Women in leadership: an analysis of a state-owned entity within the transport sector – the current status, the challenges and the future.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Women have gradually penetrated the work force globally over the years. They continue to enter industries and jobs predominantly male occupied. Although women have been visible in boardrooms and in positions of leadership, year on year, statistical numbers however still reflect low numbers of women representation, as compared to men in the various leadership ranks and positions of power. This research study sought to examine whether women in leadership roles in a state owned entity within the transport sector encounter common challenges, similar issues found in literature, or there are other unknown challenges currently experienced by women in leadership within the transport sector. Furthermore, the study aimed to seek possible implementable and practical solutions that could be considered by the participating entity, as well as certain behaviours and attitudes that could be adopted by emerging female leaders. The research adopted a mixed research approach, largely the quantitative approach, including elements of the qualitative approach. A sample of eighty-one (81) participants, who were 100% females, were conveniently selected from a population of two hundred (200) women who worked in the state-owned entity within the transport sector and occupied various management / leadership positions. The entity was represented in a wide spread of geographical areas, covering areas such as Johannesburg, Richards Bay, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Ngqura, Mossel Bay, Saldhana and Cape Town. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. The response rate was 40.5% (forty and a half percent), with a completion rate of 95%, which was an indication of completed questionnaires in relation to the respondents that participated. The respondents worked in various departments (e.g. operations, finance, engineering, human resources) within the state owned entity. Descriptive statistics revealed varied magnitudes of the challenges encountered by the women in leadership. However, inferential statistics also revealed insignificant relationships between the dependant and independent variables, for example, it emerged that there was an insignificant relationship between the challenges encountered and the geographical area that the women worked in. The study made recommendations to women leaders, the entity and the state. To women leaders – to equip themselves, leadership development programs, training opportunities, mentoring, grooming and coaching. To the entity – lead by example, by considering women in the different higher leadership levels, design and implement mentoring programmes, re-inforce culture change, and ongoing communications program and make Gender Intelligence a strategic imperative. To the state - to put in place strategies and or solutions to combat women based challenges.