Page 1 of 9

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 01 Issue 11

December 2015

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 539

Adversity Quotient: The Thumb Rule to Maximize the

Gender Divide of Women Employees in IT Sector at

Bangalore City

Dr. J Venkatesh ; G. Shivaranjani

1Associate Professor, Department Of Management Studies

Anna University Regional Office Coimbatore, Navaoor, Coimbatore - 641 046

2Full Time Research Scholar, Department Of Management Studies

Anna University Regional Office Coimbatore, Navaoor, Coimbatore - 641 046

Email Id: Drjvmba@Gmail.Com ; Email Id: Ranjani.Rrb@Gmail.Com

ABSTRACT

The development of software

industries is one of the most speculated

achievements of the Indian economy. The

employment in Bangalore is what makes it

an IT HUB. Henceforth, it is nick named

as the Silicon Valley of India like Silicon

Valley located in California a mega hub

for IT companies in USA. The new

recruitment drive in most of software

industries is increasing the male to female

Ratio for 75: 25 in 2001 to 60: 40 in 2009

as per NASSCOM analysis 2009. This

ratio continues to increase for females. The

credit goes to the pivotal role played by the

software industries in bridging the gender

divide by ensuring no bias while offering

positions to woman candidates. We live in

an age of adversity and to be successful in

life one needs both capability and cope

ability. In the absence of either, the

individual may fall back at such a rate that

he/she is likely to drop out of the system.

Hence developing Human potential has

become much more than a HR issue.

Adversities come in many forms especially

for a working woman as she is likely to

play multifaceted roles in fulfilling her

individual and societal obligations. She is

likely to encounter organizational issues

like (Health and safety, lay off, work life

balance, shift work, performance etc) and

career issues like (Job Training, Family

overseas job, Higher education etc).

Developing resilience deals directly with

enabling a person to respond appropriately

in the face of adversity. Absence of

resilience can be the cause of stress in life.

This paper aims to focus at developing

resilience through enhancing the

participant’s Adversity Quotient (R) by

increasing their capacity to pursue highest

aspirations by responding effectively to

any adversity, which in turn encourages

employees to put forth their best efforts

and maximise their performance

capabilities leading to better overall

organizational performance.

Keywords: Adversity Quotient, Adversity,

Information Technology, Woman,

Employees.

Introduction

Dealing with the difficulties of

each day and the difficult people with

whom one interacts is an ongoing

challenge. Stoltz (1997, 2000) provided

theories on adversity quotient of an

individual on how to resolve such

challenge and strive to overcome it so as

not to affect deeply what he/she will

accomplish in his/her work and towards

life. He defined AQ as the measure of

one’s resilience and ability to persevere in

Page 2 of 9

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 01 Issue 11

December 2015

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 540

the face of constant change, stress and

difficulty or AQ is simply a measure of

how you respond to adversity. Adversity

Quotient predicts how well one withstand

adversity, overcome it, and foresee who

will be crushed who will exceed and fall

short of their expectations in performance

and potential and who gives up and

prevails. Stoltz (1997) found out that AQ

has three forms say firstly, AQ is a new

conceptual framework for understanding

and enhancing all facets of success. It is

build upon a substantial base of familiar

research which offers a practical new

combination of knowledge which redefines

what it takes to succeed. Secondly, AQ is a

measure of how one responds to adversity

which can be understood and changed and

can be calculated and interpreted. Thirdly,

AQ is a scientifically grounded set of tools

for improving how to respond to adversity

resulting to an overall personal and

professional effectiveness. The adversity

quotient of an individual plays an ever

greater role in reacting to adversities being

dealt with greater uncertainty, demands,

challenges, changes and complication.

Individual’s AQ can be both measured and

improved from these elements which can

determines whether he/she can stand

strong and true, continue to grow when

faced with adversity or if he/she will be

crippled or destroyed. AQ is the

foundational factor of success that can

determine the ‘how’, ‘if’, and ‘to what’

degree of attitudes, abilities and

performance are manifested by a person.

As posited by advocates of adversity

quotient the above cited gap could be

resolved by upgrading one’s capacity

through strengthening one’s adversity

quotient. When used properly AQ is a vital

piece of any effort to strengthen leaders

and their ability to thrive in this

demanding work environment. Stoltz

(1997) has developed an assessment

instrument that is similar in form and

format to the Myers Briggs Time Indicator

(MBTI) and it assesses AQ. The AQ

scores fall into three broad bands, with an

expected normal distribution, Low AQ

characteristics (low levels of motivation,

energy, performance and persistence and

the tendency to ‘catastrophize’ events),

Moderate AQ characteristics (under

utilization of potential, problems take a

significant and unnecessary toll, making

climbing difficult, and a sense of

helplessness and despair arises from time

to time), High AQ characteristics (able to

withstand significant adversity, continue

forward and upward progress and

maintains appropriate perspective on

events and responses to them.

Background of the Study

AQ.Haller, Howard Edward

(2005), in their study titled “Adversity and

obstacles in the shaping of prominent

leaders: a hermeneutic phenomenological

inquiry” was conducted on nine primary

participants, two were then current U.S

Senators a retired U.S Army Special

Forces Major General a President of a

large educational foundation who

previously was Chancellor of one major

University and President of another a

well known Author and motivational

speaker and the Chairman and Chief

Executive Officers of four major

companies. The primary participants who

were selected for the study prior to

becoming prominent leaders had a

background study which found that they

possessed past experiences with various

degrees of adversity in their youth and

adult lives. These participants were

interviewed to collect data. The results

indicated that the adversity in the

participant’s early lives was not the most

important influence and they viewed the

obstacles or adversities they faced in their

adult lives as challenges which could be

changed into opportunities. The findings

also revealed that overcoming challenges

Page 3 of 9

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 01 Issue 11

December 2015

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 541

or obstacles strengthened and motivated

the leaders. Villaver, Elaine Lucero

(2005), in their study titled “Adversity

Quotient levels of female grade school

teachers of a public and private school in

Rizal Province”, was to examine the

significant differences in AQ levels of

female grade school teachers of public and

private school. The study included 105

female grade school teachers 74 from a

public school and 31 from a private school

in Rizal province. The ARP 7.0 was used

to measure the AQ levels of teacher

respondents. The Z-test statistical tool was

used to determine if there was any

significant difference between AQ levels

of teacher respondents. Findings

concerning AQ revealed that majority of

the respondents falling under early

adulthood stage posses moderate AQ while

their older counterpart’s posses moderately

low AQ. Respondents who were married

had moderate AQ levels but those

respondents who were single had equal

percentages for moderate and moderately

low AQ while majority of married

respondents posses moderate AQ level.

Findings regarding socio-economic status

(SES) indicate that majority of respondents

belonging in lower SES have moderate

AQ level while those in middle class of

SES show majority of concentration within

moderately low AQ level. Finally it was

concluded that there was no significant

difference existing between AQ level of

public and private female grade school

teachers. Lazaro (2004) conducted and

presented her study on adversity quotient

and performance level in the 5th Asian

Regional Congress of Industrial Relations

Association (IIRA) held in Korea. She

studied the missing factors of success and

excellent performance among selected

middle managers. The capacity of each

employee is the basis of organizational

capacity where the manager handles the

smallest unit. These managers handled

multifaceted tasks being exposed to

different people of various organizational

levels creating demands greater speed,

capacity and capabilities. A multi-source

assessment or 360-degree feedback

process was used in determining the

performance of a middle manager. This

instrument viewed performance accurately

by getting input of supervisors, peers or

colleagues, subordinates, and clients from

all angles. The study employed the

descriptive, co relational method of

research to determine the relationship of

adversity quotient and performance level

of middle managers using the 360-degree

feedback system. The selected middle

managers of the different departments of

the City of Manila showed a high

correlation between AQ and performance

level of the respondents as revealed by the

360-degree feedback system. Viscott

(1996) in his book on Emotional

Resilience deals with the bouncing back

from an emotional setback. While one’s

work and career may take up most of one’s

time, it is relationships that take up most of

one’s life. Interpersonal relations and the

emotions attached to them can have the

deepest influence and endure for the

longest when they disturb a person’s

emotional equilibrium. What one then

needs is emotional resilience. The book

guides one through the process of natural

therapy so that one can deal better with the

adversity. On the face of it the book

appears to be meant for psychotherapists.

The fact however that is any adversity

affects one’s emotions as every adversity

has a feeling component and it is this

effect which lasts for a long time in the

form of anxiety, causing dysfunctionality

when it diffuses to other areas of his life.

Thus, when emotional resilience is taken

care off then general resilience will

automatically improve as well. The book

is a detailed account of how one can help

oneself out of an emotional trauma and

back to emotional mental health.