Abstract

The term “Locus of control” (LoC) as a concept in psychology was originally developed by Julian Rotter in the 1960s. It refers to an individual’s perception of the underlying causes of events (outcomes) in life. The locus of control can be internal or external. It can impact the choices and preferences people exercise in their personal and professional life. Employees tend to attribute their performance, results, or career goal achievement being caused by “significant others” -it could be boss, customer, system etc. Most of the time, employees avoid introspection in case of failure, people with such behaviour have an external locus of control. In contrast, some employees attribute their ability to succeed or fail to their own ability to do or not do the desired action. Employees with such behaviour seem to possess an internal locus of control. Applying the concept of locus of control to gender studies, it is found that a large section of women attributes their lack of career growth to external factors – boss, policies, work environment, family. A very small section of women, attribute their career events to their action Such women are generally more achievement-oriented and self-confident. They seem to rely on capability and calibre. They believe that their career progression is a result of “their inherent characteristics, agency and a desire to seize challenge that leads to intrinsic satisfaction (Carvalho, Costa, Lykke, & Torres, 2018). According to Carvalho et al, 2018 women who achieve career goals downplay the impact of structural enablers and barriers. With this backdrop, the researchers in this article are making an attempt to understand the relationship between locus of control and behaviour at the workplace for employees in general and women in particular. Behaviour at the workplace has been studied with special reference to planned behaviour and decision making that seem to have maximum impact on professional conduct and success for women as well as other employees.

Key words: Locus of Control, Women, Workplace, Planned Behaviour, Decision Making, India