10 July 2006
Asian businesswomen have rated honesty, trustworthiness, dependability and fairness as the most important attributes for career progression, the latest issue of Monash Business Review reveals.
Monash University researchers interviewed senior businesswomen across government, service industries and private enterprise in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong to identify what drives and shapes Asia's high achieving women.
Participants included Singapore's Minister of State for Finance and Transport Ms Lim Hwee Hua, Pacific Basin Economic Council Adviser Ms Rohana Tan Sri Mahmood, and ImagineX Holdings Limited Deputy Chairman and CEO Ms Balbina Wong.
Professor James Sarros, from Monash University's Department of Management, said among the 19 women interviewed, the clear message on what mattered to them most was who they were as people rather than what they had achieved.
"Throughout our discussions, it became very clear that family played abig role in preparing these women for leadership," he said.
"This is significant considering most of these women grew up during a time when Asian cultures were extremely paternalistic, making the pursuit of a career difficult to conceptualise, let alone pursue.
"Formal education was also very important to the women in this study, although some believed being 'street smart' was more valuable."
Professor Sarros conducted the study with Associate Professor Peter Reed, from Monash's Department of Marketing and Dr Anne Hartican from McArthur Management Services.
He said few of the women interviewed had mentors and most believed role models, such as family members or teachers, were more influential.
As part of the study, the career strategies outlined by the participants were compared with a study of American female executives, which had revealed interesting similarities and differences.
"The American participants ranked having an influential mentor as the fourth most important strategy for career advancement, while Asian businesswomen ranked it ninth," Professor Sarros said.
"Asian participants believed gaining international experience was the most important strategy, while US-based women executives ranked it as the least important.
"Both groups agreed that male stereotyping was the factor most likely to impede their career progression -- this suggests the male-dominated business world is seen to work against women's career successes, regardless of national cultures."
For further information contact Ms Natasha Whalley on +61 3 9905 9201 or 0437 458 457. | 
