Perception Of Female Managers In Leadership Sociology Essay Example

affecting contact either with clients or other persons. The survey will be focused in Nigeria. This research aims to acquire a deeper apprehension of gender differences or inequality patterns and contribute to the literature on leading. Overall, the thesis seeks to measure between the male and female leading manners and the deductions for their callings and to the major challenges that hinder adult females in direction and executive places from recognizing the same potency as their male co-workers

Literature Review

Nigeria is a extremely patriarchal society, where work forces dominate all domains of adult females 's lives ( NGP, 2007 ) . It is seen as a male-dominated society because the activities of Nigerian work forces and adult females tend to favor Nigerian work forces above the adult females. In other words, the parts of work forces and male behavioral repertoires are more extremely valued than those of adult females. The entree of adult females to leading places is constrained by gender functions of work forces and adult females ( Olojede, 2004 ) . In the Nigerian Federal Civil Service, which is the largest single-entity employer in Nigeria, 76 % of civil retainers are work forces, while 24 % are adult females ( CIDA NigeriaGSAA, 2006 ) . Besides, in malice of the assignment of adult females to the place of Permanent Secretaries, they hold less than 14 % of the entire direction degree places in the Nigerian populace sector. Anker ( 1997 ) conducted surveies on adult females 's engagement in the formal sector of the economic system and attested to the fact that non merely is adult females 's engagement in the formal sector low,

but that adult females are being discriminated against in footings of occupational segregation. Womans are underrepresented in direction places

in comparing to work forces all over the universe ( Tai et al. , 2005 )

REASONs WHY THERE IS A Differentiation

Taking into history household and domestic duties that adult females may meet and which, in bend, interfere with adult females 's callings ( Mae Kelly and Dabul Marin, 1998 ; Marongiu and Ekehammar, 1999 cited Cassar and Cortis 2005 ) . Family duties and domestic duties may therefore be reenforcing the impression that because of household association, adult females are non as profoundly involved in their work as work forces. This may be one account why males populate managerial places, since it is a calling that requires an equal grade of occupation engagement ( Cromie, 1981 ; Lewis, 1994 cited Cassar and Cortis 2005 ) . the definition of occupation engagement is non merely the grade to which employees engross themselves in their occupation but besides involves the extent to which employees view work as being a cardinal portion of their lives.

Harmonizing to this definition, female directors who are both calling and household oriented are at a disadvantage. This is because household demands may be interfering with adult females 's callings, taking them possibly to decline overtime, rearrange their on the job hours or decline excess work assignments, therefore put on the lining the possibility of being perceived as less job-involved than their male opposite numbers ( Keene and Reynolds, 2002 cited Cassar and Cortis 2005 )

INVESTIGATING STYLE OF LEADERSHIP OF MALE & A ; FEMALE

Reading most Management text editions would readily uncover that leading is one

of the four direction map that needs to be assumed by any director. In general, many of the maps of direction are activities that are consistent with the definition of leading ( Northouse 2004 ) . Leadership has ever been a topic of great involvement, it tends to capture the attending of academic and concern audiences. Burns ( 1978: 2 ) argues that leading is one of the most ascertained and least understood phenomena on Earth ' . As Stogdill ( 1974 ) argues, there are as many definitions as the figure of bookmans in leading, which demonstrate the complexness of this phenomenon. Furthermore, Barker ( 2001 ) argues that leading is kindred to conventional cognition, hence, we all know what leading is until person asks us to specify it specially ' ( Barker, 2001: 475 ) . However, Fiedler ( 1996 ) argues that there has been much moaning and groaning in the past that we did n't cognize anything worthwhile about leading, that leading theories and research lacked focal point and were helter-skelter, and some authors asked even whether there is such a thing as leading ' ( Fiedler, 1996: 241 ) . So what is leading? To reply this inquiry, some of the of import definitions of leading are illustrated here in order to do readers familiar with the construct of leading. However, as Karmel ( 1978 ) notes, it is accordingly really hard to settle on a individual definition of leading that is general plenty to suit these many significances. Its seen as a consequence of the feeling of pleasance of the ability of others to make their ends and be

influential ( Vecchio, 2008 ) . Leadership is a procedure that is similar to direction in many ways. Leadership involves influence, as does direction. Leadership requires working with people, which direction requires every bit good. Leadership is concerned with effectual end achievement as is direction and specific plenty to function as an operationalization of the variable. ' ( Karmel, 1978: 476 ) .

The differences in work forces 's and adult females 's leading manners are seen as peculiarly of import in visible radiation of the tendency toward level administrations, team-based direction and increased globalisation. Rosener ( 1990 ; 1995 ) and Adler ( 1993 ) make converting statements that adult females 's synergistic manners may stand for a different and of import new attack to leading that can and will be valuable to corporations as diverseness and networking addition in our planetary economic system

Womans appear to be more concerned towards holding a strategic attack to alter, challenge constructions, be less concerned with manners and more with societal aims and inclusive direction, favour collaborate working, have a principled but hands-off attack which stimulated motive among some and ill will among others.  However, there is besides a good trade of grounds that adult females find themselves forced to follow a male function theoretical account in order to win in their chosen profession ( Davidson,1999 ) . Groves ( 2005 ) found female leaders of course scored higher on societal and emotional accomplishments and hence obtained higher evaluation for magnetic leading. But so once more, adult females who are modest will look less competent ( Rudman, 1998 ) . In a nutshell, the pick of leading manner is

expected to fit the gender function stereotypes, and this outlook is even more apparent in the instance

Deciding on one best theoretical account is decidedly an impossible undertaking as these theoretical accounts have been proven through empirical observation in assorted contexts. . Most of these theoretical accounts tend to hold overlapping dimensions which can be summarized into three chief dimensions-autocratic/directive, participative, nurturant-task ( Sharmila 2009 ) . These 3 leading manners would be referred to as leader behaviour interchangeably as these dimensions were measured utilizing statements that represented leader behaviour.

An bossy leader is a leader who is really rigorous, directing, makes usage of his power of influence from his place to command wagess and coerce the followings to follow with his direction ( Blau & A ; Scott, 2006 ) . This type of leader dominates and controls all the determinations and actions by giving direction and way to the followings on what to make and how to transport out a undertaking whereby curtailing follower 's creativeness and innovativeness. However, in position of globalisation and the cognition economic system, bossy leading may no longer be accepted by the subsidiaries who are going more competent, independent and knowing ( Tom, 2002 ) .

Participative leading involves audience, encouragement, and facilitation between the leaders and subsidiaries in doing a determination ( Yukl, 2006 ) . Given the impression that work force are more knowing and are equipped with relevant accomplishments, subsidiaries would prefer directors who would give them the chance to be heard. Alternatively of stamp downing the dissension to pacify their superior as done antecedently, the new coevals of workers would decidedly desire to hold a portion to

play in determination devising. The outgrowth of this penchant for participative manner was apparent in the findings of several research workers.

A female director that patterns bossy leading which is more masculine in nature will be rated even more ill than their male directors in footings of effectivity because they have violated the gender function stereotype. On the contrary, people expect adult females to be warm, expressive, understanding, compassionate, and concerned about their subsidiaries. Eagle and Johnson ( 1990 ) found that effectual adult females directors practiced more participative leading. This determination can be attributed to adult females 's nature in general which can be characterized by good properties and character in interacting with people, possessing better human relation accomplishments, sharing the information, and heightening people 's dignity ( Groves, 2005 ) . Therefore the show of leading behavior reflective of their nature enabled them to be rated extremely and somewhat more effectual than work forces ( Rosener, 1990 )

Few surveies have considered the possibility that adult females may in fact behave otherwise as directors in ways that enhance their public presentation. Statham argues that although work forces and adult females may be every bit effectual as directors, they may non be perceived as such because of certain differences in their managerial manner and attack. Her findings suggest that sex-differentiated direction may be, that adult females may utilize a more task-engrossed and person-invested manner, while workforces may utilize a more image-engrossed and autonomy-invested manner. Womans were perceived as concentrating more on the undertaking to be done and the people working for and with them, paying careful attending to what is go oning in their countries of

duty and interacting with others a great trade. Work force were seen as concentrating on themselves and the demand to endorse away from those who work for them, stressing the power they have and the parts they make in a state of affairs. They felt the ideal manner to pull off is to remain out of it. Such an scrutiny of low-level perceptual experiences, in add-on to the leader's self-assessment, furthers our apprehension of how and why work forces and adult females are perceived to differ.

In understanding what it takes to be a good leader, a displacement that has interesting deductions for the present treatment. Rather than stressing power, aggressiveness, fight, etc. , this literature has tended to concentrate on the importance of 'softer ' accomplishments such as communicating and emotional bonding with subsidiaries. Interestingly, these new characteristics of a good director can be interpreted every bit good in footings of gender stereotypes: if the traditional director was an alpha male, this new type of director is clearly de-masculinised and arguably acquires many stereotyped 'female ' features ( such ascommunication, caring, emotional bonding ) . In the grade of the incursion of adult females into leading places gender function, and accommodating that manner is a manner for them to execute as directors. With adult females moving more in transformational ways ( every bit good as in footings of transactional manner, adult females deliver wagess to subsidiaries for appropriate public presentation more frequently than work forces ) , and work forces more in transactional and individualistic manners.

In an earlier meta-analysis, Eagly et Al. ( 2003 ) distinguished three sorts of leading manners that work forces and

adult females occupy: transformational, transactional and individualistic manners. The last 1 is described as a failure to take duty for pull offing. In the analysis, a societal function theory attack to leading behavior was applied, foregrounding the fact that leading functions are constrained by gender functions. Harmonizing to Eagly et al. , a transformational manner suits the female gender function, and accommodating that manner is a manner for them to execute as directors.

He EAGLY? ? ? found that the manner workplaces are managed varies with the gender composing of the managerial squad - an addition in the per centum of adult females at direction degree is associated with more intense interpersonal communicating, higher engagement of directors in employees ' calling disposal and with more democracy in decision-making at the workplace.

In analyzing male and female leaders, subsidiaries are besides frequently included in the scene. For illustration, Johnson ( 1994 ) argues that director function demands and position cut down any consequence of gender on the communicating between directors and subsidiaries. However, differences may lie in the look of gestural behavior, such as smiling and express joying. Callan ( 1993 ) has examined manager-subordinate communicating. Callan ( 1993 ) He expected that male and female directors who adopt a relationship-oriented manner would be judged as leting more chances for male and female subsidiaries to discourse issues and to unwrap their concerns in comparing to leaders with a task-oriented manner. It was besides assumed that subsidiaries who judged the communicating to be more frequent and of higher quality would be more. Female subordinates believed that directors allowed them fewer chances for treatment compared to perceptual experiences of their

male opposite numbers.

STEREOTYPING PATTERNS

Additionally the cultural stereotype of 'leadership is male ' , presents a barrier to any adult female who aspires to a leading place. Despite the fact that many research workers have found that there are undistinguished differences in the unconditioned abilities of male and female directors ( Farm horses and Platz, 1986 ) , stereotypes that portray adult females as less capable leaders than work forces persist. The stereotypes come from the premises that there are widespread differences in abilities between adult females and work forces refer to a cultural bias that assumes that work forces are better suited for leading places ( Heilman et al. , 1989 ) . Past literature analyzing adult females 's patterned advance states that adult females do be given to hold a lower outlook in the workplace than their male co-workers ( Davidson, 1993 ) .

Barriers TO WOMEN ATTAINING LEADERSHIP POSITION

CAREER PROGRESSION

Coffey et Al ( 1999 ) found that adult females executives are often the lone adult female at their degree. The sense of being a lone female voice was a frequent portion of the experience of such adult females. Furthermore adult females in upper direction, consisting of about 5 % of upper directors, are about ever in the 'token ' place. Tokens are capable to more on-the-job force per unit area and examination than dominants because they are more seeable to the remainder of the group and that visibleness increases public presentation force per unit areas ( Kanter,1977 ) .

The psychological force per unit areas of being a item can non assist but hold a long-term negative consequence on adult females' feelings and attitudes. Most

significantly, for adult females seeking publicity or perchance draw a bead oning to go up to the CEO place, their minority position frequently makes it harder to tap into the information they need from informal beginnings and webs, making yet another obstruction in the way toward farther publicity.

Surveies indicate that obstructions to progression arise merely after the first five old ages of adult females 's callings when work forces 's compensation, publicity and occupation satisfaction begins to billow in front. Women face certain challenges at work: female features and stereotypes are viewed negatively, and their minority position increases their visibleness ( Riley, 1993 ) . In add-on, as adult females enter paid employment their male spouses tend non to presume an just portion of the housekeeping and kid attention.

Many administrations have family-friendly policies to relieve the force per unit areas of uniting work and household life ; nevertheless employees can be loath to entree these because of the possible impact on their calling. Schwartz ( 1994 ) indicates that adult females assume that calling punishments would ensue from utilizing family-friendly policies, but she besides concludes that usage is really career heightening in that it provides a agency for adult females to stay affiliated to the workforce. She adds that utilizing family-friendly policies will be mediated by both single attitudes and by corporate civilization there has been a significant addition in the figure of adult females who are bank directors in Nigeria. Nigerian adult females are now presuming greater duties in the direction of concern organisation. Despite the barriers militating against their full engagement in the labor market, the economic clime in the state requires adult

females to augment the earning of their hubby and their parents. Therefore, their part to the state 's economic system can non be overlooked. Nigeria adult females now hold more place of leading or prestigiousness in direction than of all time before ( Oladejo et al 2012 ) . Harmonizing to Opeke ( 2002 ) more female employees are bit by bit traveling in direction and besides determination doing a degree. Although adult females 's engagement in the work force has grown steadily worldwide, bing gender inequalities have increased with regard to pay and working conditions. Harmonizing to the Beijing Platform for Action adult females continue to confront barriers to economic authorization and entrepreneurship.

The obstructions for adult females in direction are still formidable, and are turning more intractable. In many developing states, such as Nigeria, there are merely a little per centum of adult females in direction and related decision-making places ( Al-Lamki 1999 ) . The function of Nigerian adult females in national and economic development is an issue that demands serious consideration. Harmonizing the ( BBC 2006 ) the population of Nigerian adult females is given as 68,086,302 degree Fahrenheit out of an entire population of 140,431,790 This represent about 50 % of the Nigerian population ; moreover, an increasing figure of adult females are get the better ofing past constructs that they should non take part in decision-making or wield authorization over others.

In Nigeria, there are merely a little per centum of adult females in direction and related determination doing place ( Al-lamki 1999 ) . The function of Nigerian adult females in National and economic development is an issue that demand

serious consideration.

The barriers that prevent adult females from go up to senior direction places in big corporations have frequently been described jointly by the metaphor `` the glass ceiling '' ; a transparent barrier which thwarts adult females from traveling up the corporate ladder past a certain point ( Morrison et al, 1987 ) . Therefore undertaking the under-representation of adult females at senior degrees is important.

The glass ceiling was a term foremost used in the 1970s to depict the unseeable barrier which exists within company organizational constructions which prevent adult females deriving the top managerial stations ( Hansard, 1990 ) . There is now extended literature on this subject with grounds from both the West which indicates that adult females face obstructions in their callings which are non faced by their male opposite numbers ( Davidson,1999 ) .

The strongest tool for interrupting the glass ceiling in the building industry because statements on equal chances, or make fulling the accomplishment spread by enrolling adult females, does non intend more adult females in managerial places brings better direction to the industry ( Ginige et al 2007 ). Kanter ( 1977 ) explains that because adult females in managerial places are non proportionally represented in organisations, they are in a vulnerable place, merely because they are in a minority.

The first barrier identified is organizational civilization. Secondary beginnings defined organizational civilization as `` the worlds, values, symbols and rites held in common by members of an administration and which contribute to the creative activity of norms and outlooks of behavior '' ( Phillips, Little, and Goodine, 1997 ) . Organizational civilization defines behavior within an administration, find what

is and is non valued, and how authorization is asserted ( James and Saville- Smith, 1992 ) . The values which frequently underpin the bulk of administrations, and therefore define personal success, arguably include money, power and position. The corresponding behaviors include working long hours and seting in 'face clip ' ( as placeholders for productiveness ) , fight and a willingness to set work above all else ( McKenna, 1997 ; Cornelius, 1998 ; Raggins et Al, 1998 ) . McKenna ( 1997 ) and Cornelius ( 1998 ) argue that it is these values and behaviors that create the sort of organizational civilization which many adult females find so inhospitable. Womans, every bit good as many work forces, non merely happen this environment inhospitable but the forms of interaction between staff members it creates as being potentially uneffective ( Marshall, 1995 ) . Womans say that an inhospitable civilization is one of the most important barriers to their promotion and a major factor in decreasing their satisfaction with work in big administrations ( Phillips, Little and Goodine, 1997:571 ) . Explanations for the highly low Numberss of adult females in the place of senior direction places go beyond corporate policies and patterns but are besides impacted by gender-based issues.

The `` old male child 's web '' is frequently cited as a barrier to female patterned advance to senior stations as adult females at the top are frequently perceived as menaces by their male co-workers in that they would recommend alteration from the position quo. The `` old male child 's web, '' is when adult females are excluded from informal webs because of

their gender these are informal groups of male equals who provide each other with information, feedback, and contacts for necessary calling promotion. A critical mass of adult females in top places would be a menace to the `` old male child web '' which presently functions rather good in continuing and heightening wagess for males at the top One manner that adult females are kept out of 'old male child 's web ' is through the procedure of competence proving. Competency proving is a procedure by which a individual is required to turn out herself over and over once more. Rosener ( 1995 ) studies that when carry oning her research male senior executives, freely admitted that adult females in upper degree places were subjected to competency proving much more frequently than their male opposite numbers.

This behavior on the portion of male executives could be seen as an effort to band together to continue the upper ranks as a preponderantly male sphere by directing the message to females who attempt to infiltrate their sphere that they are less than welcome and will hold to contend to derive entry HR policies and patterns were identified as an important barrier to womens patterned advance. A study by Catalyst ( 1990 ) of human resource directors found that corporations were still non making diverseness enterprises or policies that efficaciously lessened the obstructions for adult females wishing to go up through the ranks to senior direction ( Riley, 1993 ) argues that work / household struggle is often cited as an obstruction to female employment and publicity chances. The long hour's civilization or `` child blind '' administration timetable

supports the wont of early forenoon and eventide meetings out of more regular `` 9-5 '' hours potentially doing attending hard for adult females Tharenou ( 1995 ) found that adult females were more likely to go Chief Executive Officers or top directors when they had fewer external ties in footings of partner or kids.

Research into adult females 's barriers to senior places indicates that adult females 's deficiency of assurance is one of the chief inhibiting factors in adult females calling development and the chief ground why some people think that adult females are their ain `` worst enemies '' ( Powell 1993 ) . However, possibly this is a convenient manner to apportion duty for a broader societal job of gender favoritism and needs to be looked at in this manner.

This is bad at all. It doesn't get down really well ( chiefly because of it is imprecise and full of generalizations) but it picks up as it goes along. I have made some alterations to the beginning to propose ways you can better line of the statement. However, the remainder of it reads well with lone occasional jobs. You have to be more witting of the demand to direct the statement and explicating to the reader what your principle is. Sometimes you do this rather good - at others is losing wholly.

You need a drumhead now to state what the chief issues are in this chapter and what the deductions are for the manner you are traveling to analyze the methodological analysis.

Research Methodology

When taking on how to carry on research, one frequently finds the work of Bryman ( 2003 ) ,

Nachmias (

1996 ) and Saunders ( 2000 ) Stokes ( 2011 ) to be rather informative and enlightening. Harmonizing to these writers there are a figure of concrete picks that an writer must do before shiping on empirical research.

An of import 1 is the methodological analysis that one employs to transport out this research. Now we look at the epistemic and ontological point of position and the attitude taken towards

human nature. Ontology is concerned with differing positions on the nature of 'reality ' and provinces of 'being ' . In other words, it is about the survey of the nature of being and premises we make about it ( Stokes, 2011:90 ) . Every research worker must go consciously cognizant of his or her

ontological frames of mention as they will later border how he or she will transport out a

survey of human interactions, the like of this survey. Epistemology is concerned with the inquiry of what is ( or should be ) regarded as acceptable cognition in a subject ( Bryman, 2003 ) .Hence, prior to discoursing research methods in item, it is of import to give some attending to these points of position and attitudes in the context of the present survey and its built-in research purposes.

In relation to the ontological roots of this survey, a societal constructivist attack is employed and this is posited in blunt contrast to a rationalist ontology which places an accent upon functionalism, quantification and managerialism. Positivist ontologies assume that one can learn about human nature and behavior by analyzing the forms and relationships that emerge between them in their mundane life. Functionalism informs us that such forms will be

of a rational nature. As opposed to the ontology of positivism societal constructionism can be defined as the new paradigm that has been developed by philosophers roots from the position that 'reality ' is non nonsubjective and exterior but is socially constructed and given significance by people ( Easterby et al, 2002:29 ) . It does non presume that one can larn about mundane life by merely detecting it or looking for ( rational ) forms within it. Alternatively one must see it through heightened interaction with research topics. As such it represents 'an ontological rebellion against the dominant functionalist or 'scientific ' paradigm ' of positivism ' ( Denison, 1996: P 619 ) .

This survey uses this ontological point of position for two chief grounds: foremost, many writers speak of the virtue of societal constructivism in supplying high explanatory power for single and instance specific societal contexts ( see for illustration, Denison, 1996: P 635 ) . This survey represents scrutiny of the societal context of Nigeria and the perceptual experience of female directors in leading These perceptual experiences can hence be said to be socially constructed and therefore any scientific or positive scrutiny of these would be limited to state the least. Second, ( as will be discussed afterlife ) the survey employs both quantitative and qualitative methods. The purpose here is to avoid any positive focal point on proficient or quantification of societal phenomena, as this is thought to be wholly unsuitable for explanatory intents. The combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods is much more compatible under a societal constructivist attack for explicating the societal phenomena looking into how they progress

in their calling and challenges toward adult females achieving leading place their patterned advance. It is to these two methodological analysiss this the chapter now turns, the principle for utilizing and uniting them and the particular means by which they were designed and disseminated.

 Interview and Case Study Research Methods: A combined attack

The value of utilizing quantitative informations based on questionnaire to carry on research. In relation to a questionnaire, its announced inorder to hold high degrees of prognostic value and truth and hence leting relevant parties to do appropriate accommodations to their current operations. This therefore the hope for this survey and the ground a questionnaire is used ( truth and dependability ) . Even with this, it is still of import to understand the built-in restrictions of questionnaire methods, in peculiar given that a societal constructionist attack is employed to theoretically border the survey. For illustration, ( Hines 1993: P 729 ) speaks of the dangers associated with study research: 'with diverse cultural and cultural minority groups... a complex and disputing enterprise that confronts the research worker with jobs related to lingual and conceptual equality and measuring every bit good as jobs related to troubles that respondents have with the socio cultural dimensions of the survey/ interview procedure ' . As this can be seen in the instance of Nigeria a state with diverse cultural and over 250 cultural groups, it 's a spot disputing when pass oning with respondents from other cultural groups because there civilization has an impact on concern activities and the general logical thinking of people compared with other portion of the state.

Therefore, it is really of import when building

a study that the inquiries are clear and concise.

Harmonizing to Survey monkey ( 2011 ) , the consequences from study informations 'are best when inquiries are clear, direct, and brief inquiries will assist the study respondents to cognize precisely what you are inquiring. By doing certain that the inquiries asked do non hold more than one possible significance besides helps in forestalling respondents confusion. Asking sensitive inquiries in alternate ways may assist to relieve respondents concerns ' ' . When look intoing culturally diverse populations, nevertheless, jobs tend to originate in this context. Because in some portion of the state due to their cultural group traditions, adult females are non meant to speak about how work forces treat them or out of fright that some individual may acquire to see their response and that they want to hold issues with any one so they tend to writhe the information that they answer. To farther buttress on this Hines ( 1993, p.730 ) states that `` 'respondents do non remember or cognize the reply to points, are motivated by fright, stigma, or uncomfortableness to conceal or falsify information, deficiency inducement to retrace experiences, or misunderstand inquiries '.

In these states of affairs, it is best to utilize an alleged assorted method design in which we use both quantitative ( for illustration, a questionnaire ) and qualitative ( for illustration, a figure of instance surveies ) methods. Mixed method research is a flexible attack where the research design is determined by what we want to happen out instead than by any preset epistemic place. In assorted method research, qualitative or quantitative constituents can rule or both can hold

the equal positions. ( Sukamolson, n.d )

Interviews provide research workers much more than inactive responses from a questionnaire but let them to interact with research topics. It allows them to direct the conversation in a peculiar way when something of involvement harvests up. The purpose will be non to look for forms or behaviors, but to really derive an in-depth apprehension of the Nigeria female directors in leading, their calling patterned advance and challenges they face in achieving a leading place.

Such penetrations will be gained from the interviews, therefore seen as a chief advantage of utilizing assorted methods research.

In instance survey research Robert K. Yin is an important bookman, he farther says it represents the most effectual and enlightening agencies by which to carry on research for many bookmans ( Yin, 2009 ) . He applauds the usage of instance survey which depend upon 'more holistic informations aggregation schemes for analyzing the chief instance but so name upon questionnaires... .to roll up informations about the more embedded unit ( s ) of analysis ' ( Yin, 2009: 63 ) . Within this survey, fixed nonsubjective informations will be gathered in the questionnaire, subjective informations will be largely collected in the interview. Objective information relates to that which is comparatively fixed ; that is the verifiable traits and features of Nigeria female directors in leading, for illustration the calling patterned advance and their manner of leading. Subjective information relates more to the perceptual experiences and attitudes they possess about challenges they face. Hence, questionnaires are more specific in range, whilst the interviews were wider and covered a broad array of research subjects and findings.

Hence, assorted methods

constitutes a 'class of research uniting quantitative and qualitative methods which sounds like a good thought. Using multiple attacks can capitalize on the strengths of each attack and countervail their different failings. It could besides supply more comprehensive replies to research inquiries, traveling beyond the restrictions of a individual attack ( Robinson 2004, p6 ) . Currently it seems that assorted methods research schemes are being progressively employed as a figure of workshops have been devoted to assorted method research ( Brannen 1992 ) . It is promoted as an of all time increasing agencies of carry oning research. For illustration, in support of blending methods he asserts that they can 'permit research workers to turn to more complicated research inquiries and roll up a richer and stronger array of grounds than can be accomplished by a individual method ' ( Yin 2009, p63 ) .

Yet, there has been much contention environing the usage of assorted methods research such as the changing and spread outing definition of assorted method research and if the value added by assorted method is beyond the value added by qualitative or quantitative research ( Cresswell 2007 ) .

Yin ( 2009, p6 ) tends non to rate it when the research methods are arrayed within a hierarchy and discounts the impression that instance surveies ' can non be used to depict or prove propositions ' . Within this survey, that peculiar point of position is non ignored. In order to prove the research propositions, it is envisaged that the interviews will be rather descriptive and enlightening and non entirely explorative in nature. Hence, such a agencies of carry oning research is

thought to be an 'inclusive and pluralistic 1: Every research method can be used for three intents - exploratory, descriptive and explanatory ( Yin, 2009: pp.7- 8 ) . Hence, harmonizing to Carey ( 1993 ) 'quantitative and qualitative techniques are simply tools ; incorporating them allows us to reply inquiries of significant importance ' ( Sale et al. , 2002: P 44 ) . Basically, hence, this survey uses assorted methods as a complementary agency of research which 'seeks amplification, sweetening, illustration, elucidation of the consequences from one method with the consequences from another ' ( Greene et al. , 1989: 259 ) . The exact agencies by which this assorted methodological analysis was carried out is now discussed.

Research Methods

Research was conducted in two coincident phases. The first of these was the usage of semi

structured face to confront interviews. These were conducted to seek and place some key

concerns of the adult females in relation to their manner of leading and calling patterned advance and challenges they are faced with. The purpose was to find what issues they feel are of import and what their hereafter holds in respects to well representation of adult females in leading place. The undermentioned interview inquiries were used as a general semi structured guideline:

1. Do you hold any specific manner of leading? If yes what and explicate why? .
2. How long have you been in employment? ?
3. What is your highest degree of instruction?
4. In footings of your employability as a adult female in Nigeria, what do you see your calling chances to be?
5. Likewise, what do you comprehend are barriers to your calling patterned advance?
6. Do you experience
   

that these can be overcome by virtuousness of the fact that you have attained a Tertiary or higher degree of instruction?

Although merely 10 interviews were carried out, they constituted a wide representation of alumnus from different folks ( as noted earlier that a Nigeria has a diverse civilization and over 250 cultural groups but dominant amongst them are the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo ) adult females from Nigeria ; that is they were employed in different professions and from different age brackets. The interviews ranged from 30 proceedingss to one hr in length. They were semi-structured in nature. As discussed above, the research worker had a preset list of inquiries upon come ining into the treatment yet when something of involvement arose, clip was put aside to let the research worker to examine farther. This was considered to be advantageous as many issues came to illume that may non hold antecedently been considered and therefore constituted an interesting agencies of probe.

The responses received to the inquiries proved to be rather insightful. At the petition

of some interviewees the interviews were non-recorded. The research worker took elaborate notes for those non desiring to be recorded and with their permission, in some cases, paraphrased their replies to some inquiries posed. This interview certification was later analysed farther and this will be discussed in the following chapter.

The 2nd method used was questionnaires. As celebrated above, the interviews conducted were of incontrovertible worth in clear uping some issues for the research worker and besides in raising others. Questionnaire responses came from Nigeria alumnus adult females actively employed in Nigeria.. It was so sent to twenty participants through their electronic mail references. The questionnaire was designed to be short and concise to promote a higher response rate 14 responses were received climaxing in an overall response rate of 70 per centum. Due to the rather little Numberss of questionnaires disseminated ( 20 in entire ) , sophisticated agencies of analysis were non necessary. Simple spreadsheet analysis of the consequences more than sufficed.

Analysis of the consequences and responses obtained will be discussed in the following chapter. The signifier of the questionnaire is given in the followers: