Workplace Experience of Muslim Women In Australia - Research Proposal Example

Workplace Experience of Muslim Women In Australia Name: Registration no: Institution: Date of Submission: Executive Summary There are a number of circumstances under which immigrant women in Australia undergo when they seek employment positions in the country. This is based on the observations that have been made regarding the manner in which employers treat Muslim women compared with other women or better still, employees of Australian origin. The research context of this study is within the context of experiences that Muslim women undergo while they are in employment positions (Agars & Kottke 2004). The study focuses on the context of immigrant Muslim women in Australia. The research problem that this study tries to examine is that immigrant Muslim women have been observed to undergo a number of experiences at their work places. Thus, it has been necessary to establish the actual experiences that these women undergo by conducting a research. The methodological approach to be followed when conducting the research is a qualitative research process where respondents are selected based on characteristics such as being women, being Islamic in religion as well as being a resident of Sydney, Australia. Various data collection methods are applicable in this study but the study focuses on personal survey where the researcher intends to engage individual respondents in a discussion about their understanding of the topic of study. It also presents a research proposal that will be aimed at understanding the actual experiences that Muslim women undergo at work places. This is achieved by using a research design aimed at achieving the research objectives and answering the research questions. TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 2 CHAPTER ONE 3 1.Introduction 3 1.1.Research Problem 4 CHAPTER TWO 5 2.Literature Review 5 2.1.Status of Immigrant Muslim women in Australia 5 2.2.Various forms of experiences that Muslim women undergo 6 2.2.1.Discrimination in the form of ethnicity 6 2.2.2.Discrimination based on cultural belief 6 2.2.3.Discrimination on the role of a woman in the society 7 CHAPTER THREE 8 3.Research Methodology 8 3.1.Paradigm guiding assumptions to be adopted 8 3.2.Research questions to be addressed 8 3.3.Research Design 9 3.3.1.Overall Research Plan 9 3.3.2.Key Constructs and Measures of the Research 9 3.3.4.Sampling of Participants during the Research 10 3.4.Methodological procedures to be followed 10 3.5.Time line of the Research 12 Table 1. Time for the research 13 3.6.Strengths and Limitations of the Research 13 References 14 Appendix 15 CHAPTER ONE 1. Introduction Immigrant Muslim women in Australia have been subjected to a number of experiences that have affected their stay at work as well as the ability to maintain better living standards. According to studies, women immigrants face more employment challenges in Australia compared with Muslim men Studies indicate that employment challenges experienced by women in the host country are more severe compared to the challenges faced by men due to the act of combining gender with other methods of discrimination such as ethnicity, religious belief and competence at work (Agars & Kottke, 2004). The general context of this research is the attitude of employers towards employees based on their gender, religious affiliations and cultural characteristics. In this paper, the main focus is on the manner in which immigrant Muslim women are perceived by their employers in Australia. It involves a study of various vies of authors regarding the topic of study in addition to a study aimed at understanding the research topic which involves data collection and analysis. 1.1. Research Problem The research problem that this study tries to investigate is the experiences of immigrant Muslim women in Australia by focusing on the manner in which employers in Australia treat immigrant Muslim women. The research problem also involves an investigation of various forms of gender-based discrimination that women are subjected to at work place as well as the manner in which being a Muslim determines the manner in which employees view them at work place (Ahmad, 2001). In addition, this study investigates the impact of Muslim traditions of viewing women as being subordinate to men as a factor that determines the manner in which they are viewed at workplaces. This is based on the fact that there has been concern among various government bodies in Australia as well as human rights groups about the manner in which immigrants are treated in terms of being provided with employment opportunities and being accorded the right treatment at workplaces. The focus has been on immigrant Muslim immigrant women because they have been the most affected due to cultural, gender religious and nationalities when they seek employment opportunities in Australia (Abu-Lughod, 1998). The main focus of this paper is to investigate the manner in which employers view Muslim Immigrant women compared with other employees or those who have applied for a particular employment position in their companies. The main areas of discrimination has been based on religious views, discrimination on the basis of culture, role of women in the society and well as the overall perception of female gender in employment positions (Ahmed, 1992). The findings of this research is believed to be important in ensuring the gender-based discrimination to which women are subjected at work places is addressed and the problems faced by immigrant Muslim women in Australia are also addressed. There are various stakeholders involved in this research. The main stakeholders are CEOs of companies in Australia who will be able to understand the need to incorporate gender equity in the process of providing employment opportunities for people of various cultural, gender and religious backgrounds (Allen & Montgomery, 2001). Other stakeholders will be women themselves who will be able to understand the rights they have at workplace so that any form of discrimination against them on the basis of religion, culture or nationality can be addressed. In addition, the government of Australia is a stakeholder in this research. The findings of this research will be important in ensuring it takes the right measures in controlling the manner in which Muslim immigrant women are mistreated at workplaces or subjected to forms of discrimination. CHAPTER TWO 2. Literature Review 2.1. Status of Immigrant Muslim women in Australia The number of immigrant women in Australia has increased significantly in the previous decade with the highest immigrant being of those from Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia and Oman (Delaney & Banham 2004). This is based on the fact that there are increased cases of competition for employment positions and most women do not get the opportunities to work thus preferring to seek employment positions in Australia. As a result of immigration of Muslim women into Australia, employers are faced with the challenge of having to recruit the immigrants irrespective of their cultural, gender and religious characteristics (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000). This is because; the Australian Labour Laws prohibit discrimination of a person during employment process. In addition, immigrants are faced with the challenge of having to seek work so that they can meet their basic needs. This is based on the fact that in the modern economic environment, women are involved in taking care of their families in a similar manner as men. Most Australians are Christians and it is most likely that most companies are headed by Christians. This implies that the religious attitude against Muslims is likely to effect Australian immigrant women in a significant manner. A study conducted on the manner in which Muslim women experience the attitude of their employers towards them shows that most women have not been treated well by their employers on the basis of culture, religion and gender basis (Dosa 1999). Despite their level of competence to other employees as well as job positions they are offered, they have not been able to get enough benefits to cater for their needs on the basis of these forms of discriminations (Dreher, 2006). A study conducted in 2001 indicated that 40% of Muslims in Australia earned $400 per month while only 25% of Australians earned the same amount of income. Thus, it can be observed that Muslim women were paid low wages on the basis of their religious backgrounds rather than job competence. As a result of low pay, Australian women are unable to meet their basic requirements such as paying school fees for their children, providing medical support for their children and themselves, buying food for their families or even save for emergency cases (Dustmann & Fabri, 2003). This has also resulted in their slow economic capability improvements to improve their lifestyles. The Australian government has formulated the ‘Diversity Works’ policy that ensures employees are treated equally at work places and provided with benefits based on their competencies at a particular field (Dwyer, 1999). On the other hand, this policy focuses mainly on managing diversity with the aim of achieving particular business potential. While this is s better move towards addressing the needs of employees at work place, the main focus of the policy is skill and economic competence of diversity rather than other socio-cultural challenges faced by migrant workers in the Australian society and the employment environment. 2.2. Various forms of experiences that Muslim women undergo 2.2.1. Discrimination in the form of ethnicity Most Muslim women who are employed in various positions in Australia experience a number of discriminations that result from ethnic beliefs of employers towards Muslims and women in general. Employers in most companies have not been able to manage diversity effectively and it has been observed that there are developed social constructs such as gender, ethnicity and other forms of identity that create stereotypes that determine how an employer or another employee perceives workers in an organization (Ho, 2007). For instance, it has been a common practice among most employers to recruit employees of Australian origin in preference for those who come from other countries. Since most Muslim women are immigrants, they have been affected by this situation and they have not been able to get to employment positions that can be beneficial for their well-being (Ho & Alcorso, 2004). 2.2.2. Discrimination based on cultural belief Cultural beliefs are attitudes of people from other cultures. This has played a significant role in determining whether a person will get employment in a particular organization in Australia. Cultural beliefs have been intensified by the fact that Muslims are considered to be those who are less civilised thus unable to manage employment positions effectively (Hogg & Terry, 2000). These beliefs have been aggravated by the fact that Muslims have a distinctive dressing style which distinguishes them from people of other cultural backgrounds. Some Muslim women who are immigrants in Australia have reported that they are discriminated against in appointment to employment positions based on their dressing style such as their preference to wear hijab (veil) while attending work in their companies. In most situations, most organizations have come up with policies that prevent women from wearing veil while attending work in these companies (Shepard, 2002). This has been less inspiring for most Australian women who prefer to wear the veil while attending work in these companies. Some employers have also extended prejudice to the process of rewarding high performing employees. Employees have also contributed towards discrimination of foreigners in most companies in Australia. Observations show that employees of Australian origin in some companies tend to cooperate among themselves and do not allow Muslim women employees to cooperate with them (Smeeton & Goda, 2003). This has resulted in these women not being able to learn about the organizations where they work so that they can provide their services freely. 2.2.3. Discrimination on the role of a woman in the society There have been a number of misconceptions about the role that women should play in the society. This has greatly impacted countries where traditional attitudes towards women are demonstrated in employment situations (Thompson and Noferi, 2002). For instance, most managers believe that women should be subordinate to men and should concentrate on serving the roles of mothers and taking care of children. Muslims themselves have perpetuated attitudes and discourse with respect to women and hence the encoding methods of the ‘veil’ with political ideas (Abu-Lughod, 1998). Women of Islamic religious background have been treated as subjugated despite the emphasis on a number of scholarly materials that emphasize the role of women within the scaffolding of patriarchy, religiosity and values in the society or multiplicity of voices. From this research it has been found that the main Muslim immigrant women in Australia are those who come from Pakistan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. It has also been found that increased competition for employment opportunities has resulted into a number of discriminations against women in terms of ethnicity, cultural beliefs against them and the manner in which women are viewed in the society (Delaney & Banham, 2004). In addition, it is found that the culture of considering women to be subordinate to men has greatly affected their ability to assume top positions in employment situations. CHAPTER THREE 3. Research Methodology 3.1. Paradigm guiding assumptions to be adopted An example of an assumption that will be made during this research is the paradigm of positivism. This is a paradigm which states that a research inquiry can be understood by carrying out tests and predicting the outcome of a research problem based on the test results (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000). In order to implement this paradigm, the researcher will carry out an investigation of the understanding of experiences that Muslim women in Australia have undergone so that they can make prediction of the manner in which these women are treated at their workplaces. In addition, the paradigm of interpretivism will be used during this study. This is a research paradigm which is based on the argument that a researcher can understand a research problem by understanding the views of those who have the knowledge about a research problem (Dosa, 1999). In this case, this paradigm will be applied by finding the articles that have been published to explain the experiences that immigrant Muslim women have undergone at their workplaces in Australia. 3.2. Research questions to be addressed Based on research problem to be addressed, some of the research questions and hypotheses that this study tries to evaluate include the following: i. What is the manner in which employers view Australian immigrant Muslim women at workplace compared with other women? This research question will be addressed by means of positivist research paradigm that involves implementation of qualitative research. ii. Are there any forms of discrimination against immigrant women who are of Islamic religion compared with other employees? iii. What are the cultural barriers that immigrant Muslim women face at employment positions in Australia? The hypotheses that this research tries to evaluate include the following: H1: Immigrant Muslim women are less likely to get employment positions in companies in Australia compared with native Australian women. H2: Religious beliefs of immigrant Australian women are a factor that prevents them from getting employment opportunities in Australia. H3: There are cultural beliefs about Muslim women which prevent them from getting better opportunities at workplace compared with native Australian women. 3.3. Research Design 3.3.1. Overall Research Plan A mixed method research will be used during this research. There are two main research designs that are used in any study. These are qualitative research design and quantitative research design. In qualitative research, the researcher collects data that is descriptive in nature and illustrates the manner in which the respondent understands a particular issue or topic under discussion (Dreher, 2006). It is mainly illustrated by the existence of views, opinions and thoughts about a particular situation under study. Quantitative research is where the researcher collects measurable quantities such as age, income and number of dependants (Dustmann & Fabri, 2003). The research design will involve collection of both qualitative and qualitative research designs. Due to the fact that both secondary and primary data collection methods will be used during this study, the research strategy to be used is a mixed research. 3.3.2. Key Constructs and Measures of the Research The key measures during the research will include level of satisfaction with the amount of pay they are given in their positions. This will be compared with the payment of non Muslim women in the same companies where studies will be conducted. Another measure that will be used is the ability of Muslim women to participate in decision making in employment positions. Another construct that will be measured is the extent to which the respondents agree that they are subjected to low recognition by the employers in terms of benefits and promotions compared with the native Australian women (Dwyer, 1999). The process of enhancing both face and construct validity will be achieved by conducting a pilot survey using a small sample of immigrant Muslim women in Australia that have undergone various forms of experiences at their workplaces. This will be followed by refining the survey on the basis of the feedback from the pilot study so that the relevant research questions can be designed to be used during the actual research process. 3.3.4. Sampling of Participants during the Research The sample to be used during the study will be obtained from companies in Sydney, Australia. The sample will be composed of Muslim women who have experience in their employment positions. The sample will be those who are aged 27 to 45 years and will be composed of immigrant Muslim women who had come to Australia to seek employment. During the sampling process, a sample of 200 Muslim women employees will be selected from various companies so that they can participate in the study. The sample will be collected from employees of different positions in the organizations where the research will be conducted such as managers, assistant manager, supervisors, messengers and program managers in the companies where the research will be conducted. The sample will be collected on voluntary basis. Stage 1 of the sampling process will involve the application of positivist assumptions in evaluation of hypotheses by use of statistical tests so that the quality of the sample can be established (Hilsdon & Rozario, 2006). A stratified random sampling technique will be used during sample selection so that the researcher is enabled to cover various areas of the research process and also ensure the respondents are evenly distributed in the geographic locations where the respondents are selected. It is assumed that this sampling strategy will enhance external validity of the process of generalising various participants in the research. Stage two of the research process will involve collection of a quota sample composed of 50 women participants who will be selected from the sample that has returned the surveys (Ho, 2007). Those who qualify in the quota process will be allowed to participate in the actual research. 3.4. Methodological procedures to be followed Managing various stages of the research process: This will involve compliance with documentation requirements for participation in the research such as seeking permission to access the organizations where participants work so that they can be asked to participate in the research (Ho & Alcorso, 2004). Stage 1 of the survey process will involve following a piloting testing and refining the research instrument, followed by distributing the survey to researchers in the field. During the distribution of the survey, respondents will be asked to participate in the research by completing the survey and asked to complete the survey within a particular duration. They will be sent emails that ask them to explain whether they have completed the survey (Hogg & Terry, 2000). This will be followed by coding of the responses and data entry as well as checking errors. Stage 2 will involve an in-depth semi-structured qualitative interview that will be carried out on individual managers. The first activity will involve conducting a trial interview so that the respondents and the researcher are fine-tuned to the interviewing techniques. During the entire interviewing process, the researcher may prompt the respondents so that they can clarify points that are not clear. Gaining access to participants: Gaining access to participants will involve writing a letter that asks the managers to enable the researcher conduct the study in their organizations. The gatekeepers during this research will be the top managers of organizations where the research will be conducted (Shepard, 2002). Managing ethical protection of participants: There are also a number of ethical issues that will need to be observed during the process of conducting the research. An example of ethical issue to be observed will be (1) to ensure that the researcher seeks the permission of authorities in the companies where respondents will be selected; (2)the researcher will be required to allow respondents to take part in the research on a voluntary basis and no respondent would be coerced to take part in the research; (3) the researcher will ensure that the analysis and reporting of the responses does not include the names of individual respondents so that the principle of anonymity is observed; (4)the researcher will ensure the responses are not used for any other purpose apart from the purposes for which the research will be conducted (Silverman & Manson, 2003). The ethical protection letter presented in this proposal will be officially vetted by the researcher’s consulting group, which has particular review committee in place. Approaches to Data Analysis: During this research, various methods of data analysis will be used. This is based on the fact that data analysis method determines the usefulness of the data for accomplishment of the objectives of the research and answering the research questions. An example of data analysis method that will be used is reliability and validity analyses. Reliability is the extent to which the data collected is relevant to the research questions (Smeeton & Goda, 2003). In order to measure reliability of the responses, the researcher will compare the responses from respondents in different companies. Validity is the extent to which the data collected illustrates the actual response that was provided by a respondent. In order to understand validity of the data collected, the researcher will compare responses from different respondents in the same company so that similarity can be established. Another data analysis method that will be used during this study is discourse analysis. This is where texts will be analysed for common phrases, terms and opinions so that similarities in responses from various respondents can be established (Thompson & Noferi, 2002). It will also ensure texts in databases can be reached by finding particular phrases relating to a specific topic of discussion. In addition, coding of texts will be used as a method of data analysis by classifying each code into the right category of cross-reference matrix. Computer software will be used to determine the frequency of word count. Lastly, this study will involve bivariate correlational analysis using Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) to determine the correlation between variables. In addition, data analysis will involve extensive use of MAXQDA’s memorizing functionality so that transparency is ensured and authenticity of the responses is achieved. Interpretive stories to be included are thematic and relationship variations between various perspectives provided by different respondents 3.5. Time line of the Research From the conception of the research idea until the completion of the research and compiling the report, it is expected that the research will take the following timeline. Activity/ Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Collecting Financial and material resources Formulating the research questions Analysis of relevant Company documents Finding the samples Determining companies to be visited Reconnaissance Actual data collection Data analysis Creating a report of the findings Printing the report, binding, lamination Presenting the report Table 1. Time for the research 3.6. Strengths and Limitations of the Research The strengths and limitations of this research are based on the paradigm used as well s the quality criteria used to ensure the research meets a particular meta-criterion. Some of the strengths include the following: There is the integration of mixed methods of research that involves a combination of both qualitative and quantitative research in understanding the workplace experiences of Muslim women in Australia. There is a high level of external validity during the process of generalizing the results of the survey process It involves a selection of the relevant constructs and measures which will be important in understanding the state of workplace experiences that Muslim women undergo at their workplaces. It provides the researcher with the opportunity to contextualize the results of the survey process based on the nationalities of women who take part in the research. There are also a number of limitations associated with this research as illustrated below: There is difficulty in understanding the nature of access that will be provided to the researcher by the managers of organizations where the researcher intends to conduct the research. If the gatekeepers decide to deny access to the organizations the capacity of the research will be greatly affected. There is a weak construct validity associated with this research due to the difficulty in keeping the survey short, simple and able to measure all the constructs of the research. In addition, extensional reasoning related to this study is limited to women immigrants in Australia and it cannot be used to generalise the experiences that other women undergo in their workplaces. If there is a shortage of respondents’ turnout in the first stage of the survey process, there will be difficulties in performing statistical analyses in terms of statistical conclusion of validity which will result into a reduction of internal validity. References ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). (2003). Year Book 2003: Population: Religion, no. 1301.0. Australia: ABS. Abu-Lughod, L. (1998). Re-making women: Feminism and modernity in the Middle East. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Agars, M., & Kottke, J. (2004). Models and practice of diversity management: A historical review and presentation of a new integration theory. In M. Stockdale & F. Crosby (Eds.). The psychology and management of workplace diversity: 55–77. Oxford: Blackwell. Ahmad, F. (2001). Modern traditions? British Muslim women and academic achievement. Gender and Education, 13(2): 137–152. Ahmed, L. (1992). Women and gender in Islam: Historical roots of modern debate. London: Yale University Press. Allen, R., & Montgomery, K. (2001). Applying an organizational developmental approach to creating diversity. Organizational Dynamics, 30: 149–161. Delaney, B., & Banham, C. 2004. Muslims feel the hands of racism tighten around them. The Sydney Morning Herald, June 17. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2000). Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Dosa, P. A. (1999). (Re)imagining aging lives: Ethnographic narratives of Muslim women in diaspora. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 14: 245–272. Dreher, T. (2006). Targeted: Experiences of racism in NSW after September 11, 2001. UTS Shopfront Monograph Series no. 2, Sydney, UTS ePress. Dustmann, C., & Fabri, F. (2003). Language proficiency and labour market performance of immigrants in the UK. Economic Journal, 113: 695–717. Dwyer, C. (1999). Veiled meanings: Young British Muslim women and the negotiation of differences. Gender, Place & Culture, 6(1): 5–26. Hilsdon, A.-M., & Rozario, S. (2006). Special issue on Islam, gender and human rights. Women’s Studies International Forum, 29: 331–338. Ho, C. (2007). Muslim women’s new defenders: Women’s rights, nationalism and Islamophobia in contemporary Australia. Women’s Studies International Forum, 30: 290–298. Ho, C., & Alcorso, C. (2004). Migrants and employment: Challenging the success story. Journal of Sociology, 40(3): 237–259. Hogg, M. A., & Terry, D. J. (2000). Social identity and self-categorization processes in organizational contexts. Academy of Management Review, 25(1): 121–140. Shepard, R.J. (2002). Ethics in exercise science research. Sports Med, 32 (3): 169-183. Silverman, S., Manson, M. (2003). Research on teaching in physical education doctoral dissertations: a detailed investigation of focus, method, and analysis. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 22(3): 280-297. Smeeton, N., Goda, D. (2003). Conducting and presenting social work research: some basic statistical considerations. Br J Soc Work, 33: 567-573. Thompson, B., Noferi, G. (2002). Statistical, practical, clinical: How many types of significance should be considered in counseling research? Journal of Counseling & Development, 80(4):64-71. Appendix Appendix A Survey Questions 1. State your age 27-30 30-33 34-37 37-45 Tick where appropriate 2. State your employment experience in the company 1 year 2 years 3 years More than 3 years Tick where appropriate 3. What is your country of origin? Iran Afghanistan Pakistan Saudi Arabia Tick where appropriate 4. What is your monthly income in the company $ 300 $ 350 $ 400 More than $ 400 Tick where appropriate 5. Are you discriminated in terms of promotion and benefits in the company Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Tick where appropriate 6. Give your opinion regarding the manner in which Muslim women are treated at work place in your company (Open views) Consent Form to take part in the Research Consent form to conduct Research in the Company We would like to conduct a survey in your company with the objective of understanding the experiences that immigrant Muslim women undergo in employment environment. I hope that you will accept my request so that I can conduct the research in your company. Yours sincerely Name: Date: Appendix B For the following 5 statements, indicate your response by drawing a vertical line through each response line at the point that best represents the feeling you have about the statement. Remember that each response line has a label at each end so that there is clarity of the meaning of your responses. Mark as illustrated in the following example. 7. Does your employer provide you with a lower income compared with indigenous Australian women? 8. Have you ever been restricted on the type of cloth you should wear while going to work? 9. Have you ever been declined a job opportunity based on your religious or cultural beliefs? 10. Are there some employment positions where Muslim women are not allowed to occupy in the company? 11. Are you satisfied that your employer treat you equally in a similar manner as employees who are native Australians? Interview Sample for the Assignment Interview Sheet My name is and I am student pursuing. I have been instructed with my Professor to conduct a research in this organization. The research involves obtaining information regarding the topic: What are the work place experiences of Muslim women in Australia. Privacy Policy: You are asked to participate in this study on voluntary basis and the data you provide will not be disclosed to any other person apart from the function for which the data was collected. In addition, the responses you provide will be kept secret and used only for the purpose of the research. Risks Assurance: You are assured that when the study is completed, the data will be destroyed and you will be protected from any physical, emotional and psychological harm related to this research. Request: I am requesting that you answer all the questions provided in the questionnaire. Your participation will be highly appreciated. Thank you in Advance Read More