Abstract
Idiosyncratic deals (I-deals) are personalised agreements that benefit individual employees and employers. The research focuses on the development I-deals, such as special career development activities that serve to improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities of employees. The research investigated the strategies and aftermath of developmental idiosyncratic agreements (I-deals) negotiation from professional women in Hong Kong.
It used data from interviews with 40 participants, all of the participants are professional women who over age 25 and worked in Hong Kong over 5 years. The participants require to had experience on development I-deals negotiation within one year. A information sheet and consent form was sent before interview started, it has been interviewed face to face and online with 35-60 mins.
The research shows the challenges professional women who worked in Hong Kong face, the factors that lead to successful and unsuccessful negotiations and the aftermath of the negotiations (what are their next steps). The findings highlight the importance of women in organizational coordination and management support, revealing the impact of gender bias and hierarchical structure on negotiation dynamics. Previous literature has mainly focused on I-deals in Western countries, there is a gap in research explicitly focusing on Asian working women and their unique I-deals experiences. There is also a research gap in combining I-deals negotiation and aftermath. The research fills the gap in existing literature and provides practical suggestions for cultivating an inclusive work environment and promoting gender equality in careers. Also, it provides recommendations for managers about the way to manage employee negotiations and the way it influences the employee's relationship and teamwork.
Key words:i-deals; women; negotiation; HRM