A Theoretical Approach to Female Team Leaders’ Boundary Work Choices

Abstract

As organizations face progressively complex challenges, team leader boundary work that is relational and inclusive (i.e., work that relates to others across team boundaries and includes a wide variety of stakeholder perspectives and concerns) is more and more valued. These trends pose advantages and disadvantages for women team leaders. Although the desired leadership competencies align well with the communal qualities often attributed to and expected of women leaders, displaying boundary work behaviors that are relational and inclusive may paradoxically result in a questioning of women's leadership competence by team members and parties external to the team. Moreover, concerns about gender stereotyping and discrimination may pressure women to adapt their boundary work behaviors to downplay or negate "femininity" as they lead. Reflective of these dilemmas, we propose that female team leaders experience conflicting internal motivations about the boundary work behaviors they display. Drawing from social role, impression management, and social identity perspectives, we examine the motives that drive women leaders to engage in or avoid boundary work that aligns with female gender roles, the contextual influences affecting the likelihood women leaders will act on these motives, and the implications of this boundary work for teams and female team leaders.

Can Supportive Coaching Behaviors Facilitate Boundary Spanning and Raise Job Satisfaction? An Indirect-Effects Model

“…If organizations do not work to create a culture and support structure that value empowerment (Ancona et al, 2019; Rapp, Gilson, Mathieu, & Ruddy, 2016), leaders who demonstrate empowerment and encouragement of boundary spanning may be seen by other leaders, and potentially by their own team members, as lacking leadership qualities or competence. This may be particularly true for women team leaders (see Marrone et al, 2018). Our results could help to build organizational cultures valuing supportive coaching by underscoring the importance of these behaviors as a potent dimension of team coaching and clarifying its unique motivational influence on the boundary spanning of team members who are facing tasks that likely require expertise and resources outside their own personal skill sets.…”

“…These behaviors aim to (a) represent one's work unit in a positive way to external entities in order to gain further resources and/or protect the unit from undue and adverse pressures (referred to as ambassadorial behaviors), (b) scan actively for resources and expertise embedded in external entities (referred to as scanning activities), and (c) manage interdependencies across work teams, such as informing others of the work unit's task progress (referred to as task coordination activities). Later research supports that engaging in these behaviors significantly affects the performance of the focal working unit, the organization, and other interdependent entities (for related discussions of boundary-spanning behaviors and outcomes, see Cross et al, 2000;Faraj & Yan, 2009;Marrone, 2010;Marrone et al, 2018;Somech & Khalaili, 2014). For example, ambassadorial behaviors can elevate the unit's ability to secure needed resources to achieve organizational objectives (Ancona & Caldwell, 1992;Benoliel & Somech, 2015;Druskat & Wheeler, 2004), and scanning behaviors can result in greater organizational learning and innovation (Lorenzoni & Lipparini, 1999;Mors, 2010).…”

Influences of Boundary-Spanning Leadership on Job Performance: A Moderated Mediating Role of Job Crafting and Positive Psychological Capital

“…Managers' boundary-spanning behavior has recently been emphasized as a more important competency in line with the advancement of industrial technology and rapid changes in knowledge-intensive technologies [7,19]. This is because the need has increased for a manager to take the lead through boundary-spanning behavior and effectively manage the flow of resources, information, and knowledge that crosses existing boundaries while efforts to secure a competitive advantage by creating performance based on innovative ideas of subordinates are also increasing [20].…”

How leader humor stimulates subordinate boundary-spanning behavior: A social information processing theory perspective

“…Effective boundary-spanning behavior is also beneficial to team learning, performance, and innovation ( Hargadon, 2002 ; Marrone et al, 2007 ; Somech and Khalaili, 2014 ). Hence, as a promising phenomenon within the complex and dynamic work environment, boundary-spanning behavior has garnered extensive attention from scholars (e.g., Marrone et al, 2007 , 2018 ; Marrone, 2010 ; Mell et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Traditionally, managing team boundary is the responsibility of formal leaders (e.g., Morgeson et al, 2010 ; Marrone et al, 2018 ). Due to the increasing need for extensive collaboration both within and across teams, however, team members are also expected to proactively engage in boundary-spanning activities (e.g., Marrone et al, 2007 ; Marrone, 2010 ).…”