Exploration of female academic staff experiences in a conservative and gendered society : a case study of selected universities in Pakistan

The focus of my research is to explore the experiences of female academic staff in a number of higher education institutions in Pakistan. The research looked at female academic staff perceptions in light of their socio-cultural experiences and how societal as well as cultural norms impacted their institutional experiences. It also investigated female academic career progression and work-life conflict which impacts their lives. The research also explored how multiple identities are adopted by these academics in their attempt to adjust to institutional life. A feminist discourse was adopted to understand female academic staff position in Pakistani society. From a methodological perspective, data was generated by conducting face-to-face interviews of 16 female academic staff from the four provinces in Pakistan. Sample was identified by snowballing technique and data was analysed thematically from the transcribed interviews. My findings show that female academics experience significant work-life conflict and career stagnation. Respondents indicated that their treatment was often based on their gender which was historically located and supported by male cultural and societal dominance. There was societal role differentiation with men being the bread-winners whereby women had a domestic role. Domestic responsibilities included women having to look after the home and the extended family. Within the institutions female academics are employed, their treatment was based on institutional ‘maleness’ whereby women were often denied opportunities to develop their careers in par with their male colleagues. Respondents indicated that institutional understanding of equality issues was often limited to policy rhetoric with little sign of policies being implemented. Overall, the findings show that for female academics there are a myriad of issues at institutional and societal level that need to be addressed to improve their overall experiences

Measuring Push, Pull And Personal Factors Affecting Turnover Intention: A Case Of University Teachers In Pakistan

It has been observed that professional and qualified teacher’s retention become a challenge for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan as the turnover rate has been significantly increased in recent years. The main objective of this paper is to access personal, push and pull factors and to find out that which factors contribute more to turnover intention. Primary data were collected from 100 teachers of 5 HEIs using questionnaire methods. The results indicate that all factors (personal, pull and push) have contributed in the employees’ turnover intentions. However, some facets of personal factor have significantly contributed in turnover intentions.Turnover, Higher Education Institution, Job Quit, Personal Factors, Push Factors, Pull Factors

Responsible leadership and workplace deviant behaviour: modeling trust and turnover intention as mediator

Purpose: Drawing on psychological contract theory and social identity theory, this study aims at examining the mediating role of trust and turnover intention between the relationship of responsible leadership (RL) and work deviant behaviour (WDB). Methodology: Data was collected from 230 full-time hospital staff to examine the hypothesized relationship. Moreover, the study employed a two-step SEM approach to testing the proposed relationships Findings: The results derived from “partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM)” analysis revealed that RL does not affect WDB. The findings further provided a noteworthy theoretical understanding that of influence of RL on WDB is better explained by Trust, whereas the impact of RL on WD is less translated through turnover intention. Implications: This study entails vital managerial implications by demonstrating how hospitals should improve WDB. Originality: The study makes a unique contribution to RL literature by linking psychological contract theory and social identity theory. This novel research endeavor also bridges important theoretical gaps by highlighting the additive effects of RL and exploring the competing mediation mechanism through which RL influence WDB

Pricking the male bubble in academia – exploration of female academic experiences in a number of Pakistan universities

The purpose of this study is to identify some relevant key themes, which have emerged from a fieldwork on female academics in Pakistan, which was conducted between 2015 and 2016. The focus of the present research is to explore the experiences of female academic staff in a number of selected Higher Education institution. The investigation goes beyond the formal contractual role boundaries, such as job scope and requirements, and it analyses female academics’ experiences in a holistic sense. This is in recognition that the value of female employees is not only defined by the nature of their work roles but also by societal as well as cultural norms. To this end, the analysis of female career progression, in the context of a ‘conservative and gendered society’, is complemented to the ones of work-life conflict and multiple identities. As for its methodology, the analysis employs qualitative research techniques, such as interviews leading to a thematic analysis of the generated data. Our preliminary results are consistent with the established literature, in so far as they show significant work-life conflict, slower career progression and fewer development and progression opportunities for female academics

Parenting styles and aggression among young adolescents: a systematic review of literature

There is ample research on aggression amongst children and adolescents that highlights several antecedents of aggression. While researchers have remarked on the relationship between parenting styles and aggression in children, there are few studies that integrate and systemize the available studies on parenting styles and aggression. The present review is an attempt to fill this gap. For this review, relevant studies were first searched, then coded and classified. As a result of thorough review, 34 relevant studies were identified. The review shows that parenting styles have a direct impact on aggression in children. Authoritative parenting styles play a positive role in psychological behavior in children while authoritarian and permissive parenting styles result in aggressive and negative behaviors in children. The current study also suggests that there is room to conduct studies on this topic in developing countries. Future research should be undertaken in developing and under-developed countries and should focus on mixed modes of research and examine the direct influence of parenting styles on aggressive behavior in children in different cultural contexts