AMALAN KOMUNIKASI KEPIMPINAN WANITA MELAYU DALAM MENYEIMBANGKAN NILAI BUDAYA MELAYU DAN KEPERLUAN ORGANISASI: SUATU KAJIAN FENOMENOLOGI

LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION PRACTICES AMONG MALAY WOMEN LEADERS IN BALANCING MALAY CULTURAL VALUES AND ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

Amalan komunikasi kepimpinan wanita Melayu berlaku dalam keadaan yang menuntut kejelasan keputusan organisasi dan pada masa yang sama memelihara adab, maruah serta hubungan sosial. Walaupun kajian tentang kepimpinan wanita semakin berkembang, bukti tentang cara nilai budaya beroperasi dalam interaksi kepimpinan harian masih terbatas. Kajian ini bertujuan: (i) menghuraikan prinsip komunikasi kepimpinan wanita Melayu berasaskan nilai budaya; (ii) menganalisis penggunaan komunikasi lisan dan bukan lisan dalam amalan kepimpinan; dan (iii) mengenal pasti cabaran komunikasi serta strategi adaptasi ketika nilai budaya Melayu dan keperluan organisasi perlu diseimbangkan. Kajian fenomenologi kualitatif melibatkan lima pemimpin wanita Melayu di Riau yang dipilih secara persampelan bertujuan dengan pengenalpastian peserta turut dibantu melalui rujukan bola salji (snowball) apabila sesuai. Data diperoleh melalui temu bual separa berstruktur, pemerhatian dan dokumen sokongan, kemudian dianalisis secara tematik dengan bantuan NVivo 12. Ketelusan analisis diperkukuh melalui transkripsi verbatim, triangulasi sumber, perbandingan merentas peserta, jejak analisis dan refleksi penyelidik. Empat tema utama dikenal pasti: kesantunan sebagai asas legitimasi; penggunaan komunikasi lisan dan bukan lisan secara bersepadu; adaptasi register formal-tidak formal mengikut khalayak dan generasi serta penggunaan musyawarah, hormat dan amanah terhadap keputusan organisasi. Dapatan menunjukkan bahawa kesantunan bukan kelembutan pasif, tetapi strategi untuk mengekalkan ketegasan sambil melindungi maruah dan hubungan. Kajian ini menyumbang kepada literatur komunikasi kepimpinan dengan menunjukkan cara nilai budaya Melayu berfungsi sebagai sumber komunikasi dalam pembinaan autoriti, kepercayaan dan penerimaan organisasi.

Malay women leaders communicate under two simultaneous demands: organisational decisions must remain clear while manners, dignity, and social relationships are preserved. Although scholarship on women's leadership has expanded, evidence showing how local cultural values operate in everyday leadership interaction remains limited. This study aimed to: (i) describe culturally grounded principles of leadership communication among Malay women leaders; (ii) analyse the use of verbal and non-verbal communication in leadership practice; and (iii) identify communication challenges and adaptive strategies used when Malay cultural values and organisational needs must be balanced. A qualitative phenomenological design involved five Malay women leaders in Riau, purposively selected, with participant identification also supported by snowball referrals where appropriate. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, observation, and supporting documents and were analysed thematically with NVivo 12. Analytical transparency was strengthened through verbatim transcription, source triangulation, cross-participant comparison, an analytic trail, and researcher reflexivity. Four themes were identified: politeness as a basis of leadership legitimacy; integrated verbal and non-verbal communication; adaptation between formal and informal registers across audiences and generations; and the use of deliberation, respect, and trustworthiness in organisational decision-making. The findings showed that politeness was not passive softness but a strategy for maintaining firmness while protecting dignity and relationships. The study contributes to leadership communication scholarship by showing how Malay cultural values can serve as communication resources in constructing authority, trust, and organisational acceptance.