Sex as a factor of differences of management staff’s opinions concerning key competencies in the knowledge-based economyconcerning key competencies in the knowledge-based economy

The results concerning the variable of sex as a factor of difference of opin-ions concerning key competencies of management staff in the knowledge-based economy confirmed that there were statistically significant differenc-es (Tab. 4.9). The greatdifferenc-est differencdifferenc-es between men and women concerned significance of amicability in the knowledge-based economy. This trait in-dicates not only frankness, trust, but it corresponds also to ability to cooper-ate, including shaping new contacts and maintaining previous ones. Women stress extraversion and diligence especially strongly. Women appreciate also significance of psychological and general knowledge, as well as knowl-edge of trends and forecasts affecting economy to a greater extent. Differ-ences between women and men were visible in analysis of significance of key skills in the knowledge-based economy, too. Women accentuate

signifi-cance of ability to ensure high quality of work and to translate corporate objectives to individual employees’ goals. This focus on human resources and ability to combine corporate interests and individual employees’ goals may be women’s advantage in the knowledge-based economy.

With Cochran-Armitage test a tendency (trend) was identified: if a re-spondent assigned greater significance in the knowledge-based economy to particular competencies, then there was a significant increase of probability that the respondent was a man or woman. The identified statistically signifi-cant trends are shown in Table 4.10.

Table 4.9. Key competencies of management staff in the knowledge-based economy - statistically significant differences of opinions between women and men

Key competencies in the knowledge-based economy –

significance assigned Differences:

women - men p-value

Knowledge of psychology 13% 0.01

Ability to ensure high quality of work 11% 0.01

Ability to translate corporate objectives to individual

employees’ goals 10% 0.05

Amicability 9% 0.10

General knowledge 9% 0.05

Extraversion 8% 0.07

Knowledge of trends and forecasts which affect economy 8% 0.08

Diligence 7% 0.08

Source: original analysis of empirical results.

Table 4.10. Key competencies of management staff in the knowledge-based economy as seen by respondents considering the variable of sex – tendencies / trends of signifi-cance assigned (statistically significant results of Cochran-Armitage test)

Key competencies in the knowledge-based

economy – significance assigned Sta-tistics

p-value

Trend / ten-dency

(domi-nant sex) Ability to ensure high quality of work 3.38 0.00 female

Psychological knowledge 2.92 0.00 female

Ability to translate corporate objectives to

indi-vidual employees’ goals 2.59 0.01 female

Diligence 2.57 0.01 female

Knowledge of management 2.52 0.01 female

Emotional stability 2.51 0.01 female

Knowledge of trends and forecasts which may

af-fect economy 2.40 0.02 female

Ability set objectives and methods to achieve them 2.12 0.03 female

Extraversion 1.82 0.07 female

Degree of emotional intelligence 1.69 0.09 female

Skills to implement organisational culture of

a learning, knowledge managing organisation 1.69 0.09 female

Focus on principles 1.67 0.09 female

Source: original analysis of empirical results.

The results’ analysis proved that if a respondent assigned great signifi-cance to such psychological competencies in the knowledge-based economy as diligence and emotional stability, then it was 2.5 times more probable that it was a woman than a man.

The existence of this trend was confirmed also in assigning significance to particular areas of knowledge in the knowledge-based economy. If a re-spondent indicated knowledge of psychology management and knowledge of trends and forecasts that affected economy, then the probability that it was a women was 2.5 times higher. Similar results were obtained in identification of significance of key skills in the knowledge-based economy. If a respondent assigned big significance to the ability to ensure high quality of work, then it was three times more probable that it was a woman. Concerning ability to translate corporate objectives to individual employees’ goals, setting ob-jectives and methods to achieve them and skills to implement organisational culture of a learning, knowledge managing organisation, probability was two times higher for women. In the analysed case, this situation may be inter-preted that women assign markedly larger significance to competencies which are crucial in the knowledge-based economy. This justifies a conclusion that a larger number of women in enterprises’ management may have a positive effect on development of the knowledge-based society.

The analysis of respondents’ answers considering not only sex, but also level of management, revealed that there were significant differences in opin-ions between women and men who held top management positopin-ions (Tab. 4.11).

Women in top management positions assigned markedly larger signifi-cance in the knowledge-based economy to such competencies as emotional

intelligence, knowledge of psychology and knowledge of trends and forecasts which may affect economy. In the area of skills, women declared the following skills as key competencies: forecasting, focus on intangible assets of the compa-ny, customer focus, ensuring high quality of work and negotiations (Tab. 4.11).

Table 4.11. Key competencies of management staff in the knowledge-based economy - statistically significant differences of significance assigned between women and men at top management positions

Key competencies of management staff in the knowledge-based economy – significance assigned by top management

staff (excluding owners and co-owners)

Differenc-es: women

- men

value

p-Knowledge of psychology 30% 0.01

Forecasting skills 26% 0.01

Degree of emotional intelligence 21% 0.02

Knowledge of trends and forecasts which may affect economy 21% 0.04 Ability to focus on intangible assets of the company (which

form its intellectual capital) 20% 0.07

Customer-focus skills 19% 0.05

Ability to ensure high quality of work 19% 0.04

Negotiating skills 18% 0.05

Source: original analysis of empirical results.

4.3. Self-assessment of management staff’s strengths