Leadership and gender: a dangerous liaison?

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature on the ways women lead in organizations with a focus on the fields of business and education. A secondary purpose is to identify implications of the literature for leadership and gender issues in the worlds of business and education.Design/methodology/approachA review of the extant literature was conducted to collect data through professional and academic journals of business and education, pertinent web sites, and textbooks. Once these data were collected, they were placed in categories according to common themes and patterns that emerged from the literature on the leadership styles of women in business and education.FindingsResearch findings show that women adopt democratic and participative leadership styles in the corporate world and in education. Transformational leadership is the preferred leadership style used by women. The characteristics of transformational leadership relate to female values developed through socialization processes that include building relationships, communication, consensus building, power as influence, and working together for a common purpose.Originality/valueThis paper provides a theoretical perspective on women's leadership behaviours as an approach to equity in organizations by capitalizing on female contributions to organizations and the importance of those contributions in an increasingly diverse workforce world‐wide. Women leadership styles are presented as alternatives to traditional leadership models.

Ethics, Diversity Management, and Financial Reporting Quality

“…Boards of directors that include women members are purportedly better able to improve control and constrain opportunistic EM behaviors (Gul et al, 2007). Furthermore, according to Cohen et al (1998), Klenke (2003), and Trinidad and Normore (2005), women employ a more democratic, trust-based leadership style. They also exhibit greater risk aversion in financial decision making (Hinz et al, 1997;Powell and Ansic, 1997;Riley and Chow, 1992;Sunden and Surette, 1998).…”

Women and leadership: Gender barriers to senior management positions

“…Los rasgos estereotípicamente masculinos se vinculan con un estilo de liderazgo autoritario, directivo y centrado en la tarea y los rasgos estereotípicamente femeninos con un estilo de liderazgo democrático, participativo y centrado en las relaciones interpersonales (Eagly & Johnson, 1990;Fridell, Newcom Belcher & Messner, 2009;Gartzia & Van Engen, 2012;Oakley, 2000;Post, 2015;Powell, 2011;Van Engen & Willemsen, 2004). En la misma línea, el estilo de liderazgo transformacional basado en aspectos como la motivación, orientación, estimulación o capacitación de los seguidores se relaciona con la forma de liderar de las mujeres (Barberá Heredia & Ramos López, 2004;Dodd, 2012;Evans, 2010;Hoyt, 2010;Trinidad & Normore, 2005).…”

Corporate Goverance Determinants of Earnings Management: Evidence from Nigerian Quoted Companies

“…Corporate boards with female directors (and female non-executive directors) are more likely to be able to improve board monitoring and hence constrain earnings management. Based on the growing literature which shows that women (i) employ a more democratic, transformational and trust-building leadership style (Klenke 2003;Trinidad & Normore 2005), (ii) exhibit greater risk aversion in financial decision-making settings (Riley & Chow 1992;Powell & Ansic 1997;Hinz, McCarthy & Turner, 1997;Surette 1998) and (iii) exhibit higher ethical standards on their decisions than their male counterparts (Clikeman et al 2001).…”