Understanding The Concept of Competence: Findings from a Pilot Study of Malaysian Women Managers

Abstract

This article reports the exploratory pilot findings on Malaysian women managers’ understanding of the concept of competence. This pilot study drew on qualitative in-depth interviews with purposely selected women managers representing three major economy sectors within Malaysian work context namely, the GLCs (government-linked companies), private and public sectors. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the transcribed interviews. The pilot findings suggest two qualitatively distinctive broad themes of managerial competencies namely, in getting things done and in managing others to get things done. The key attributes of competence were drawn from the conception of work and understanding about competence. Despite the small sample size, the exploratory pilot findings could serve as a platform for further inquiry. The findings potentially extend previous research on human competence and women in management, indicating the need to understand competence from the perspective of women managers within the Asian context.