Transformational leadership behaviours of women in a socially dynamic environment

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to provide insights into the female transformational leadership behaviours within a socially dynamic environment. Research was conducted in the State of Qatar, a country that is going through a rapid social change. Design/methodology/approach The research framework was based on the transformational leadership framework (TLF) initially proposed by Burns (1978) and further developed by Bass (1985). A respondent set, consisting of 25 Qatari female managers, was taken from the largest public university in the State of Qatar. In-depth interviews were the main source of collected data. The data were analysed using NVivo 11. Findings Predominantly, Qatari female leadership behaviours were reflective of transformational leadership. In their dealings, Qatari female managers displayed motherly instincts, encouraged open communication, used relationship adaptations and used trust. From time to time, Qatari female managers displayed non-transformational leadership behaviours. This occasional leadership style switch was part of behavioural flexibility that was required in a mixed age, mixed gender, mixed experience and mixed nationalities work environment. The key reason for the change in transformational leadership approach came as a reaction to subordinates’ attitude. In particular, the male-dominated work environment required behavioural adjustments (such as being more assertive and autocratic) to deal with masculine subordinates. Research limitations/implications A range of respondent perceptions were related to defining leadership. There was some overlapping between the tested determinants. For example, idealised influence and individualised consideration shared a degree of similarity in terms of how they were perceived. Social implications Socially dynamic environment should be seen as an opportunity for female transformational leadership development. Social dynamism may result in an evolved TLF that could be more appropriate for Qatari organisations. Hence, experience and problem sharing between Qatari female managers may help in developing a socially and culturally fitting transformational leadership model. Originality/value The study presented a perspective of a socially dynamic environment where women were practicing transformational leadership primarily through behavioural flexibility and change management. The study suggests an extended version of TLF that would be more suitable for female leadership within a socially dynamic environment.

True heroines: unveiling the female management of startups’ entrepreneurs

“…Regarding the other analyzed aspect of female management, the leadership, it was found that they have characteristics such as equality, respect, democracy, participation, emotional balance and rationality, interpersonal relationships, humor, job satisfaction, trust, cooperation and freedom valuation. These characteristics are convergent with the studies developed by Motta (2004), Rafferty and Griffin (2004), Bass and Raggio (2006), Millman and Martin (2007) and Sharif (2018). It can also be observed that the female entrepreneurs possessed the skills of managing feelings, intimacy/authenticity, positioning and calculation of personal impact, as argued by Loden (1988).…”

“…Based on these characteristics, it is understood that the managerial style of the entrepreneurs can be framed as transformational. According to Bass (1998), Rafferty and Griffin (2004), Bass and Raggio (2006) and Sharif (2018), transformational leadership refers to the ability to identify and develop the skills of subordinates, aiming to stimulate values such as loyalty, respect, trust and motivation by leaders, through actions that provide advice, guidance, evaluation, facilitation and development of the team. Therefore, such aspects are perceived in the performance of the respondents.…”

“…The literature about leadership has shown that its definition is polysemic and difficult to construct because the term does not encompass all its representations (Ferreira & Rodrigues, 2013). Nevertheless, it is widely accepted that leadership involves a behavioral process in which an individual seeks to influence other individuals or groups (Northhouse, 2012;Sharif, 2018).…”

“…Hence, Sharif (2018) reports that the leaders that were studied in the Qatar Region presented predominantly transformational leadership, but in required situations they adapted to the transactional leadership style. Then, it is important to emphasize that, as the author explains, several other studies have pointed out that female leadership has a greater preponderance of being more oriented towards transformational, especially due to the characteristics of greater smoothness in management, showing themselves to be more understanding, intuitive, emotional, sensitive, sociable and receptive, among other characteristics, and for being concerned with satisfying needs (Mojza, Sonnentag & Bornemann, 2011).…”

“…This research is justified because it understands that female management and leadership is a theme that has constantly evolved, but stereotypes and a vision linked to male characteristics still prevail (Mukhtar, 2002;Hamilton, 2006;Millman & Martin, 2007;Moller & Gomes, 2010), even if there is evolution about the subject, "little is known specifically about female entrepreneurship" (Aidis, Welter, Smallbone, & Isakova, 2007, p. 158). Most studies have been published in North America, making it necessary to understand it in the context of developing countries (Sharif, 2018). Moreover, many researches are linked to large corporations, then, it is necessary to understand these variables also in small and medium companies and startups (Mukhtar, 2002).…”