Assertiveness Among Undergraduates in a Malaysian Public University: Implications Towards Improved Employability

Assertiveness began to gain scholarly interest in the 1940s but more recent research on assertiveness has pointed to the importance of assertiveness in English language teaching and learning as well as in developing student’s communicative competence. In the context of workplace communication also, assertiveness is regarded as an important skill which will improve an individual’s interpersonal communication. However, previous cross-cultural studies have shown that Asians are less assertive than Westerners because the principles of assertiveness may be in conflict with the values of Asian society. As a result of this, Asians may be placed in a less favourable light in situations in which assertiveness is highly regarded.  Hence, this study aims to discover the level of assertiveness among undergraduates in a Malaysian public university. This paper will also report on two factors i.e. communicative competence and situations that may have a significant relationship on an individual’s level of assertiveness. Respondents were chosen through proportionate stratified sampling to complete the Rathus Assertiveness Survey (RAS) used in this study. Findings indicate a high level of assertiveness but a significant difference in the level of assertiveness in different settings, while the relationship between assertiveness and communicative competence appears to contradict past research. Finally, the implication of the findings of this study with regard to employability is discussed.