunity for growth ( 8 items ) and work life balance ( 8 items).
Eight items of working environment were included in the questionnaire:
1. The company tries to create an exciting work environment.
2. I am interested in my job.
3. I feel stressed in my job.
4. My manager values my talents and the contribution I make.
5. My manager always treats me with respect.
6. I am satisfied with the team spirit in my work environment.
7. I am satisfied with the professionalism of my co-workers.
8. Overall, I see more positive than negative aspects in my job
environment.
Eight items of working environment were included in the questionnaire:
1. The environment in this organisation supports a balance between
work and personal life.
2. My manager understands the importance of maintaining a
balance between work and personal life.
3. I am able to choose between job and family obligations.
4. The pace of work in this organisation enables me to do a
a good job.
5. The amount of work I am asked to do is reasonable.
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6. The organisation has reasonable expectations of its employees.
7. The company is flexible with respect to my family
responsibilities.
8. Overall, I am satisfied with my career.
Eight items for opportunities for growth included :
1. I have adequate opportunities for professional growth in this
organisation.
2. I receive adequate training to do my job well.
3. My manager is actively interested in my professional development
and advancement.
4. My manager encouraged and support my development.
5. I am encouraged to learn from my mistakes.
6. The policies for promotion and advancement are fair.
7. I am given enough feedback on my performance.
8. My current job is the place where I can make my best
contribution.
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Questions are answered using a 5-point likert scale to see how strongly
respondents agree or disagree with statements which consists of strongly disagree,
disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, and strongly agree. Below is the
sample of rating scale provided for Section B:
Table 3.1: Rating Scale (Section B)
3.2 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
Sampling is the process of selecting a sufficient number of elements from the
population, so that a study of the sample and an understanding of its
characteristics would make it possible for us to generalize such characteristics to
the population elements ( Sekaran, 2003 ). In order to learn how representative data can
be collected, a few terms such as population, sample size and sampling technique have to
be first understood (2003).
3.2.1 Population
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neither agree
nor disagree
Agree Strongly
Agree
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The population of this study consists of total number of female engineers in
Petroleum Engineering department, geosciences, development and exploration in
Carigali. Specifically, the female engineers of interest are those from the Executive
level 1 to level 3 only.
3.2.2 Sampling Frame
Sampling frame is a listing of selected numbers of elements from the
population. It is actually a subgroup or subset of the population. By using the
sampling frame, researcher will be able to draw conclusions that generalize to the
population interest. The sampling frame for this study is estimated of 100
female executives in various technical field who are currently working
in Carigali.
3.2.3 Sampling Technique
The researcher uses non-probability sampling technique that is applied in
convenience sampling. It involves the collecting of information from members of the population
who are conveniently available to provide the information. Convenience sampling is most
often used and perhaps the best way of getting some basic information quickly and
efficiently.
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CHAPTER 4.0-DATA ANALYSIS & FINDINGS
A survey study was carried out in an attempt to understand the major barriers for
women in their career progression in today’s organizational setting. The population for this
study concentrated on female engineers with executive rank from E1 to E2 in PETRONAS
Carigali Sdn Bhd. The researcher managed to get 95 respondents who returned the survey.
To analyze the data, SPSS, a statistical software packages was used.
All the data gathered from the questionnaires has been analyzed using descriptive
statistics such as frequency counts, means, median and standard deviation. Besides,
researcher also applied a logistic regression in order to assess the relationship between
the variables on women’s career progression in order to identify the important predictors.
4.1 – Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive statistics are useful to describe the data and to see characteristics of the data.
The researcher has applied frequency distribution method to show the frequency of occurrence of
each score value of the research data. The objective is to obtain a count of the number of
responses associated with different values of the variable. The respondents’ demographic data
are presented in bar charts form based on respondents’ age, marital status, duration of services
and skill groups.
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5-8years
1- 4years
lessthan1year
Durationof services
60
40
20
0
P e r c e n t
Durationof services
DIAGRAM 1-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE.
The bar chart shows that most of the respondents came from the age
group 25-30 years old, followed by 14.7 percent from 24 years old
and below and only 8.4 percent are at the age 31 years old and above.
Most respondents which constituted of
62.1 percent are already served with the organisation for 1-4
years, followed by 5-8 years duration of services which is 18.9
percent and only 3.2 percent is less than 1 year.
The bar chart shows that 64.2 percent are single respondents and
only 35.8 percents are married.
34
31years
oldand
above
25-30years
old
24yeqrs
oldand
below
age
80
60
40
20
0
P e r c e n t
age
MarriedSingle
Maritalstatus
60
40
20
0
P e r c e n t
Marital status
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Most of
respondents came from Geoscience and Petroleum Engineering division which both constituted
of 35.8 percent.
In conclusion; from the bar chart (Diagram I) , the age of the respondents was
subdivided into three main sub-groups of 24 & below, 25-30 and 31 and above. The highest
was the 25-30 group with 76.8 percent followed by 24 years old and below group of 14.7
percent. This corresponded well to the length of service that employees served in the company.
Single participants constituted most of the responses at 64.2 percent while married participants at
35.8 percent. Most of the respondents came from skill group 9 and 10 which are Geosciences and
petroleum engineering division with both constituted of 35.8 percent followed by other skill
groups.
Respondents were asked about the variables related to working environment, opportunity
for growth and work life balance which consist of 8 items each. They were allowed to select
35
SKG19(projectmanagement)
SKG18(HSE)SKG16(processtechnology/operati…
SKG14(instrumentation/controlen…
SKG13(electricalengineering
)
SKG12(mechanicalengineering)
SKG11(civil/structuralengineering)
SKG10(petroleumengineering
)
SKG09(geoscience)
Skillgroup
40
30
20
10
0
P e r c e n t
Skillgroup
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answers using a 5-point likert scale range from Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neither Agree nor
Disagree, Agree and Strongly Agree.
DIAGRAM II-DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS (VARIABLES)
1. I AM INTERESTED IN MY JOB.
stronglyagree
agree
neither agree or disagree
Disagree
stronglydisagree
interested in my job
1 1.1
3 3.2
14 14.7
58 61.119 20.0
95 100.0
strongly disagree
Disagree
neither agree or disagree
agreestrongly agree
Total
Valid
Frequency Percent
More than 80% of the respondents agreed that they are interested in their current job compared to
those who are disagreed; only 4.2% while 14.7% neither agree nor disagree.
2. I FEEL STRESSED IN MY JOB.
stressed in my job
5 5.3
20 21.1
39 41.1
27 28.4
4 4.2
95 100.0
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Agree
strongly agree
Total
ValidFrequency Percent
More respondents feel stressed in their job as the percentage for those who are agreed is
32.6% compared to those who are not agreed; 26.4%.
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Skillgroup * stressed in my job Crosstabulation
Count
0 8 15 11 0 34
2 8 11 9 4 34
0 1 4 0 0 5
1 1 3 4 0 9
0 0 2 0 0 2
1 1 0 0 0 2
1 0 3 3 0 7
0 1 0 0 0 1
0 0 1 0 0 1
5 20 39 27 4 95
SKG09(geoscience)
SKG10(petroleumeng
ineering)
SKG11(civil/structural engineering)
SKG12(mechanicalen
gineering)
SKG13(electricalengi
neering)
SKG14(instrumentatio
n/controlengineering)
SKG16(processtechn
ology/operations)
SKG18(HSE)
SKG19(projectmanag
ement)
Skillgroup
Total
Strongly
Disagree Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree Agree strongly agree
stressed in my job
Total
In order
to get details information for the second variables; I feel stressed in my job; researcher did a
crosstabulation to identify the details of the respondents’ answers. All the respondents who are
strongly agreed and agreed with the statement came from Petroleum Engineering, Geosciences
and Mechanical Engineering division. However, those there are two respondents form Petroleum
Engineering strongly disagreed with the statement followed by those from Instrumentation
Engineering and Process Technology.
3. I AM SATISFIED WITH THE PROFESSIONALISM OF MY CO-WORKERS.
satisfied with the professionalism of co-workers
1 1.1
4 4.2
27 28.4
52 54.7
11 11.6
95 100.0
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Total
ValidFrequency Percent
More than half of the respondents, which is 54.7% agreed that they are satisfied with the
professionalism of co-workers while 28.4% neither agree nor disagree and only 5.3% disagreed.
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4. I SEE MORE POSITIVE THAN NEGATIVE ASPECTS IN MY JOB AND WORK ENVIRONMENT.
More positive than negative aspectsin my job and
work environment
4 4.2
5 5.3
21 22.1
53 55.8
12 12.6
95 100.0
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Total
Valid
Frequency Percent
68.4% agreed that they see more positive than negative aspects in their job and work
environment while only 9.3% disagreed.
5. THE ORGANISATION HAS REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS OF ITS EMPLOYEES.
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neither agreenor disagree
Disagree
StronglyDisagree
The organisation has reasonableexpectations of its employees
The organisation has reasonable expectations of its
employees
3 3.2
9 9.5
35 36.8
44 46.3
4 4.2
95 100.0
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Total
ValidFrequency Percent
46.3% agreed to the statement while 36.8% neither agree nor disagree and 12.7% disagreed.
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Skillgroup * The organisation has reasonable expectations of its employees Crosstabulation
Count
0 1 17 15 1 34
3 7 7 16 1 34
0 0 1 4 0 5
0 0 3 5 1 9
0 0 1 1 0 2
0 0 2 0 0 2
0 1 4 1 1 7
0 0 0 1 0 1
0 0 0 1 0 1
3 9 35 44 4 95
SKG09(geoscience)
SKG10(petroleumeng
ineering)
SKG11(civil/structural
engineering)
SKG12(mechanicalen
gineering)
SKG13(electricalengi
neering)
SKG14(instrumentatio
n/controlengineering)
SKG16(processtechn
ology/operations)
SKG18(HSE)
SKG19(projectmanag
ement)
Skillgroup
Total
Strongly
Disagree Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree Agree Strongly Agree
The organisation has reasonable expectations of its employees
Total
According to cross tabulation, majority of the respondents who are disagreed came from
Petroleum Engineering, followed by Geosciences & Process Technology. Besides, those who are
agreed with the statement also came from the same divisions. This is because, according to
demographic profile, majority of respondents came from these two divisions.
6. MY CURRENT JOB IS THE PLACE I CAN MAKE MY BEST CONTRIBUTION.
My current job is the place I can make my best contribution
3 3.2
9 9.5
31 32.6
41 43.2
11 11.6
95 100.0
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Total
Valid
Frequency Percent
More than half of the respondents, 54.8% agreed with the statements compared to those who are
disagreed; 12.7%.
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Skillgroup * My current job is the place I can make my best contribution Crosstabulation
Count
0 2 10 19 3 34
3 5 10 12 4 34
0 0 1 3 1 5
0 1 4 3 1 9
0 0 1 1 0 2
0 0 1 0 1 2
0 1 3 2 1 7
0 0 1 0 0 1
0 0 0 1 0 1
3 9 31 41 11 95
SKG09(geoscience)
SKG10(petroleumeng
ineering)
SKG11(civil/structural
engineering)
SKG12(mechanicalen
gineering)
SKG13(electricalengi
neering)
SKG14(instrumentatio
n/controlengineering)
SKG16(processtechn
ology/operations)
SKG18(HSE)
SKG19(projectmanag
ement)
Skillgroup
Total
Strongly
Disagree Disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree Agree Strongly Agree
My current job is the place I can make my best contribution
Total
From Crosstabulation table, those who are disagreed again came from SKG 10 & 9. Besides,
there are three respondents who are constantly answered strongly disagreed with most of the
statements in the questionnaires.
Thus, according to the survey result ( Diagram II ), most of respondents were agreed with
the statements in the questionnaire which 61.1 percent agreed that they interested in their current
job which is higher than those who are disagreed which constituted only 4.3 percent while the
others are neither agree nor disagree. More than half of the respondents which is 53.7 percent
agreed that their manager values the talents and contribution they make compared to 10 percent
who are disagreed. The survey also indicated that 56.8 percent of respondents agreed that they
are able to choose between job and family obligations while only 6.4 percent are not agreed.
Furthermore, 54.7 percent agreed that they have been given adequate opportunities for
professional growth and 13.2 percent are not agreed.
Furthermore, researcher had identified that respondents who are not agreed with most of
the statements in questionnaire came from Petroleum Engineering division and Geosciences
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division. One of the reasons is that majority of the respondents came from these two divisions
which gave more impact to the output result compared to other reason. Besides, there might be
due to the nature of the job itself as these respondents are not interested in their current job which
cause them to feel stressed and as consequence, cannot contribute best in their current job.
Based on the descriptive statistics, researcher concluded that working environment, work
life balance and opportunities for growth are contributed to women’s progression in engineering
workforce as 68.4 percent agreed they see more positive than negative aspects in their job and
work environment which lead to satisfaction in their career and can contribute best in their
current job.
4.2 – Regression Analysis.
Descriptive statistics only provide an easy indication of relationship and differences among
variables in the research. Nevertheless, the researcher does not know for sure both the
relationship and differences among variables are statistically significant unless they have been
tested. Regression Analysis is a method used to describe the relationship between variables
whether the relationship is positive or negative; linear or non-linear relationship. For this
research, researcher had used multiple regressions under the Standard Approach which allow
researcher to explore the relationship between dependent variable with more than one
independent variables. The dependent variable is ‘My current job is the place I can make my best
contribution’ and independent variables are all the other 23 items in the questionnaires.
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DIAGRAM III- R EGRESSION OUTPUT.MODEL SUMMARY(B)
MODEL R R SQUARE
ADJUSTED R
SQUARE
STD. ERROR OF THE ESTIMATE
1 .825(A) .680 .576 .60703
A PREDICTORS: (CONSTANT),ALL
B DEPENDENT VARIABLE: MY CURRENT JOB IS THE PLACE I CAN MAKE MY BEST CONTRIBUTION
Coefficient of determination, R² measures the variation of the dependent variable that is
explained by the regression line and the independent variable. From the regression result,
R²=0.68 explain 68 percent of the variation in the dependent variable can be attributed to the
variation in the independent variables, which is moderately significant. However, more important
is the Adjusted R² which is 57.6 percent has been adjusted for the number of independent
variables. The difference is that R² can never fall and only increase if we add another variable to
the regression equation but adjusted R² can decrease if the added independent variable does not
have any relationship with the dependent variables.
ANOVA(B)
MODEL SUM OF SQUARES DF MEAN SQUARE F SIG.
1 REGRESSION 55.585 23 2.417 6.559 .000(A)RESIDUAL 26.162 71 .368TOTAL 81.747 94
a Predictors: (Constant), ALL
B DEPENDENT VARIABLE: MY CURRENT JOB IS THE PLACE I CAN MAKE MY BEST CONTRIBUTION
F-test is used to test whether the independent variable as a group is significant or not in
determining the dependent variable. If the calculated F-value is greater than F-critical value, then
the independent variables as a group are significant in determining the dependent variable. F-
Value of 11.593 in the above table support that the relationship is highly significant as F(4,55) =
11.593, p<0.001. Thus, The researcher concluded that R is significant.
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Coefficientsa
.342 .947 .361 .719 -1.546 2.231
.230 .106 .187 2.177 .033 .019 .440
.167 .130 .155 1.284 .203 -.092 .425
.277 .178 .210 1.562 .123 -.077 .632
-.378 .141 -.311 -2.686 .009 -.659 -.097
.260 .126 .255 2.062 .043 .009 .511
.322 .129 .306 2.499 .015 .065 .579
-.124 .119 -.102 -1.045 .300 -.361 .113
-.297 .131 -.268 -2.263 .027 -.558 -.035
.396 .138 .352 2.877 .005 .122 .670
.290 .114 .273 2.546 .013 .063 .516
.187 .178 .150 1.046 .299 -.169 .542
.193 .111 .172 1.743 .086 -.028 .415
-.154 .120 -.126 -1.288 .202 -.393 .085
(Constant)
interested in my job
My mgr values my talents& the contribution I make
My mgr treats me with
respect
satisfied with the
professionalism of
co-workers
More positive than
negative aspects in my
job and work environment
The environment in this
organisation supports
between work and
personal life.
The amount of work I am
asked to do is reasonable
The organisation has
reasonable expectations
of its employees
Overall, I am satisfied
with my career
Adequate opportunities
for professional growth
Manager encourages and
supports my development
The policies for promotion
and advancement are fair
I am given enough
feedback on my
performance
Model
1
B Std. Error
Unstandardized
Coefficients
Beta
Standardized
Coefficients
t Sig. Lower Bound Upper Bound
95% Confidence Interval for B
Dependent Variable: My current job is the place I can make my best contributiona.
A closer look at the t-values indicates that out of 24 independent variables, 6 variables; interested
in my job, more positive aspects in work environment, balance between work and personal life,
satisfied with career and adequate opportunities for growth contribute to the prediction of
respondents’ attitude towards their career progression. This is because, the t-value is more than
2, and therefore significant relationship exists between the dependent variable and the
independent variables.
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Correlations
1 .293** .456** .204* .293** .481** .172 .558** .348** -.341**.004 .000 .047 .004 .000 .096 .000 .001 .001
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
.293** 1 .556** .398** .442** .451** .202* .362** .336** -.398**
.004 .000 .000 .000 .000 .050 .000 .001 .000
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
.456** .556** 1 .425** .594** .610** .197 .519** .433** -.463**
.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .055 .000 .000 .000
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
.204* .398** .425** 1 .612** .486** .186 .281** .427** -.414**
.047 .000 .000 .000 .000 .072 .006 .000 .000
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
.293** .442** .594** .612** 1 .575** .275** .275** .448** -.457**
.004 .000 .000 .000 .000 .007 .007 .000 .000
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
.481** .451** .610** .486** .575** 1 .314** .607** .554** -.492**
.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .002 .000 .000 .000
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
.172 .202* .197 .186 .275** .314** 1 .289** .302** -.232*
.096 .050 .055 .072 .007 .002 .005 .003 .024
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95.558** .362** .519** .281** .275** .607** .289** 1 .467** -.444**
.000 .000 .000 .006 .007 .000 .005 .000 .000
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
.348** .336** .433** .427** .448** .554** .302** .467** 1 -.406**
.001 .001 .000 .000 .000 .000 .003 .000 .000
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
-.341** -.398** -.463** -.414** -.457** -.492** -.232* -.444** -.406** 1
.001 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .024 .000 .000
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
Pearson CorrelationSig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
NPearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
interested in my job
satisfied with the team
spirit
More positive than
negative aspects in my
job and work environment
The environment in this
organisation supports
between work andpersonal life.The organisation has
reasonable expectations
of its employees
Overall, I am satisfied
with my career
Adequate training to d o
job well
My current job is the place
I can make my best
contribution
The policies for promotion
and advancement are fair
stressed in my job
interested
in my job
satisfied with
the team spirit
More positive
than negative
aspects in my
job and work
environment
The
environment
in this
organisation
supports
between work
and personal
life.
The
organisation
has
reasonable
expectations
of its
employees
Overall, I am
satisfied with
my career
Adequate
training to
do job well
My current job
is the place I
can make my
best
contribution
The policies
for promotion
and
advancement
are fair
stressed
in my job
Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).**.
Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).*.
Researcher then examines the coefficient and its associated significance value. The output
reveals that most of independent variables have significant positive relationship as p<0.05 with
dependent variable. For instance, if the environment in the organisation supports a balance
between work and personal life, women engineers will be more motivated to progress in their
career. Furthermore, the output also shown that there is a significant negative relationship
between dependent variable and stress in the job as p<0.05 which indicate that less job stress
will lead women engineers to give their best contribution to the company. Followed by other
variables; satisfied with the professionalism of my co-workers and the amount of work is
reasonable which are moderately positive significant with p>0.05.
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The normal plot of regression standardised residuals for dependent variable indicates a relatively
normal distribution.
1.00.80.60.40.20.0
Observed Cum Prob
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
Normal P-P Plot of Regression StandardizedResidual
Dependent Variable: My current job is the place I canmake my best contribution
45
Expe
cted
Cum
Prob
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CHAPTER 5.0
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION
This study shows that women’s engineer career progression in Carigali is effected by the
work life balance, working environment and opportunities for growth. In all areas surveyed,
more respondents agreed that these barriers are still prevalent in the organisation. These women
need equal treatment and organisational support that would promote them to the organisation’s
top position. Motivating technical employees who are typically bright and independent-minded
can appear difficult to Human Resources department especially in creating the right internal
environment and using it to motivate individual motivation.
The study also indicates that younger women engineer still saw these as their fight just as
much as the earlier generation of women engineer and those who have been in the workforce for
a longer period of time. Besides, women engineers also need support and understanding from the
organisation to inculcate a work culture that valued their contribution. The organisation should
look into creating a work environment that supports their career through flexible and part-time
working options. For instance, other oil and gas companies such as Schlumberger and SHELL
introduced flexible working policies in order to retain and increase its women employees. At
SHELL Malaysia, these policies cover part-time working hours where employees may opt for
fewer working hours per week and flexible working hours where the employee agrees with her
manager on start and finish time outside of the regular pattern. The eligibility will depend on the
job role and the employee. Several women in various position such as HR advisor, Finance
executive and Process Engineer had taken the opportunity to apply for flexible working hours
and they agreed that these options have enable them to achieve their work-life balance goals.
This is because; working mothers have to learn many transferable prioritization, time and people
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management skills. Companies that are flexible and accommodate working mothers with flexible
time, part-time work and family-friendly benefits will have loyal employees with superb
multitasking capability for many years and just need some flexibility.
Besides that, recognising and rewarding performers is one of the most effective tools to
attract and retain the right talent. Instead of offering profit-linked incentives, company may also
include work life balance programmes and career opportunities such as overseas assignments and
new projects to reward staff. This reward can be tailored to suit the top performer’s aspirations to
achieve maximum effect in order to create an exciting working environment.
Finally, it is important for the organisation in matching jobs with a particular level of
training and based on the employees’ interest in order to broaden their talent so that they are
motivated to progress in their career.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bigliardi B., Petroni A., & Domio, A. I. ( 2005). Status, role and satisfaction among Engineers.
Journal of Innovation Management , 8(4), 453-470.
C.Mattis, M. (1995). Corporate initiatives for advancing women. Journal of Women in
Management Review, 10(7), 5-14.
I.M.Jawahar. (2006). Perceived Organizational Support for Women’s advancement and turnover
intentions. Journal of Women in Management Review, 643-661.
Ibrahim,M. & Ismail,M. (2008). Barriers to career progression faced by women. Journal of
Gender in Management , 23(1), 51-66.
Ismail,M. (2003). Men and women engineers in a large industrial organization:interpretation of
career progression based on subjective career experience. Journal of Women in Management
Review,18(2), 60-67.
Burke, R..J, & C.Mattis, M. (2005). Supporting Women’s Career Advancement: Challenges and
Opportunity. London: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Burke, R.J, Burgess, Z., & Fallon, B. (2006). Organizational practices supporting women and
their satisfaction and well being. Journal of Women in Management , 21(5), 416-425.
PETRONAS. (2009). Retrieved from PETRONAS Corporate website:
http://www.petronas.com.my
Roberts, P., & Ayre, M. (2002). A Study of Women’s retention in the Engineering workforce.
Journal of International Engineering , 415-421.
Wan, H.L. (2007). Human Capital Development Policies: Enhancing Employees’ Satisfaction.
Journal of European Industrial Training, 297-322.
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Employee Satisfaction Survey – Sample Survey Questions. (2009). Retrieved July 12, 2009, from
CustomInsigh.com: Official Site Web site:
http://www.employee-satisfaction.com/sample-survey-items.asp
Sample Employee Satisfaction Survey. (2009). Retrieved August 17, 2009, from HR
Management Official Web site:
http://www.humanresources.hrvinet.com/sample-employee-satisfaction-survey/
Sekaran, U. (2003). Research Methods for Business, A Skill – Building Approach, John Willey
& Sons. inc
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APPENDICES
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25th January 2010
Datin Zarina Bt Zakaria @ Mohamad
Senior Manager,
People Strategy & Planning Section,HRM Department,
Corporate Services Division,
PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd.
Dear Madam,
RESEARCH PROPOSAL APPROVAL
I am Nurfadillah Bt Ahmad Mahmmud, trainee from the Faculty Of Business Management,
UniversitiTeknologi Mara, Shah Alam.
As part of my practical training project paper, I would like to carry out a survey to identify and
understand the major factors that influence job satisfaction among women in technical professionwho are currently working in PCSB.
Basically, this paper will help the management to determine the major issues surrounding
women’s satisfaction and progression in the technical profession and assist the company indeveloping better strategies and program to improve women’s advancement in the technical
workforce.
Kindly note, the survey is planned to be distributed during the ‘Lady Technical Forum’ on the
27th January 2010.
Your approval is kindly appreciated.
Thank you,
Yours Faithfully,
Nurfadillah Bt Ahmad Mahmmud
Approved by,
....................................
Datin Zarina Bt Zakaria @ Mohamad
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DATE: 25th January 2010.
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SECTION A – PERSONAL DETAILS
Please tick (√) in the appropriate box
1. Age 24 years old and below 31 years old and above
25-30 years old
2. Duration of services < 1 year 5 – 8 years
1 – 4 years 9 years and above
3. Marital status Single Married
4. Skill group : _______________________
5. Current position : _______________________
SECTION B
Please state your honest opinions regarding the following statements. Thank you for your time.
i. WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Please circle your answer based on the provided scale:
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither agree nor
disagree
Agree Strongly Agree
1 The company tries to create an exciting work environment. 1 2 3 4 5
2 I am interested in my job. 1 2 3 4 5
3 I feel stressed in my job. 1 2 3 4 5
4 My manager values my talents and the contribution I make. 1 2 3 4 5
5 My manager always treats me with respect. 1 2 3 4 5
6 I am satisfied with the team spirit in my work environment. 1 2 3 4 5
7 I am satisfied with the professionalism of my co-workers. 1 2 3 4 5
8 Overall, I see more positive than negative aspects when I think about my job and the work
environment.
1 2 3 4 5
i
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ii. WORK LIFE BALANCE
Please circle your answer based on the provided scale:
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither agree nor
disagree
Agree Strongly Agree
iii. OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH
1 The environment in this organization supports a balance between work and personal life.1 2 3 4 5
2
My manager understands the importance of maintaining a balance between work and personal
life.
1 2 3 4 5
3 I am able to choose between job and family obligations.1 2 3 4 5
4 The pace of the work in this organization enables me to do a good job. 1 2 3 4 5
5The amount of work I am asked to do is reasonable.
1 2 3 4 5
6 The organization has reasonable expectations of its employees. 1 2 3 4 5
7The company is flexible with respect to my family responsibilities. 1 2 3 4 5
8 Overall, I am satisfied with my career. 1 2 3 4 5
1 I have adequate opportunities for professional growth in this organization. 1 2 3 4 5
2 I receive the training I need to do my job well. 1 2 3 4 5
3 My manager is actively interested in my professional development and advancement 1 2 3 4 5
4 My manager encourages and supports my development. 1 2 3 4 5
5 I am encouraged to learn from my mistakes. 1 2 3 4 5
6 The policies for promotion and advancement are always fair. 1 2 3 4 5
7 I am given enough feedback on my performance. 1 2 3 4 5