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EXPERIENCES AND PROBLEMS OF WORKING WOMEN AS SALES GIRLS
AMNA IRAM KHAN
Centre of Excellence in Gender Studies
Quaid-e-Azam University
Islamabad, Pakistan
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EXPERIENCES AND PROBLEMS OF WORKING WOMEN AS SALES GIRLS
AMNA IRAM KHAN
Centre of Excellence in Gender Studies
Quaid-e-Azam University
Islamabad, Pakistan
Email: [email protected]
Thesis submitted for the partial fulfillment of Degree of Masters in Gender studies
Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad
Pakistan
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements
Acronyms
Abstract
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1-5 Statement of the Problem ..............................................................................................2 Objectives .......................................................................................................................2 Significance of the Study ...............................................................................................2 Limitations of the Study ................................................................................................2 Conceptual or Operational Definitions .......................................................................3
Salesgirls ...................................................................................................................3 Experiences ..............................................................................................................3 Attitude ....................................................................................................................3
Problems ..................................................................................................................3 Perceptions ..............................................................................................................4 Locale ..............................................................................................................................4 Problems Faced During Field Work ............................................................................4 Overview of the Research .............................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2: LITERRATURE REVIEW ............................................................... 6-16 CHAPTER: 3 METHODS/ METHODOLOGY ..................................................... 17-21
Over View of Research Design....................................................................................17
Research Approaches ...................................................................................................... 17 Qualitative Research .............................................................................................17
Quantitative Research ...........................................................................................17
Research Methods .......................................................................................................18
In-Depth Interview...................................................................................................... 18
Observation ................................................................................................................. 18 Research Tools/Instruments ......................................................................................18 Open-Ended Questionnaire ....................................................................................18
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Close-Ended Questionnaire ...................................................................................19
Research Techniques ..................................................................................................19
Rapport Building ....................................................................................................19
Gatekeeper .............................................................................................................20
Key Informant ........................................................................................................20
Recording ..............................................................................................................20
Snowballing ......................................................................................................... 20
Research Ethics .........................................................................................................21
Sampling ......................................................................................................................... 21
Data Analysis .............................................................................................................21
CHAPTER: 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ..................................................... 22-55
Customers’ Attitude..................................................................................................22
Types of Customer .................................................................................................22
Customers’ Behavior towards Sales Girls .............................................................23
Differences in Attitude ...........................................................................................24
This profession is acceptable for women in customers’ eye..................................28
Customer’s attitude during conversation ...............................................................30
Customers’ Perception ................................................................................................32
Perception of Customers about Women in Sales Profession .................................32
Perception of Customers about Women as Sales Managers and Woman’s Selling (Skills) ................................................................................................................................35
Perception of Customers about Women Job Hierarchies ......................................40
The customers’ related experiences and problems of sales
girls………………………………………………………………………………………42
Over All Experiences ...........................................................................................42
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Customers oriented Experiences and dealing strategies .......................................42
Strategies and Tactics of dealing ...........................................................................43
Problems .......................................................................................................................46
Most difficult part of the job ..................................................................................46
Issues faced ............................................................................................................47
Challenges faced ....................................................................................................48
Difference between women’s and men’s working .................................................49
Women prefer this job because of: ........................................................................51
Women assigned on salesgirls’ positions because of: ..........................................53
Discussion......................................................................................................................55
CHAPTER: 5 KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS ........................................... 58- Key Findings .................................................................................................................58 Attitude .................................................................................................................58 Perceptions .............................................................................................................58 Customers oriented experiences ............................................................................59 Problems ................................................................................................................60 Recommendations ........................................................................................................60
Way forward .................................................................................................................61
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................
ANNEXURE ........................................................................................................................
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LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 This (sales) profession is suitable for women (men’s and women’s perception) TABLE 2 Women should come in this (sales) profession (men’s and women’s perception) TABLE 3 This (sales) profession is respectable according to our societal norms (men’s and women’s perception) TABLE 4 There is a clear difference between women’s and men’s selling (men’s and women’s perception) TABLE 5 Preference in interaction with salesgirls rather than salesmen (men’s and women’s perception) TABLE 6 Women are well received by both men and women as sales girls (men’s and women’s perception) TABLE 7 Women are more hard working compare to men (men’s and women’s perception) TABLE 8 Women have better selling skills (men’s and women’s perception) TABLE 9 Salesmen dominate or have upper hand over sales girls (men’s and women’s perception) TABLE 10 Women work mostly in low scales jobs (men’s and women’s perception)
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LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 This (sales) profession is suitable for women (men’s and women’s perception) FIGURE 2 Should women come in this (sales) profession? (men’s and women’s perception) FIGURE 3 Is sales profession respectable according to our societal norms? (men’s and women’s perception) FIGURE 4 There is a clear difference between women’s and men’s selling (men’s and women’s perception) FIGURE 5 Customer prefer to interact with salesgirls rather than salesmen (men’s and women’s perception) FIGURE 6 Women (as sales girls) are well received by both men and women (men’s and women’s perception) FIGURE 7 Women are more hard working as compare to men (men’s and women’s perception) FIGURE 8 Women have better selling skills (men’s and women’s perception) FIGURE 9 Salesmen dominate or have upper hand over sales girls (men’s and women’s perception) FIGURE 10 Women work in low scales jobs (men’s and women’s perception)
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost I am grateful to all my participants and I appreciate the time they spent
with me from their busy schedule, without their cooperation this would not have been
possible.
I hold the deepest respect for my Center and university for giving me a chance to conduct
this research study. My cordial appreciation goes to my supervisor Ms Kiran Nazir
Ahmed for the valuable contribution of her time. I am pleased to thank Rizwan Ahmad
Khan for his continuous help and guidance throughout my research work.
My special and most humble thanks go to my parents for their love, prayers and support
as well as my elder brother Shafique. I am also thankful to all my friends who granted me
moral support. I am grateful to every person who prayed for my success especially Anam
and Mehreen.
Amna Iram Khan.
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ACRONYMS
HR Human Resource
FM Floor Manager
DM Department Manager
ADM Assistant Department Manager
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ABSTRACT
This study explores the customers’ related experiences and problems of sales girls along
with the customers’ attitude and the perceptions about them. In-depth interviews were
conducted with ten sales girls working in METRO cash and carry in Islamabad and
questionnaires were filled-up by thirty customers. Different attitude of customers towards
salesgirls were found during this study. Another interesting finding was that with a
change in customers’ age and gender there is a change in their attitude too. Men and
women both show harsh attitude but men ask irrelevant questions and usually stare at
salesgirls. Women customers’ related experiences were found to be different in nature;
the working quality of sales girls is affected by sexual harassment and rude attitudes of
customers. Problems which salesgirls had to face at work are low appreciation of their
hard work and they are being made to perform jobs beyond their capacity.
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The aim of this paper is to highlight the relatively neglected voices and problems
of salesgirls in Pakistan. I would therefore like to begin with a direct quote from a
respondent:
“Once I was fixing the stall with the help of my colleague, a man (costumer) came near us and pretended as he is talking on mobile phone. He discussed our faces and body figures and his words were too insulting, actually he wanted to make us hear that all foolishness. ”1.
In Pakistan only 2.5 percent of the sales workers are women2 (Mirza, 2002: 85-
89). Sale industry is a quite new profession for women and it is easily available with
good packages. Higher education is also not essential for this job so it is highly accessible
for women. However, still women’s participation in this profession is not enormous. First
reason behind this fact can be that it is a new profession and people do not like sale
industry and marketing as profession for women. They often do not consider it a
respectful profession for women and they seem to suspect such women as “weak
characters” because of their interaction with men, while women feel stigmatized for
working along side men (Mirza, 2002: 26).
Secondly, women of this profession are not taken seriously. The all important
factor is women objectification. Consequently common perception is that women are not
hired because of their skills but just because of their gender. Third problem, which is
usually common for all working women, is sexual harassment. According to Mirza
(2002: 26) “As soon as a woman leaves her house and walk down the street the men raise
their heads to stare at her”. Due to these reasons women do not prefer to work outside
their houses. “Most women feel more secure working at home , working out side the
home offers better wages and more self-confidence but women would have to face a
negative attitude from ‘people’ in the streets and at the job.”
1 Statement by a respondent during the interview conducted for this research 2 ( Labor force survey, 1993-94, Government of Pakistan1995a)
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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
What are the experiences and problems of women working in sales industry of
Pakistan?
OBJECTIVES
• To explore customer related experiences and problems of sales girls
• To explore customers’ attitude and perceptions about sales girls
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The topic “customer related experiences of sales girls” has been selected because
this profession can improve the available opportunities for women and they can
participate in workforce through this profession. But on the other hand, it is not considered
a good profession for women so it is not easy for a woman to join it. A woman has to face
different problems in working environment of sales industry, so this study can provide help
to understand the nature and mechanism of these problems.
The current research study will be useful for further academic research on problems
of working women in sales profession. It will be useful to open new aspects for future
researchers to apprehend research on sales girls. This research highlights diverse problems,
experiences of sales girls and attitudes and perceptions of customers. This research study
can provide some kind of awareness to readers about the issue.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Due to time constraints, the study was restricted and focused on the experiences
and problems of girls in one shopping zone only, and the problems identified in this study
may not necessarily apply to other regions. However, some of the cross cutting issues
reported in this study, may apply to other regions.
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OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
Salesgirls
Main concept in objectives and research is salesgirl. The salesgirl is a young
woman whose job is to help customers and sell things in a store and ‘a woman who is
employed to sell merchandise in a store or in a designated territory’ (American Heritage
Dictionary of the English Language, 2009). In the research interviews were taken from
those girls who were sales girls and who face the customers.
Experiences
Experiences are the ‘Direct personal participation or observation; actual
knowledge or contact’ (Collins English Dictionary, 2003).
Attitude
Attitude is the way a person views something or tends to behave towards it
(Collins English Dictionary , 2003) and in the research the attitude is taken as the
behaviour of the customers including their way of talking, their body posture, their way
of looking and different styles or any thing which effect positively or negatively on sales
girls work.
Problems
In the research problems are taken as ‘a state of difficulty that needs to be
resolved’ (Farlex clipart collection, 2008) and ‘any thing, matter, person, etc., that is
difficult to deal with, solve, or overcome’ (Collins English Dictionary, 2003). This study
also focuses on the problems of sales girls which they face in the firm.
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Perceptions
Perception is “the act of perceiving or the ability to perceive mental grasp of
objects, qualities, etc. by means of the senses; awareness; comprehension” (Webster's
New World College Dictionary, 2010).
LOCALE
This study has been conducted at ‘Metro Cash and Carry’ in Islamabad. Metro has
opened its franchise in Islamabad in 2008. It is the international leader in self-service
wholesale, and opened its first outlet in Islamabad in Sector I-11/4, near the Railway
Carriage Factory.
It features more than 10,000 square meters of selling space and offers a
comprehensive product range of more than 20,000 food and non-food articles. Around 80
percent of the goods on display originate from Pakistani producers and distributors. Each
METRO Cash & Carry wholesale center employs 300 people from the local community3.
( 2008)
PROBLEMS FACED DURING FIELD WORK
During fieldwork in ‘Metro Cash and Carry’ Islamabad researcher faced various
other problems during her field work in locale. The first and the toughest task was to get
permission from HR4 management of the firm. They had some confusion about the purpose
and the sample selection criterion, so first management unit was clarified about the primary
objective, nature and the methodology of the research. Then the next barrier was to
convince Firm’s sale girls to participate in the research process. For this the role of key
informant was very important. Through key informant the trust of sale girls was built and
through friendly behavior the full and healthy participation of firm’s sale girls was made
possible.
3 (METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan opens first wholesale center in Islamabad, 2008) 4 (Human Resource)
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OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH
After an introduction and understanding the nature of the problems which sales
girls have to face in their working environment, next chapter is desk review of the
previous research studies and relevant data on the problems and potential areas for
women in sales industry. In this chapter the focus is on the issues like working women’s
rights, roles, value of their economic contribution and women in sales industry in
different developing and developed countries. Methods and techniques are discussed in
chapter three. Fourth chapter focuses on the results and discussions while chapter five
focuses key findings and conclusion.
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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
The present literature review locates the women’s roles, rights, and their
participation in economic activities. It also focuses on women, marketing and sales
industry under the patriarchal system. The next aspect discussed is the sales industry in
the developed countries and under developed countries including the problems related to
job such as harassment, job hierarchy, sexual division of labor and people’s negative
attitude towards working women.
R.N. Mathur (1989) has worked regarding the economic role of women and
emphasized on the need for equality of right and opportunities of economic contribution.
He presents three basic arguments:
• Women economic subjugation or dependent position is the result of a rigid
distinction in men’s and women’s role in society and this leads to
exploitation;
• The full benefit of development can only be realized with peoples’
participation i.e effective use of human resources and the economic role of
women which cannot be isolated from the total framework of
development;
• Socio-economic and political change creates a need to extend spheres of
knowledge and activity of all members of a society. Modern trends in
demographic and social change justify a redefinition overall of women’s
role today.
The society is familiarly linked with its economic position which depends on
rights, roles and opportunities in contribution of economic activities. The economic
position of women is acknowledged as a sign that the society is progressing. However,
this does not necessarily mean that all developments direct to improving women’s
economic position.
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Anonymous (n.d) 5 found strong agreement among marketers of both genders that
women are experiencing success in marketing. In the survey results of this study, 80%
believe women are experiencing a greater degree of success in marketing departments
than in the past, 66% said their success in marketing is greater than in other departments.
According to respondents (both men and women) of this survey, there are two
main reasons that why are women good at marketing First, Women “listen” to
consumers better (because they are better listeners, generally). Fifty two percent of the
men and 57% of the women cited this as a reason in the survey and almost 45% of the
respondents asserted that women understand the importance of “emotional connections to
brands.”
Secondly, Women favor a “collaborative” approach, and longing to “influence,”
but not command their colleagues, which is the best way to produce a successful
marketing program. These reasons are mentioned by about 40% of the men respondents
and over 50% of the women.
Avila, R (n. d) Stated women may be better suited to handle sales positions than
their men counterparts; in sales industry it is necessary to be really people oriented, and
to have better listening skills and understand the client's wants and needs and women are
generally better at this. Women have more potential to become salespeople and can
therefore get a marvelous opportunity because of high pay and rapid advancement.
Recent studies have found that some women have better selling skills and
stronger listening skills as women are more nurturing and empathize better than men
(Ransford, 1998). This study presents a comprehensive picture about the working of sales
girls and their positions and it also clarifies that why men counterparts and customers
harass women at the work place. It also explains that what type of attitude of customers
is there and why men ask irrelevant questions, Simple answer is that just because they
don’t like this profession for women.
In the context of women in sales industry under the patriarchal system, in this
study the feminist labor market analysts claim that patriarchy is responsible for
5 Women In Marketing: Succeeding...Naturally: A Study of the Decision Making Styles of Marketing Executives: www.copernicusmarketing.com/.../women_success_in_marketing.pdf
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occupational sex segregation (Hartmann, 1981, 1976; Mitchell, 1974, 1971). The
patriarchal system demotes women to low-paying, women-dominated jobs and if a new
profession offers more benefits, only men move into it.
However, according to Strober (1984), employers are also concerned with
upholding men’s benefits because they themselves are typically men and when women
are hired into predominately men’s jobs, gender stereotypes may obvious themselves in
workplace cultures that exclude and isolate women (Antilla, 1995; Catalyst, 1995; Kanter
and Stein, 1979). Hiring women into traditionally men jobs may threaten men workers'
sense of masculinity, diminish their status, and raise fears that their earnings will decline
(Williams, 1989).
Now in the consequence of above discussed phenomenon, men workers may
respond by harassing women colleagues, or by creating antagonistic and alienating work
environments. Customers may also prefer sales workers of one sex or the other,
particularly when the position requires technical knowledge or expertise about the
products. According to Karene and Anderson (1967) “some men do not like to discuss
financial affairs with women, they have a feeling that no woman can know as much as a
man might" (Karene and Anderson, 1967:5; reported in Thomas, 1990:189).
Lawson (1993), in her study of car saleswomen, found that some customers
responded to women salespersons by simply refusing to deal with them ("Get me a real
salesman! What the hell are you doing here?"), or by asking saleswomen questions that
they would not ask a salesman (e. g, "How much does the engine weigh?"). Customers
may prefer saleswomen in certain contexts, assuming for example that women are more
knowledgeable than men about clothing or house wares (Game and Pringle, 1983).
Although these markets are expanding, however, these markets are inclined to be
linked with lower earnings than others (Thomas, 1990) in some instances; there is a clear
involvement between the sex of the salesperson, the gendered nature of products, and the
sex composition of customers (Berheide, 1988; Bradley, 1989; Game and Pringle, Bellas
and Coventry 1983, in Marcia L. Bellas and Barbara Thomas, 2001)
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Now moving towards some hidden ethical issues in sales profession, a research
conducted by Ken, Tim, & Gene (2001) states that the sales profession suffer from a
public perception that it has low standard of ethical behavior (Chonko, Tanner, and
Weeks 1996; Dubiwky. Jalson, Michels, Kotabe, and Lim 1992; Singhapakdi; and Vite!!
1992) but Gender socialization theory suggests that women are trained to reason
differently about ethical issues (Gilligan 1982; Mason and Mudrack 1996). Research
among marketers has also shown that women rely more on ethical norms when making
decisions (Hunt and Vasquez- Parraga 1993; Vitell and Singhapakdi 1993 in Ken, Tim, &
Gene, 2001). According to Gilligan (1982) women seem to exhibit a greater ethic of
caring than men and are more responsive moral issues (Chonko and Hunt 1985; Harris
and Sutton 1995). As a result they react “more ethically” to marketing problems (Dawson
1992, 1997; Ferrel and Skinner 1988; Vital et al. 1993 in Ken, Tim, & Gene, 2001).
Now we will move towards the matter of woman’s capability and suitability for
different type of occupations. In this regard a survey was conducted to know about the
stereotypical observation that women’s special characteristics qualify and disqualify them
for specific occupations and tasks. In this survey, one of the respondents the boss of a
sales representative in an advertising firm asserted “Women in this business do a hell of a
lot better than guys do …. Pretty women do better. It’s selling the package. If it’s a nice
package you buy it.” (Pratt & Hanson, 1995)
Above discussed issue opens a new discussion about the objectification of women
at workplace. To answer this question Jennifer Argo6 has proved that a product becomes
more desirable if an attractive member of the opposite sex is selling it. In the study,
researchers found that clothing was rated more desirable if it had been touched or worn
by an attractive member of the opposite sex. And some people said they would pay more
for the item, even if it hadn't been washed. Jennifer Argo found that if the customer was
of average attractiveness, the participant evaluated the shirt negatively. But if a shirt was
touched by someone who was highly attractive and of the opposite gender, the customers
evaluated the products higher and they were eager to drop more money on it and
according to him “The results show that it’s worth having highly attractive people work
6 A business professor and researcher of University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada
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there. Or if you can’t, at least have the staff dress well and be well-groomed and
maximize their potential” (Joshi, 2007).
Now he question arises that with in any working profession, what kind of internal
environment usually can be found. In this regard a research conducted by Martin (2006)
focused on employment, maintenance, training, promotion, compensation, and internal
and external work environments. In this study basically authors asked sales professionals
how work in out-of-the-office settings affects women's careers. This study present a
mixed picture, with some showing gains for women (Morgan 1998; Petersen and Saporta
2004) and others showing women continuing to lag behind similar men (Morgan and
Arthur, 2005; Noonan, Corcoran, and Courant forthcoming).
An evaluation criterion for these jobs is highly efficient and formalized. Most
companies assess performance for individuals in these jobs based on some measure of
sales volume, whether or not the individual is compensated through commission or
partial commission payments. Thus, women's performance evaluations to be less biased
because the evaluation criteria are "objective" (Reskin, 2000).
On the other hand, this is an occupation in which establishing and maintaining
personal relationships with customers are of central importance. Sale is a field where
women should not face many of the usual barriers to advancement, since performance
can be measured objectively (Catalyst, 1995). But women often face problem of sexual
harassment because on job women are force to maintain personal relationship with
customers because informal socializing in out-of-the-office settings is seen as crucial to
the success of any sales representative. Professional salespersons spoke at length about
the importance of "cultivating" relationships with customers and using "entertainment" to
do this. Informal socializing is goal oriented and instrumental for the sales representatives
and the companies for which they work. The sales representatives in this study described
working or "entertaining" in a number of out-of-the-office settings. Now here comes the
real problem for women with in sales industry because out-of-the-office settings never
suites them within our society.
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Now discussing the nature of harassment, the study differentiates between "hetero
social" settings and “homo social” settings. The difficulties in hetero social settings
present for women professionals range from simple gossip to harassment. Gossip is an
especially common concern among saleswomen if they conduct lunches or dinners with
colleagues.
While some women sales professionals are sexually harassed in this hetero social,
out-of-the-office work settings (Giuffre and Williams, 1994) Women professionals face
particular obstacles to career advancement. In this case, these settings produce
heterosexual relationships, where customers or colleagues view the saleswomen as
potential sexual partners.
As a result, women who work in these settings confront problems ranging from
gossip to sexual harassment and have to do additional work to avoid this. In this study,
women participants describe it as problematic, disgusting, and career inhibiting unwanted
sexual advances or propositions, especially from customers and women in industrial and
consumer goods were forced to engage in sexual banter, and women in a variety of
industries reported that customers harassed them as a "test" (Catalyst, 1995).
Now here comes an aspect that what are the experiences of women in sales
industry in Asia and how those experiences vary with the variation in the nature of
progress of countries. This study explores the women in sales industry in Asia. Comer
(2001) focuses on China and explores three questions. First do salesmen and saleswomen
in China hold gender stereotypes about women in sales management. Second do
salesmen and saleswomen in China perceive women sales managers to show traits that
are generally associated with good managers? Third, do salesmen and saleswomen in
China accept women as sales managers? The objective of this study is to determine the
cultural readiness of salespeople in China to accept women into sales management
positions.
Comer states in his research that traditionally selling positions have been held by
men because such jobs have long been regarded as being inherently masculine and
women are seen as having no place in the masculine working world but now this shift has
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been noticeable in the industrial sales forces where women have proved themselves to be
very capable salespeople. Piercy, Cravens, and Lane (1999, 2000) observed that women
are well received by both men and women as sales managers and women sales managers
utilize alternative control strategies that lead to improved job-related outcomes for their
sales workforce (Comer and Jolson 1985, 1991).
In oratory it is said that there is no difference between men and women, and
revolutionary principle dictated that men and women managers would be equally
accepted but the actual practice belies reality.
Now in this review we turn to the issue of women and their working conditions in
the Third World countries. The study is conducted by Humphrey and according to him no
analysis of labor market or labor process could proceed without an explicit analysis of
sexual division of labor.
The problems women face in the labour market at the initial time must stop for
integration into the market for labour power. Women are concentrated in unskilled jobs,
while skilled jobs are monopolized by men. The sexes are widely segregated and
management also viewed men and women workers in quite different terms, they appeared
to modify their employment strategies to the sex of the workers, not the job performance
(Ransford, 1998). Women workers may be less secure in their jobs, or might be less
trainable or have less experience, or they might be easier to fire (Barron and Norris
1976). Above all women are excluded from the better jobs in order to increase men
superiority.
In her study Mirza (2002) states:
A strong sexualization of gender relations in Pakistan is manifested, first of all, in the public sphere where women, particularly younger ones, are constantly stared at. As soon as a woman leaves her house and walks down the street the men raise their heads to stare at her, even turn around when she has already passed by, and jog to their to make them aware to her presence. Under these conditions women feel uncomfortable in public, and generally very few women are seen in public life.
The public space is traditionally supposed to be a man’s space in which a woman
has no legitimacy to enter and the societal attitude was very negative towards these
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women because people would think that they are not good women. It was considered that
these women have a bad moral character but within only four years so much changes has
been taken place in the culture of Pakistan, during the last decade, a new trend has
emerged in urban Pakistan that lower-middle-class women have increasingly entered the
office sector and have started to work in middle level jobs that were regarded as
exclusively men occupation.
According to official figure, the women participation rate in the labor force in
Pakistan is one of the lowest worldwide. Although in the latest labor force survey 1996-
1997, informal sector activities have been included for the first time, the basic labor force
participation rate for women in urban areas is only 5.9 percent, with 55.3 percent of the
urban women workforce or 3 percent of all urban women engaged in informal activities7.
35% of the working women are belonged to the different category of the professions such
as technicians, associate professionals, service workers and shop and market sales
workers, craft and related trade workers, while according to labor force survey, 1993-94,
about only 2.5 percent of the sales workers are women8.
This survey focuses on the current employment level of women in apparel
industry at different level of the firm. Its findings are that women employees are mostly
signed up at low levels of hierarchy in the organizations. this might be because of low
level of skill and education amongst women on account of cultural and opportunity
barriers also in addition to company policies and facilities, company culture and attitude
also play a key role in facilitating a higher women participation in the work force and
women should have equal opportunity of being hired and promotion in the company and
the current job satisfaction levels of women employees as the gender equality, wage
satisfaction, be short of incidence of harassments, appreciation and good environment,
preference of a woman supervisor etc (Haq, 2009).
This research also outlines the barriers and restrictions and general social, cultural
attitude and the work environment which is not appropriate. It explicates women’s
participation in workforce as cultural attitude that unless they should work there are
7 (Labour force survey 1998b) 8 (Labour force survey 1995a)
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extenuating circumstances for women to go out of the house, otherwise women should
focus on house hold chores because often their men do not allow women to work in
factory or any other workplace and consider it better to starve than to live on a woman’s
income. Men usually get very upset if a woman of their house wants to work. Work
environment is also not conducive as women face the cat calls, stares sexual harassment
and use of foul and abusive language is very common in factories etc (Haq, 2009).
This study is linked to my research work to understand the reasons of lack of
participation of women at workforce and the problems which they face during their job. It
is also linked with my objectives of the study of exploring the experiences and problems
of working women as sales girls. This study also gives a clear picture to know about the
factors that creates these problems.
In Pakistan women’s mobility is restricted. Connection Action, 2006 conducted a
study on the bus hostesses of Daewoo bus services. Its findings were that although
working outside the home offers better wages and more self- confidence but women feel
more secure to work at home rather than working alongside men. This is because women
face a negative attitude from the people on the street and at the job.
A small study was conducted on the hostesses of Daewoo bus services in Punjab
and NWFP, and their reasons for joining this workforce were investigated. According to
this research women preferred this job because they feel, it is secure job, 45% of
hostesses said they started this job because they have pick and drop service while 25%
stated because of safe working environment Most of the women said they work because
of their financial needs and the 65% of the hostess told that the income and benefits are
the main reasons for joining while only 15 % said they like this profession. According to
a management officer women prefer this job because this work is more respectable than
others ordinary offices job and mostly their work is not consider as respectable and
people don’t treat girls well and they also flirt with them. This profession is not without
problems, according to hostess due to hierarchical relation few hostess progress to
management position while boys who join it, rapidly progress to administration and
management. There are no women in high levels so that women face some problems
25
because if passengers misbehave, usually male officers do not take due action and ask
irrelevant questions.
About the customers’ behaviors different types of opinions were prevalent. one
third of the women felt that travelers behaved well while most hostesses expressed that
customers mistreated them. Some respondents said that customers’ behavior varies with
the variation in the culture. About the issue of acceptability almost the same number
declared those customers’ behaviors has improved over time. According to some, women
themselves are the agents behind this change and some said that people have accepted
them. While 25% felt that it had worsened.
Now moving into future discussion about customers behaviour current study
denotes, one hostess put it “our training teaches us we must be nice to everyone, it is
another thing that no one is nice to us”. Mostly angry men, choosy aged and ‘high
society’ women are identified as those people who create a problem for hostess. The
hostess deal with all these problems with silence because of their professionalism but
they have adopt a hard attitude for youngsters because they routinely give them trouble.
50% of the women felt that customers express appreciation for their work while many
hostesses expressed they have different responses for women’s and men’s behaviors as
some men have a high level of appreciation for their work. They said that they would also
allow their family members to do this job and women passengers said that they felt safer
travelling alone and they can also share easily their problems with them.
Lulla (2009) writes a woman’s (working in Bangalore petrol pump) comment:
In the beginning, many customers would pass comments. They don’t do that now because women are more efficient in clearing vehicles than men, especially two-wheelers. Customers also listen to us and don’t dare cut the line. Maybe because it’s shameful to be ticked off by a woman in public. I have to deal with all kinds of people. Some try to strike up a conversation, while others are too shy to even clearly state how many liters they want. Students on two-wheelers bother us the most by trying to lean close or brushing against us. Some older men are also like that. They try to flatter us by saying pretty women should not work at petrol pumps. The dangerous hours are after sunset. Not a day goes by without a driver soliciting us. We take things in our stride and try to ignore them. But there are days when I have asked lecherous customers if they don’t have wives or sisters. That shuts them up. (Lulla, 2009)
26
A petrol station in India is run entirely by women. In a sector of the job market that,
conventionally, has been virtually solely dominated by men. The women are employed in
all aspects of the petrol station's workings, from management to washing cars, filling the
tanks and checking the oil and the tire pressures. At the entrance, a huge billboard
displays women smiling in their uniforms. In all, around 30 young women work there and
in doing so are challenging tradition. As one of the attendants said, “When I first started
working here, people used to ridicule me because I was doing a man's job," Another said
that some male customers think that "because we are women, they can take advantage of
us, or be rude to us, Some get really angry and shout abuse at us. But we have learned to
deal with them" (Anonymous, 2005)9.
Even some of the women customers are not entirely comfortable about being
served by a woman as some women feel this job is not for women and they feel that a
woman’s place is in the kitchen. As another attendant expresses that" I used to get
nervous and wonder whether I could do the job. I also used to be terrified of working late
nights. But I no longer feel like that." This review provides help to understand the
customers’ behavior and the difference between men and women behaviors and also
elucidates the reasons that why men are so rude towards sales girls and also about
customers’ thinking mechanism about sale girls.
9 Sales soar at all_ women garage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/433238, accessed on march 5,2010
27
CHAPTER THREE
METHODS/ METHODOLOGY
OVER VIEW OF RESEARCH DESIGN
In this research study both qualitative and quantitative research methods were
used to gather data. It explored the experiences and problems of sales girls and
customers’ attitude and perception about sales girls. The quantitatively data was gathered
through close-ended questionnaire while in-depth interviews and in-depth observation
were also used.
RESEARCH APPROACHES
Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used.
Qualitative Research Approach
The qualitative approach was used to gather data from the sales girls because
qualitative approach was more appropriate to get detailed data about experiences and
problems of sales girls. As qualitative methods are typically flexible, ask mostly “open-
ended” questions, participants are free to respond in detail and the relationship between
the researcher and the participant is often less formal10 so it provided great deal of help in
gathering precised data from the field.
Quantitative Research Approach
The quantitative approach was used to get the data from the customers because
quantitative methods are fairly inflexible, surveys and questionnaires are used,
10 (Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide, Module 1)
28
researchers ask all identical questions in the same order11. The customers do not want to
spend much time on in-depth interviews so it was useful method to collect required data.
RESEARCH METHODS
In-depth Interview
Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with the sales girls to explore their
working experiences in that firm and also to know about the problems usually they face
during their job, as Siegle said: “In-depth interviewing is an interest in understanding the
experience of other people and the meaning they make of that experience (Siegle n. d)."
Observation
This method was used to know about the overall environment of that firm as Neill
(2006) believes that: “In observation, we are generally interested in individual behavior,
social behavior, and the material environment” so following this definition this method
was used because through this method it was easy to get to get more authentic data and it
also provided a clear picture of customers’ behavior.
RESEARCH TOOLS/INSTRUMENTS
Open-Ended Questionnaire
The open-ended questionnaire was used to conduct interviews with the sales girls
it included series of fifteen questions, ten questions were included to know about the
experiences and problems of the sales girls, while five questions were to explore the
customers attitude and customers perception about sales girls. These questionnaires are
characterized by the condition that respondents are free to reply in their own words rather
than being limited for choosing from among a set of alternatives12.
11 (Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide, Module 1) 12 According to Superior DataWorks, LLC (1992)
29
Close-Ended Questionnaire
The close-ended questionnaire was used to know the perception of customers
about sales girls because close-ended questionnaire is characterized by the condition that
responses are limited to a set of given options or ranges13. The questionnaire was a series
of ten questions which were asked to thirty customers of ‘Metro’. It was divided among
fifteen women customers and fifteen men customers.
RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Rapport Building
This technique was used because “rapport” establishment is the vital component of
the interviewing process for obtaining true and corrects information. It helps to develop
mutual confidence and friendly atmosphere between the interviewer and the respondent in
which the later opens up the inner-self before the former (Howard, 1994: 200).
Through this process it was explained to people about purpose of research and the
purpose of interviewing which made the respondents believe that the information gained,
will be kept confidential and will not be excerpted everywhere. Participants trusted
researcher and shared their views about the customers’ attitude, their working
experiences as sales girls and also shared the problems usually they face during their job.
The first day of field (almost seven hour) was spent with the participant in that
firm for the sake of introduction. First of all the nature and purpose of the research was
explained to HR (Human Resource) management of that firm and after their permission it
was explained to informants, assuring subject that their confidentiality would be
conserved. At first salesgirls were hesitant to express their thoughts and personal feelings
because of their job insecurity but later they became familiar and provided proper
information.
13 According to Superior DataWorks, LLC (1992)
30
Gatekeeper
With the support of gatekeeper it was easy to get permission of the Human
Recourse management team, for this gatekeeper was needed, as Siegle describes: “The
gate keeper is the person who helps you gain access to the people you wishes to study”.14
Gatekeeper was also one of the members of the HR management, so it was convenient to
conduct research in that firm.
Key Informant
With the cooperation of the key informants it was easy to know about the field, to
search out the sample and introduced researcher in front of subjects. As Neuman, W.L said:
“An informant or key actor in the field research is a member with whom a field researcher
develops a relationship and who tells about, or informs on, the field” (Neuman, W.L, 1991:
361). There were two basic key informants first was one of the members of HR
management and the second was a sales girl. Both of them introduced the researcher to
participants and also guided about the locale. As Siegle believes that: “The key informant
knows the inside scoop and can point you to other people who have valuable information
(Siegle n.d)15”.
Recording
This methodology is part of the audible arts. It helped to demonstrate work in more
genuine mode. In current research study the tool of recording was applied to record the in-
depth interviews
Snowballing
Snowball sampling is often used to find and recruit “hidden populations16. First
four participants were met by the help of gate keeper and key informant who was from
14 http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/siegle/research/Qualitative/qualitativeInstructorNotes.html 15 (ibid) 16 (Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide, Module 1)
31
the HR management team but after this, remaining six participant were met with the help
of snow balling technique.
RESEARCH ETHICS
Research ethics were followed, and anonymity and confidentiality of the
participants were respected and accurately recorded.
SAMPLING
In the present study a simple random sampling was used as Hogan (2005: 7) said
“A simple random sample is free from sampling bias”. Through simple random sampling
ten sales girls and thirty customers (age 20-40) were selected.
DATA ANALYSIS
Analysis was divided in two parts according to research objectives:
• To explore customers’ related experiences and problems of sales girls
• To explore customer’s attitude and perceptions about sales girls
For this analysis, data was gathered, through in-depth questionnaire. In this
questionnaire ten questions were asked from sales girls about their experiences and
problems at workplace and attitude and perception of customers were asked by using a
close- ended questionnaire (asked from thirty customers) and five in depth questions
(asked from ten sales girls).
32
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
This analysis is divided in two parts according to research objectives.
1. To explore the customers’ attitude and perceptions about sales girls.
2. To explore the customer related experiences and problems of sales girls.
In the first part, analysis is based on five open ended questions asked from ten
sales girls and ten close ended questions from thirty customers to explore their perception
about sales girls.
In the second part I analyzed customer related experiences and problems of sales
girls.
CUSTOMER’S ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTION ABOUT SALES GIRLS
According to sales girls there are different types of customers with various
behaviors. This part is divided into two sections. In the first section the customers’
attitudes toward sales girls is discussed while the second section discusses the customers’
perception about sales girls. This is presented by using graphs and visual presentations.
• CUSTOMERS’ ATTITUDE
Types of Customer
According to salesgirls, two types of customer visit this firm; first are regular
(purchaser) and the second are market people (sellers). Among these customers, some are
literate, some illiterate, some are rude some are cool minded, some pass comments and
talk about woman’s body gestures, some show ignorance while others are loafers. As
according to a contributor: “to handle some of them and to tell them about things is a big
task”.
33
Customers’ Behavior towards Sales Girls
Mostly three types of customers’ behaviors are found, first normal and friendly,
second rude and harsh and the third type is ill-mannered.
• Normal and Friendly
According to participants some customers are good and normal and some are very
nice and friendly, as a participant said “behavior is good and friendly” whereas some talk
very politely.
• Rude and Harsh
According to five participants some customers quickly get angry, as in the view of a
participant ‘sometimes they are very nice, sometimes very rude, but most of them are very
rude, they shout at us” and according to another participant: ‘Sometimes its friendly and
sometimes its harsh, they don’t want to concentrate, and show harsh attitude’.
Another aspect is that in the peak hours of business, most of the customers don’t
wait even for a second, if sales girls are busy they get angry and start shouting at them. A
girl said: “some customers have very bad attitude, even if we are busy they don’t wait for
one second they shout on us”.
• Offensive or Loafers
Three sales girls were of the view point that when male customer stare at them they often
get confused. As one of contributor said: ‘they don’t want to purchase anything they just
come to stare at us, even some of them demand our cell numbers’ another participant said
‘some ask us to entertain them and some demand our company for nothing’.
34
Differences in Attitude
Gender wise Difference in attitudes
This section is divided in to three sub-sections because of diversity and variety in
opinions. First men’s and women’s positive attitude and second negative attitude while
third the opinion of those who think that there is no difference in attitude.
• Women’s Positive Attitude
o Women talk politely
Some contributors have the opinion that women usually talk politely because they
are themselves women so they can understand the problems of women, as a participant
said: “Women talk nicely and politely because as women they can understand our
problems so they know why we are here”.
o Women talk to the point
Some argued that women do not ask irrelevant questions as men used to ask, they
demand to the point about their required things as a participant said: “Usually women ask
to the point about the product”.
• Women’s Negative Attitude
o Women are mostly in hurry
Most of the salesgirls said women don’t listen much and mostly pretend to be in a
hurry. They don’t want to understand anything and have no patience, as a respondent
said: “Women are mostly in a hurry they buy the things and leave immediately; they have
no patience and usually they don’t pay attention”.
35
o Women misbehave
Many salesgirls were of the view that mostly women don’t treat them well, they
usually call them rudely. Six sales girls argued that they call us as if we were their servant
or personal employees, as a participant said: “Women call us very rudely and behave
badly” another participant said: “Women are mostly moody, if they are in good mood
then they talk smoothly otherwise they don’t”.
• Men’s Positive Attitude
o Men are polite
Women said that men are mostly polite and talk calmly as compared to women.
One of the contributors said: “Men are mostly polite, they talk smoothly”.
o Men have time
Participants were of the view that men usually don’t pretend that they are in
hurry, they pay attention and understand the things, as a respondent said: “Men have
enough time; they hear us out and make an effort to understand the things”
o Men give respect
Salesgirls said that men talk respectfully with them, as a respondent said:
“because of our gender some men talk to us respectfully”.
• Men’s Negative Attitude
o Men ask irrelevant questions
36
Salesgirls also said that male customers ask irrelevant questions about
things/products as what is this? Why it is like this? Why you are here? A respondent said:
“Men ask irrelevant questions, and they ask about our personal life”
Sales girls were of the view that many male customers talk very harshly and
rudely, most of the male customers are even abusive if they don’t like their product,
many show very harsh attitude if salesgirls tried to brief them about their product and
most of them even quarrel with them, as a sales girl said: “There are many males who
start quarrelling with us if we tell them anything”.
o Men do stare
Sales girls expressed that mostly men continuously stare them and just because of
this attitude sales girls often get conscious about their dresses and especially for their
stoles (dupatta) as a result they can not do their work properly, as my respondent said:
“First men stare us up to down (head to foot) and then they talk to us”.
• No Difference
For some salesgirls there were no differences in men’s and women’s attitude, as
according to my participant: “There is no difference in males’ and females’ attitude, it’s my third working year, I have no such experience that a male does something wrong with me, may be the difference exits in some girls self attitude so that the males misbehave with them”.
According to another participant: “No, there is not a big difference” another also said:
“It’s almost same; there is not too much difference in attitude”.
Age wise Difference in Attitudes
After conducting the interviews it seems that there is a big difference in attitude
with the age of the people or customers because a large number of the women expressed
that youngsters are mostly rude, while middle-aged people are mostly flirtatious, ill-
mannered or loafers, and the old people are polite but also very difficult to handle.
37
• Old Age
o Difficult To Handle
A large number of girls argued that mostly old age people are always very
difficult to handle, because they can’t understand, and they don’t get satisfied easily, as
my respondent said: “Aged people continuously repeat same word and they can’t
understand easily”, another said: “Old aged mentally disturb us, they ask repeatedly and
they have not enough sense to understand.
o Mostly Polite
Another thing was noted that although aged were very difficult to handle but they
were mostly very polite and talked very smoothly, as respondent said: “Aged call us very
politely; their behavior is too good because of their age”, another said: “Aged are very
smooth to us”.
o Sometime Rude
Five out of ten participants were of the view that sometimes old people are also
rude and show bad attitude if sales girl intercepts them, as a participant said: “Sometimes
aged shows harsh attitude they mind the things if we intercept them”.
• Middle age
o Mostly Misbehaving
It was very surprising that a large number of sales girls believes that most of the
middle age people (especially aged 30- 40) are mostly flirtatious and loafers. They stare
at these sales girls and they disturb and confuse them with their strange gazes and also
waste their time, as a respondent said: “Mostly uncle type people show very mean attitude
(chachora pan), they have no realization, they come and start gossiping”, another said:
“They act very ill-mannerly, they walk around us and try to force us to talk”.
o Mostly Rude
38
According to some salesgirls middle aged people are rude and talk roughly, and
they scold them, as a respondent said: “Middle aged people are mostly rude, they roughly
talk to us”, another said: “Middle-age people call us badly and roughly”.
o Sometime Polite
A very few respondents argued that middle age are polite, as according to a
respondent: “Middle aged customers are mostly polite and helpful”.
• Youngsters
o Mostly Rude
A large number of the sales girls said that: “Youngsters are mostly harsh” and
they show attitudes as a respondent said: “Youngsters show attitude”.
o Mostly Misbehaving
Four out of ten people said: “Youngsters show stupidity” and “Youngsters take it
(this profession for women) as fun and they enjoy it”.
o Sometime Polite
Two respondents argued that some youngsters are very nice and they usually talk
very nicely.
This profession is acceptable for women in customer’s eye?
When it was asked from the sales girls that is this profession acceptable in the
customers' eye or not? The different types of responses were found. Some said it is not
acceptable, some said it depends on mental level of customer and some argued that
people accept it but do not pay much respect. While some said it is somewhat acceptable.
Overall, sales girls’ view point can be divided into five sections.
39
• Acceptable but not respectable
people accept this profession for women but they don’t give as much respect to
the sales if we compare it to sales boys, most of the girls said that if a boy works outside
the four walls of home, people give him respect while if a girl works outside, people
don’t give her any respect and they think that these girls are of bad moral character, as
one of my respondent said:
“No’ they don’t pay as much respect, may be in simple wording they think that we are clever, (chaalo larkian) bad and wrong girls but they don’t think that if we are wrong girls so why do we struggle? Then we don’t stand there for a long time, simply we take two or three hours and get money, but we know about the right and wrong”.
• Depends on mental level
Many sales girls argue that it depends on a person’s mental level if he has
thinking approach, there will be no difference in men and women working and if he is
narrow minded, there will be a difference for him in men and women working, as my
participant said:
“It’s all dependent on mental level, means if a person is literate so for him there will be no difference in men and women working and if a person is illiterate and have a narrow mind, there must be a difference for him”.
• Acceptable
Seven out of ten said that it is acceptable and they also argued initially people
didn’t consider it as a respectable profession, but now they take it as good profession, a
participant said: “Yes, I think it is acceptable and it depends on a person. In the start
people took it wrong but gradually they accepted it”.
• Somewhat acceptable
An overall viewpoint of participants which was found during this study was that,
this profession is somewhat acceptable for ordinary people. but they think that this should
be accepted because according to their views this profession is better than other jobs, as
40
one of the respondent said: “This profession is not consider as good as many others, but
it should be good because I think this profession is well more than banking and other
official jobs” another participant said: “He has to accept, and it should be accepted, there
are different thinking people, some consider it good while some not, and market people
are usually less accepting”.
• Not acceptable
Six out of ten sales girls were of the view that sales job is not acceptable.
Customers talk to them very harshly and behave very rudely and often people consider
them lose-character women, as one of the participant stated:
“It’s not good, we do this because we need it, customers look with very harsh gaze, many come only for dealing while others only for flirt, this profession is not acceptable in society even zero percent, customers think we belong bad families, we come here because of our financial problems”.
Another participant said: “it is not my own experience but I have heard that
about the girls who are in marketing, people usually do not consider them good girls”.
Peoples also pass comments on them, as my respondent said: “Many customers visit and
say ‘don’t know where they come from, they know about themselves or not”.
Customer’s attitude during conversation
• Customers Who Come only for time pass
Most customers come only for window shopping and they chat with these sales
girls and just pass their time as my participant said:” Some peoples come only for
chatting, they are just actors”
• Customers ask about personals
Customers ask irrelevant questions especially for their personals they don’t take them
seriously as respondent said: “They ask personal questions such as, why you do this job? They
want explanations”.
41
• Husbands’ attitude if they visit with their wives
If customers come with their wives they talk in sober mode and usually show
good attitude, otherwise they talk in very romantic undertones as my respondent said:
“They show normal attitude If they are with their wives otherwise they talk in poetic tone
(shairana andaz)”
• They do complain
It was observed that in big firms usually fresh stock comes, that is why there
occurs an increase in prices, according to sales girls if a customer comes and if he/she
only knows about the old market price, he/she starts quarreling with saleswomen on the
matter of prices. Secondly customers usually complain about this issue to officers, DM,
ADM or FM that the sales girls disturb them, as one of the participant said: “Sometimes
customers complain to our boss that we tease them”.
42
CUSTOMERS’ PERCEPTION
Perception of Customers about Women in Sales Profession
This profession is suitable for women
According to my survey people have positive views towards this profession, on
this account over all 70% people/customers were agreed that women should come in this
profession.
o Perception of (men and women) customers
Women customers were more optimistic than to men. 11 out of 15 women and 10
men said that this profession is suitable for women.
TABLE 1
This (sales) profession is suitable for women?
Yes No Don’t know
Answer Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
21 70% 7 23.33% 2 6.67%
FIGURE 1
This (sales) profession is suitable for women?
43
Women should come in this profession?
Overall 66.77% people said that women should come in this job, 13.34% people
thought otherwise and 40% gave no response.
o Perception of males and female customers
8 out of 15 women said that women should come in this profession while 12 out
of 15 men agreed that women should come in this profession.
TABLE 2
Women should come in this profession?
Yes No Don’t know
Answers Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
20 66.67% 4 13.33% 6 20%
FIGURE 2
Women should come in this profession?
44
This profession is respectable according to our societal norms
33.34% people viewed this profession as respectable profession for women
according to our societal norms while 56.67% said it is not respectable and 10% had no
idea.
o Perception of males and female customers
In this account five out of fifteen men and women equally agreed that this is
respectful profession according to our societal norms.
TABLE 3
This profession is respectable according to our societal norms?
Yes No Don’t know
Answers Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
10 33.33% 17 56.67% 3 10%
FIGURE 3
This profession is respectable according to our societal norms?
45
Perception of Customers about Women as Sales Managers and Woman’s Selling
(Skills)
There is a clear difference in a woman’s selling and a man’s selling
In the answer of this question it is inspected that in general 63.33%
people/customers accepted that there is a clear difference between a woman’s selling and
a man’s selling.
o Perception of (men and women) customers
12 out of 15 women customers felt that there is a clear difference between a
woman’s selling and a man’s selling. And 9 out of 15 men were also agreed.
TABLE 4
There is a clear difference a woman’s selling and a man’s selling?
Yes No Don’t know
Answers Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
21 70% 7 23.33% 2 6.67%
FIGURE 4
There is a clear difference a woman’s selling and a man’s selling?
46
Prefer to interact with sales girl rather than sales boys
In the response of this question it was scrutinized that in most cases
people/customers ticked yes and they were 43.33% while 36.67% answered ‘No’ and
only 20% ticked on the option of ‘Don’t Know’.
o Perception of males and female customers
In the opinion of male and female customers it is measured that 7 out of 15
women customers preferred interaction with sales girl. 6 out of 15 men were agreed that
they want to interact with sales girl rather than sales boys.
TABLE 5
Prefer to interact with sales girl rather than sales boys
Yes No Don’t know
Answers Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
13 43.33% 11 36.67% 6 20%
FIGURE 5
Prefer to interact with sales girl rather than sales boys
47
Women are well received by both men and women as sales managers
50% peoples/customers approved that women are well received by both men and
women as sales managers.
o Perception of males and female customers
In the outcome of this analysis it is tinted that men customers were more positive
than women customers. 10 out of 15 men said that women as sales person usually are
good for both men and women while 5 out of 15 women answered it ‘Yes’.
TABLE 6
Women are well received by both men and women as sales managers
Yes No Don’t know
Answers Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
15 50% 12 40% 3 10%
FIGURE 6
Women are well received by both men and women as sales managers
48
Women are more hard working
In general 60% people accepted it that women are hard workers opposite to 20%
peoples who marked ‘No’ and also 20% who ticked ‘Don’t Know’.
o Perception of male and female customers
In the conclusion of this question it is highlighted that 11 out of 15 women
customers and 11 out of 15 men customers admitted that women are harder working in
the other side 1 out of 15 women and 5 out of 15 men were disagreed, and the 3 out of 15
men and women have no argument on it.
TABLE 7
Women are more hard working
Yes No Don’t know
Answers Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
18 60% 6 20% 6 20%
FIGURE 7
Women are more hard working
49
Females have better selling skills
As a whole 50% people agreed to the point that females have better selling skills,
comparatively 30% peoples disagreed and 20% peoples were clueless.
o Perception of males and female customers
9 out of 15 women customers and 6 out of 15 men customers agreed and 5 out of
15 women and 4 out of 15 men pointed on ‘No’ and the 1 out of 15 women and 5 out of
15 men marked on ‘Don’t Know’.
TABLE 8
Females have better selling skills
Yes No Don’t know
Answers Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
15 50% 9 30% 6 20%
FIGURE 8
Females have better selling skills
50
Perception of Customers about Women Job Hierarchies
Salesmen have upper hand over salesgirls
56.67% customer considered that salesmen have upper hand over sales girls and
are dominating while 26.67% answered ‘No’ and 66.67% showed no response.
o Perception of males and female customers
9 out of 15 women customers and 8 out of 15 men customers responded that
salesmen are dominating or have upper hand over sales girls in additional 5 out of 15
women and 3 out of 15 men opposed it and the 4 out of 15 men and 1 out of 15 women
have no idea.
TABLE 9
Salesmen have upper hand over salesgirls
Yes No Don’t know
Answers Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
17 56.67% 8 26.67% 5 16.67%
FIGURE 9
Salesmen have upper hand over salesgirls
51
Women mostly work on low scales jobs
Overall 70% purchasers believed that women do mostly low scales jobs whereas
16.67% replied ‘No’ and 13.33% had no response.
o Perception of males and female customers
10 women customers and 11 out of 15 men customers felt that women usually do
low scale jobs further 3 women and 2 out of 15 men rejected it and the 2 out of 15 men
and women ticked on ‘Don’t Know’.
TABLE 10
Women mostly work on low scales jobs
Yes No Don’t know
Answers Percentages Answers Percentages Answers Percentages
21 70% 5 16.67% 4 13.33%
Figure 10
Women mostly work on low scales jobs
52
THE CUSTOMERS’ RELATED EXPERIENCES AND PROBLEMS OF SALES
GIRLS
This part is divided into two sub-sections, the first section discusses customers’
related experiences of sales girls’ and the second section has ‘problems faced by sales
girls.
• OVER ALL EXPERIENCES
When salesgirls were asked about their working experiences, four respondents
said it was very good. One other respondent said “It was excellent and still it’s excellent”
while two respondents said its good and normal, 1 respondent said its bad and also 10%
said it is very bad as one of respondent said “My working experience is very bad because
we face a lot of bad things”.
Customers’ related Experiences and dealing strategies
In this part the customers related experiences of some sales girls which they face
by harsh and undignified customers is included.
• Harsh and rude Customers
Some sales girls shared their customers’ related working experiences
Dialogue box 1
A participant said: “once I faced that type of customer who was very rude, actually
the product which I sell, is a doctor suggested brand, once a doctor come to me and
I was explaining him that this brand is doctor suggested, and its good for diabetics
patience and over weighted/health conscious people etc, he started shouting that
53
‘how can I say this all without written approval’ than I showed him it is approved
from FDSA but he continuously shouted at me”.
Another said: “Once a customer came and said to me,’ I have taken your parathas
(oily-bread), I don’t like these. Then I asked, ‘what was wrong with them why you
didn’t like them’ then he shouted at me that I will not take it again etc, now
whenever I see him, I feel bad”
• Undignified customers
Dialogue box 2
one of my participant shared her experience . “Once I was fixing the stall with the help of my
colleague, a man (costumer) came near us and pretended as he is talking on mobile phone. He
discussed our faces and body figures and his words were too insulting, actually he wanted to make
us hear that all foolishness”.
• Strategies and Tactics of dealing
There are some certain situations in which some customers lose their patience.
Most telling example is unavailability of product, according to respondent: “Sometime
several products are available, and then customers start shouting that why this product is not
available”. In case a customer doesn’t like the product most of the sales girls first talk to
them smoothly and softly to cool them and don’t show anger and if they don’t still agree
then they tell to FM, DM, or ADM. But if there are specific customer whom they can
deal as regular customers but if market people or whole sellers come then mostly sales
girls do not handle them and let the boys handle them because these customers are tough
to handle. While in regular selles mostly old age customers are very difficult to handle
because they don’t understand the things then they are handled respectfully and if a
young customer comes who wants to tease them then we usually show no response and
ignore him.
54
Here some sales girls shared their dealing strategies to handle the
customers:
Dialogue box 3
Harsh and rude Customers
Handle leniently
According to a participant:” A few days ago a customer came and
said, ‘why there is no place for sitting, I want to sit’, and then I
provided him a chair. If that type of customers come then we handle
leniently and don’t lose the temper”
Another participant said: “If customers shout at us, we don’t show
any anger because customers have much importance for us, If they
get angry then usually we say, ‘ok sir, you are right etc”.
Another said: “We try to make them calm and cool by talking
leniently”.
One more said: “We handle with care, very softly, very leniently, very
smoothly, we say, its fine sir! As you wish, next time”.
Take the help of management
A participant said: “We usually tell the FM or DM”.
Another said: “First we try to deal with them in our own style; if they
don’t agree then we take the help of DM or ADM and floor
manager”.
Whole sellers mostly deal by sales boys
A participant expressed: “If whole sellers come than we mostly take
55
the help of sales men because sales boys can easily brief them about
product”.
Dealing with aged customers if something they don’t understand
Another said: “We brief them very politely, softly, and respectfully”.
Dealing with middle age customers if they get anger because of
unavailability of product
A girl said: “We say to them, sir! Please, you don’t get angry, we will
inform you on phone when this product will be available”.
Undignified customers
No response
A girl expressed: “Obviously, no response, if further he wants to
obtain the information about any product then right, other wise it
feels this person only wants to get frank then we ignore him”.
Dealing with young customers if they are loafers
Another said: “We neglect and ignore them because we are standing
at that place where it is essential to ignore them”.
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• PROBLEMS
Most difficult part of the job
• receiving the stock
Difficult part of the job is the receiving the stock from the outside. People take a
lot of time and waste the time because there is a very strict security so going outside and
then coming back is very tough job there, this wastes their time, as a participant said:
“There is much strict security so because of that we can’t come inside and go outside easily”.
• Picking the heavy carton and fixing the stock
Picking up heavy cartons is a very difficult job because mostly the stocks are very
heavy. So usually Salesgirls want the help of their male counterparts. Sometime they do
help but most of the time they refuse, as a participant said: “Difficult is to fixed the stock,
and pick the carton up because they are too much heavy and this is men’s duty but we do
it”, and secondly most often when girls fix the stock many customers pass the comments
on their body figure
• No Appreciation
Many sales girls said that they work equal to men but there is no appreciation for
them as a respondent said: “It is difficult to bear if anyone shouts at us and says women
don’t work properly while we work properly and come on time”, another said: “If we
perform our duty well and still we have to listen the comments like ‘you are not doing
well’ then it becomes very difficult to handle”. Appreciation mostly goes to men and if
there happens some thing wrong then usually it is supposed that it must be done by the sales
girls, as a girl said: “We don’t get as much appreciation and respect as other staff gets and we
are always degraded”, another said: “Men do not work properly, and they also forget to tag
the products,, we do most of work and moreover we face the anger too”.
57
Issues Faced
• People of the vicinity pass comments
The street people pass the comments on them or harass them and also raise
objections or stare them with strange gazes as they consider them wrong girls, as a
participant said:
“When we step out from our houses in the morning and return to home at evening we face thousands of people, when I come out to home, the people of my vicinity pass the comments so I cover my face with veil, neighbors ask, ‘where your daughter goes daily’ on a daily basis a new issue is created”.
Another said: “We do eight hours job and come late to our homes; neighbors
(muhale wale) look at us very strangely”.
• Traffic
Pick and drop is the biggest problem and issue for Sales girls “We face the
challenges related to traffic; mostly the traffic blocks because of busy roads, and then
boss often rebukes ”, mostly they don’t get vehicle and if they get it so there will be no
place for their sitting as a participant said:
“Pick and drop is not given so on this account the problem faces that some time conveyance is not available and usually there is no place of women sitting in vans and the boss also continuously call us that’ why you are not here yet and when will you come”.
Second problem is the high fare of vans, taxis and buses, most of girls can’t
afford daily rent as a girl said: “Obviously we can’t afford two hundred rupees daily
fare” and the drivers and the peoples also don’t treat well, another girl said: “We have
no pick and drop and secondly drivers etc look us with strange gazes”.
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• Unavailability of food or expensive rates of lunch
Another thing which they face is unavailability of their lunch, because of high
lunch rates as a participant said: “We face lunch problems because we can’t afford one
hundred and eighty rupees per head in term of food daily”
• Physical
Few sales girls said that they work whole day in standing positions, while men do
not work properly, as a respondent said: “We face physical issues, we continuously work
whole day in standing position”
• Society doesn’t accept it
Many sales girls said that society doesn’t accept women in this profession, so they
face the issues as the customers pass the comments on them and especially ogle at them.
A participant said: “Our society doesn’t accept it as much that a girl work as boldly in
market so according to this, we face issues that people ogle at but we ignore it”.
Challenges faced
• Customers
Most of the sales girls said that to face the customer, to handle the customers and
to convince the customers about their product is the biggest challenge.
As according to some salesgirls’ views:
Dialogue box 4
“To face the customer is the biggest challenge for me.”
“To deal with customers and to brief them about product is a big issue”.
“Challenges we face are mostly related to customers, some customers mistreat us, and
the youngsters especially come there for this”.
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“To deal with customers, brief them about product, and if a customer gets angry, to cool
them is a challenge”
• To complete the target
According to salesgirls a necessity for them is to complete the target within specific time
and it is the big challenge for them, according to a participant: “To complete our products targets
in time is a big challenge for us”.
• Relate to sales (unstable job)
A few number expressed that the challenges they face are related to their sales, because
there is no stability of their job they can be easily fired, as a participant explained it:
“Mostly these are (challenges) related to sales, it is said to us that your job is permanent but in reality it is not, because whenever they want they can fire us, e.g. if I give them enough sales but if any other girl give them high sales they will hire her in place of me”.
Difference between women’s and men’s working
Most of the women said there is no difference between women’s and men’s
working, they perform same as men but there are some external factors which affect
women’s working and according to some sales girls women work more than men.
• Men gain the respect
Some women said that if a man works outside home, people pay respect to him
and his work while if a woman work outside she is considered a wrong woman, as a girl
said: “If a man works so people pay him respect while if a woman works people taunt her
that because she works outside she will be a bad girl”.
• Society gives preference to men
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According to a participant: “I don’t think there is any difference between women’s
and men’s work, we do our duty equal to men but society gives preference to men”
according to this statement society creates the norms in which men always get benefits,
on the other hand these norms are totally unfriendly towards women.
• Women face harassment
According to many girls women face harassment everywhere in street, on the way
to home, in buses vans and at workplace and it affects women’s working ability and
quality , as a woman said: “There is difference between men’s and women’s working
because no girl stares at a man or he doesn’t face that type of gazes, but if a girl works
she faces many people’s stares and comments” another said: “Mostly problems are faced
by women because men work easily in open place while we have the tension of ourselves,
our Stoll (dupatta), and surroundings.”
• Women work with responsibility
Most of the women argued that women work more than men, as a respondent
said: “It is always observed that women do more work than men”, women execute their
duties properly and with responsibility while men do not work properly, as a girl said:
“Men accomplish duty but not entirely, women do work with heart and men even forget
to tag up the products” another said: “Women work more than men; men just march all
over the place”.
• Men are sharp
A few number of women said that there is difference. Men are mostly sharp so
that is why they handle the customers easily, a respondent argued: “Usually customers
make the salesgirls confused, but boys (salesmen) are clever they handle easily”.
• Men try to suppress women
61
Many salesgirls said that if men and women work in same firm so it often
happened that mostly men suppressed the women, as a girl said: “Men pretend that they
are more efficient “and women feel that they are working under the male supervision, no
matter they are on the same positions” as another girl said “We feel they are trying to
drag pressure on us”
Women prefer this job because
• Safe work environment
Mostly women prefer this job because of safe and comfortable job environment. It
shows that if environment is good for women, it will be easy for her to work and their
work force participation will also increase.
According to participants:
Dialogue box 5
”it’s my fourth year and I am still working there I feel comfortable myself here and
secondly you should be good at yourself and one should not be given chance to do
wrong”.
“Environment of this firm is not as worse, it is quite better if we compare it to others
stores”.
“The job environment is good and also adequate for women”.
o Depends on Women
A girl said: “For a woman it depends on herself”, another argued:
“It depends on a woman and environment does carry herself, mostly it happens that if you
talk to boys with smile so they take it wrong, everyone has their own vision, if you create
an environment to take her in self-control so it will be good for a woman”.
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While some said that it depends on confidence level of a woman. If she is
confident, she can work, otherwise it will be difficult to handle, as a girl suggested: “If a
girl is confidant so she can come out”
o Cameras
A few number of women said that there are cameras fixed everywhere so that they
feel themselves very secure because they have the feelings that no one can harm them, as
a participant said: “We are standing here in an open place and feel safe here more than
offices jobs, here cameras are fixed everywhere, no one can do anything wrong”.
o Security
Most of the women said that they work there because there is good security
system so that they feel themselves comfortable and secure, as a girl said: “the thing
which is very good is the security, if customers misbehave, we tell the securities, and then
they handle the situation”
• Economic condition
Many said that they are working here because of their economic condition
because there is no other earner in their home, as a girl said: “We come here because of
ours financial problems as there is no any other earner in our homes”.
Many women said that they don’t like the women working out side of the home
but they need this job so that they do this as respondent expressed: “I personally don’t
like to work. I think women are suitable for home. I need this job because of my bitter
economic condition; there is no earner in our home” another said:
“No, it’s not so easy, It’s our need which forces us to come out of our homes so I’m here and if financial condition of my home is stable or I have my own business or own a house so than may be I will never come out of my home, I prefer to start any kind of micro/ small business within the four walls of home, which give me a bit profit, because earning is too difficult when it comes to work outside home”.
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• Qualification is not necessary for this job
Another big reason to join this job was that the education is not necessary for this
job so it can be got easily, as a participant said: “Qualification is not as much important
for this job so we get this job easily as compared to other banking and offices jobs”.
• Good package
Most of the women mentioned that they get a very good package as compared to
other jobs such as teaching and one other thing is that other jobs demand high education
level, as a girl said:
“The main point is that the girls who come in marketing, their salary is mostly very good, as you see I’m earning ten thousand rupees while if I do a job in any school etc, I can’t earn more than three thousand rupees, sales promoters’ salary is good so because of this reason women come this field willingly”.
Another said: “Marketing salary is very good so that is why, women come”.
Women assign on salesgirls’ positions because of
• Showoff and Attraction
When asked why companies mostly assign the women for salesgirls’ position?
The most frequent answer was to showoff and to attract others, so that the customer
comes to a salesgirl and buy her product.
As some respondent expressed:
Dialogue box 6
“May be through this, customers attraction can be achieved”.
“It is for that to see the girls’ men feel attraction, they will come more and if there will be
a boy so a big range of customers will not come as happily as for a girl”.
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“It’s natural that men mostly get attracted towards women rather than men so maybe
they hire women because of attraction”.
“Salesgirls are hired for showoff and used as a decoration piece for attraction”.
“Marketing’s first rule is that employer prefers to hire the women because first look
always impresses the people so due to this reason he/she hires good looking girls”.
o Focus on Dressing
According to some salesgirls, women are mostly assigned for attraction so that
some companies focus on sales girls’ dressing, as a girl said “Companies focus on
dressing so that people get attracted” Companied force them to wear good dresses which
they can’t carry easily and they don’t feel good, as one of my respondent said: “some
companies force to wear pant shirt which we can’t wear freely in our society”. A girl
shared her experience:
“I covered my head with scarf but my boss said to me, ‘you have not come to perform Hajj or Umrah, on that day I went to washroom and took out it and wept a lot”.
• Ladies customers can easily ask about their necessities
Many salesgirls have a positive attitude towards this profession and they
expressed another aspect that women are hired so that female customers can demand
easily their required products, as a girl said: “If there is a salesgirl, the ladies also can
demand easily that products which they can’t express straightforwardly in front of a sale
boy” and secondly a sales girl can easily interact with female compared to a salesman
because most of female feel it bad as according to a participant: “If there is a girl with
her family she can’t intercept with a salesboy freely, she must be get confused in front of
him while if there will be a girl she can ask easily”.
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• Women have patience
A few salesgirls raised another thing that women have more patience than men.
They can listen easily so that they are assigned for this job, as a respondent said: “Women
can deal very well; women have God gifted patience, and they tolerate all bad
behaviors”.
DISCUSSION
Sales is a profession which does not need a high level of education or time
intensive training however, women are reluctant to join this profession because sales is
one of those professions that are socially stigmatized for women and considered less
respectable.
According to my survey most of the women said that if a man works outside of
the home people pay respect to him and his work, while if a woman works outside she is
considered morally bad, loose character women. Almost 56.67% customers said ‘It is not
a respectable profession according to our societal norms’, analysis shows that this is all
because of our societal gender division of labor which focuses that women should come
in women ‘s specific fields such as teaching and nursing etc, if a woman joins other
profession, then she faces very negative attitude from men side. As salesgirls said that
many male customers talks very harshly and rudely to them. Karene and Anderson (1967)
gave the example of women in insurance companies “some men do not like to discuss
financial affairs with women they have a feeling that no woman can know as much as a
man might” (Marcia L. Bellas and Barbara Thomas, 2001 in Karene and Anderson, 1967:
5 reported in Thomas, 1990: 189).
Lawson, in her study of car saleswomen, (1993: 11) found that some customers
responded to women salespersons by simply refusing to deal with them ("Get me a real
salesman! What the hell are you doing here?"). By looking at this statement it is obvious
66
that men do not like to see women in this profession so that is why they show harsh
attitude. Secondly, many salesgirls said that the most frequent problem which they faced
during their job is ‘Men’s’ staring’ and this act affected their working quality. As my
respondent said: “First men mostly stare us up to down (head to foot) and than they talk
with us”. Mirza (2002: 26) also states:
In the public sphere where women are particularly younger ones, are constantly stared at. As soon as a woman leaves her house and walks down the street the men raise their heads to stare at her, even turn around when she has already passed by, and jog to their to make them aware to her presence. Under these conditions women feel uncomfortable in public, and generally very few women are seen in public life.
According to my view point, staring is a part of the visual sexual harassment and
it is immensely disturbing for a woman’s mental health. This strategy is used by men to
keep women out of the public sector. As stated previously, Haq (2009: 35) asserts that
work environment is not conducive as women face the cat calls, stares and they are also
harassed in the streets and within the office women frequently face sexual harassment
and use of foul and abusive language is very common at work places.
Another issue is that if women come outside they face negative attitude from men.
It was found during the analysis that many salesgirls said that if men and women work in
same firm then mostly men (sales boys) try to suppress women. A girl said: “Men show
themselves to be more efficient”. Even if they are working at the same position, men feel
that they know more and can boss around their women colleague. Another girl said “We
feel that they try to put pressure on us”.
Related to this Comer in his research states that traditionally selling positions
have been held by men because such jobs have long been regarded as being inherently
masculine (Comer and Jolson 1985, 1991). Another reason of harassment can be that
hiring women into traditionally male jobs may threaten male workers' sense of
masculinity, diminish their status, and raise fears that their earnings will decline
(Williams, 1989).
Many sales girls said that they worked as hard as men’s work but there was no
appreciation for them, only men get appreciation on the other if something goes wrong it
is always assumed that it must be the mistake of the salesgirls. Ransford (1998: 1-2)
67
points out that the sexes are widely segregated and management also viewed male and
female workers in quite different terms, they appeared to modify their employment
strategies to the sex of the workers, not the job performance.
Secondly, most of the women said ‘to pick the heavy cartons is a very difficult
job’, because mostly the stocks are very heavy then usually they need help of their male
counterparts, some time they help but most of the time they refuse to help them. A
participant said: “It is very difficult to fix the stock, and take up the carton because they
are too heavy and this is men’s duty but we do it”. On the other hand mostly when
women fix the stock many customers pass comments on their body figure. This is the
basic point that although women are never granted the equal opportunities as compare to
men in the job sector but when it comes to jobs like lifting the cartons, the notion of
equality raise dramatically.
68
CHAPTER FIVE
KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION
KEY FINDINGS
Attitude
• According to the objective “customers’ attitude” I found three types of
customers’ behavior first friendly second rude and harsh and third
flirtatious.
• Secondly, there is a difference in gender and age wise attitude. It is
explored that usually men and women both show harsh attitude but men
mostly irritate the sales girls because they stare at them and also pass
comments. Middle age people (especially age 30-40) can be very
flirtatious in nature they try to harass the sales girls, and the young
customers are very rude in nature while old age people are very polite but
also very difficult to handle because they can not easily understand the
things.
• Customers accept this profession for women but they do not pay the due
respect to these working women because they considered them weak
characters.
• Usually male customers pass comments on salesgirls’ body (figure) and
some men often ask about their personal life.
Perception
• 70% customers said this profession is suitable for women.
• 66.67% customers said women should come in this profession.
69
• 56.67% customers said that this profession is not respectable in their
societal norms.
• 63.33% customers said that there is a clear difference between men’s and
women’s selling.
• 43.33% prefer to interact with sales girl rather than sales men.
• 50% customers said that women are well received by both men and
women as sales girls.
• 60% said women are more hard working.
• 50% customers said girls have better selling skills.
• 56.67% customers said that salesmen have upper hand and they dominate
sales girls.
• 70% customers said women work mostly in low scale jobs.
Customers related Experiences
• According to their experiences some customers rebuke and shout at sales
girls while others directly and indirectly harass them.
• The working quality of sales girls is massively affected by sexual
harassment and rude attitudes of customers.
• Salesgirls are not in a position to show any harsh attitude if customers
misbehave.
• Some sales girls prefer to do this job because of safe work environment
and some because higher education is not a requirement for this job. While
others join because of good packages and relatively high earnings.
Problems
70
• Women have to pick heavy carton and work equal to men but men gain
the respect while there is no appreciation for women.
• Sales girls face verbal, physical and gestural harassment.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Women should be hired at large number on the management level so that
they can understand the problems of salesgirls. It seems that very few
women are hired in management, mostly there is only one woman in the
masculine culture of management, so management does not give much
importance to her single voice and decisions, she feels alienated and can
not take the decisions on her own for the betterment of sales girls
• Sexual Harassment Act has been passed in Pakistan; however its
implementation and use as a tool for the protection of salesgirls leave
much to be desired.
• Some required on-job facilities such as pick and drop services and lunches
should be provided.
• In Pakistan, there is lack of appropriate platform to understand and address
the problems of sales women. This topic should be taken for future
research so that the conditions and problems can come forth.
• Women should come in this profession at large, so that the societal
stigmas attached to this profession can be diminished. For this public and
private, both sectors should play a role to aware the people.
71
WAY FORWARD
Due to time constraint this study is limited to a broader overview of customers’
related experiences and problems of sales girls. There are many specific fields or issue
can be taken up for further research such as:
• What is the attitude of the working woman’s own family towards her job?
• Secondly, what kind of problems women are facing regarding their men
counterpart?
• What is the management’s attitude towards sales girls?
• What is the nature of differences in the level of public appreciations
towards sales boys and sales girls?
72
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GLOSSARY
Chachora Pan Showing a mean nature, ill-mannered nature
Umrah A religious activity
Chalo Larkian Clever girls
Dupatta Stole, shawl, scarf
Hajj A religious activity
Muhale Wale Neighbours, vicinity, surrounding area
Parathas Oily breads
Shairana Andaz Poetic tone, romantic tone
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Annexure
Demographic Profile:
Sex
1. Age Less than 18
19-30
31-40
Above 40
2. Place of Residence
3. Marital Status Single
Married
Widow
Separated
Divorced
4. Educational Qualification
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Illiterate
• Knowing writing
• Not knowing writing
• Knowing reading
• Not knowing reading
Primary
Middle
Matriculation
F.A/F.SC
Graduation
M.A/M.SC
Above M.A/M.SC
5. Religion/Sect Muslim
Christian
Hindu
Any other
6. House type 1 Rent
2 Government
3 Personal
4 Other
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7. Income 5000 to
15,000
16,000 to
30,000
31,000 to
45,000
Above
46,000
8. Family members 1to 5
6 to 10
11 to 15
More than
15
1. Do you feel this profession (sales) is suitable for women?
Yes No Don’t
know
2. Do you feel women are well received by both men and women as sales managers?
Yes No Don’t
know
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3. Do you feel any difference between women’s selling and men’s selling?
Yes No Don’t
know
4. Do you prefer to interact with sales girls as compare to sales boys?
Yes No Don’t
know
5. Do you feel women should come in this profession?
Yes No Don’t
know
6. Do you think, this profession is respectable according to our societal norms?
Yes No Don’t
know
7. Do you feel sales men have upper hand and dominance when they work with sales
women?
Yes No Don’t
know
8. Do you feel that women are often haired at low level of job in sales profession?
Yes No Don’t
know
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9. Do you feel women are hard working than men?
Yes No Don’t
know
10. Do you feel women have better skills in selling commodities?
Yes No Don’t
know
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE:
1. Sex: __________________ 2. Place of Residence: ___________________
3. Age: __________________ 4. Marital Status: _______________________
5. House type: ______________ 6. Occupational Status____________________
Religion/Sect: ______________ 8. Educational Qualification: ______________
9. Income: ________________ 10. Family members: _____________________
QUESTIONNAIRE:
1. What is customer’s behavior towards you? Is it positive or negative?
2. Mostly what type of customer visit your firm?
3. What is the difference between men’s attitude and women’s attitude when they
negotiate?
4. Do you find harsh customers? How you deal with them?
5. Do you take help of a male counterpart or not?
6. Do you feel women's participation in sales profession is acceptable for customers? If
No, explain why?
7. What kind of issues you mostly face during your job in this firm?
8. Do you think that job environment of this firm is women friendly?
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9. What type of challenges usually you face?
10. What is your working experience?
11. Do you think that there is any kind of difference in women's and men's working
abilities?
12. Do you feel working pressure under the male’s supervision? Also clarify that why
men are mostly on higher positions?
13. In your view why women are mostly hired on sales girls position?
14. Do you feel any difference in the behavior of different age customers? Or do you find
that people’s behavior varies age vise? Probe=> is there any strategy to deal with them?
15. What is the easiest and most difficult part of your job?