Leadership Gender

1. Leadership & Gender By: Brian, Keith, Katherine, Amanda and Jenny

2. Introduction Leadership- behaviors that help a group achieve its goals Leadership is not gender specific �Leader�- person named by the group as the leader; person who group members perceive to be the leader; person who has the greatest influence on the groups decision; person who actually performs leadership behaviors

3. Task Behaviors 91% of male leader�s behavior is devoted to active task behavior where as females devote 88% Women emphasize production and will continue their strong contributions to the task at hand when the group is doing well, where as men will reduce their contributions as the group does better

4. Task Behavior cont�d A study of student group problem-solving found that female leaders spend more time communicating about the task on hand than men, as they make more off-task comments Procedural suggestions are one of females strengths in group work. They generate twice as many procedural suggestions in resolving conflicts as men do When females emerge as leaders in a mixed-sex group it is usually because they worked substantially harder than any other member in the group

5. Social-Emotional Behaviors Women are more likely to meet the social-emotional needs of the group slightly more than men do Women are rated as being more interpersonally warm during the first interactions with group members then male leaders Three separate studies have shown that females using an authoritarian style of leadership were perceived less favorably than males using the same style In decision making, women are more likely to use a democratic, or participative, style than men Men were more satisfied with the leadership of a woman Women value listening as a skill that makes others feel both comfortable and important

6. Women�s Way of Interacting Women have an equalitarian (a person who believes in the equality of all people) view among themselves Women are described to be more cooperative and supportive, while their male counterparts tend to be more self-assertive and competitive Women desire leaders who are cooperative, empathetic, supportive, democratic, and calm Most women perceive leadership more as a facilitation and organization rather then power and dominance

7. The Effectiveness of Female & Male Leaders 2 sets of extensive field research projects reveal there is a lack of difference in the effectiveness of female & male leaders

8. West Point & Coeducation Conservative & liberal views Limited contact with female & male leaders received ratings based on preconceived attitudes Extended interaction with female & male leaders received equal ratings of effectiveness

9. Tavistock Institute & Self-Reflective Groups Groups composed of undergraduate & graduate psychology students Emotionally responsive & emotionally detached leaders No consistent evidence that these groups are more effective or satisfied with either female or male leaders

10. Summary of the Studies These studies collectively reveal that females & males are equally effective leaders In addition, female & male leaders are equally effective in conflict management styles The only difference in female & male conflict management styles include age, education, & managerial experience�the leaders must share similarities to one another

11. The Effects of Sex-Role Stereotypes Studies show a tendency for a pro-male bias in leadership roles Both men and women have said female bosses were more collaborative, and less aggressive than men; they seek consensus, emphasize team building, are more nurturing and empathetic, and are more approachable However, males are still frequently rated more positively than females for the same behaviors

12. The Effects of Sex-Role Stereotypes cont�d Men are often rated as showing more leadership, having higher-quality contributions, being more desirable for hiring, meriting a higher salary, and meriting a more responsible job For the same behaviors females were rated as bossier, more dominating, more emotional, less warm, less sensitive, and less attractive than males Women have overwhelmingly less respect, responsibility, and power than men

13. Resistance to Powerful Women People react more negatively towards women than men in powerful positions Women have to fight harder to get the same recognition as men for the same tasks Individuals who earn higher incomes are perceived to be more powerful Women earn 76 cents for every dollar earned by a man By the year 2050, men will still be making higher salaries than women do for doing the exact same jobs

14. Things are Slowly Changing There has been a decrease in the backlash against women's attempt to gain power Within academia, more professors, editors, and first authors of scholarly articles are women than in the past Women have begun to increase their individual power, independence, assertiveness, and competitiveness Studies have shown when people are reminded of their attitudes towards sex-role stereotypes, group interaction and the emergence of leadership are positively affected Male dominance is effectively reduced when people are reminded of their equalitarian attitudes Women are enabled to reach their full potential as leaders

15. Leadership & Gender Wrap Up

16. References Diekman, A., Goodfriend, W., & Goodwin, S. (2004). Dynamic Stereotypes of Power: Perceived Change and Stability in Gender Hierarchies. Sex-Roles: A Journal of Research, 50(3-4), 201-215. Retrieved April 23, 2004, from (http://web4.infotrac.galegroup.com). Baril, G.L., Korabik, K. & Watson, C. (1993, September). Managers' conflict management style & leadership effectiveness: the moderating effects of gender. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, v29, n5-6, p 405. Shimanoff, S. Jenkins, M. (1996) Leadership and Gender: Challenging Assumptions and Recognizing Resources. Small Group Communication: Theory & Practice (pp. 184-188). Brown & Benchmark.