Women in management: a Malaysian perspective

Surveys of women in management postitions in the USA and elsewhere have indicated a notion of masculine managerial model of “organizational man”. Malaysia presents an interesting case study on attitudes towards women managers because it is a society undergoing rapid changes from its strong traditional religious and cultural norms to modern values about women. This study focuses on the perceptions of Malaysian men and women executives about the female managers in corporate Malaysia. Specifically, the study examines the organizational environment for women managers in Malaysia, how men and women at different ranks feel about women’s advancement in the organization, the differences in the leadership styles of men and women managers and their effectiveness in achieving organizational goals.