Due to the changing demographics of South African organisations after the 1994 elections and the subsequent sub-cultural diversification, the working environment is becoming the primary place where the different South African sub-cultural groups, with their different value systems, are in interaction with each other. The consequent lifting of sanctions exposed South African organisations to globalisation and international competition. This forced managers to improve organisational processes and operations, not only to protect their own domestic markets, but also to become internationally competitive. At the same time, they had to adhere to newly created labour legislation, which dramatically changed the face of the South African labour market. The complex combination of several sub-cultures in the South African work environment can adversely affect organisational effectiveness if not properly understood and managed by effective transformational leaders. The concept of cultural values was used to explore the differences, as well as the similarities, between the various sub-cultural groups in the South African environment. This study examined cultural differences and similarities between 477 junior and middle managers in the financial services sector, who belonged to the four South African sub-cultural groups (Black, Coloured, White, and Indian), and between South African male and female managers. It also investigated whether cultural values change indiscriminately during the acculturation process, or whether certain cultural values, labelled peripheral values, change easier or before other cultural values, labelled core values. Due to the importance of transformational leadership in the work environment, this study also explored the differences and similarities of South African managers on Bass and Avolio’s Full Range Model of Leadership. (Avolio&Bass, 1999; Bass, 1985, 1997). A moderate social constructionist theory was used as a framework for this study, to analyse and describe quantitative results obtained with the various measuring instruments. Firstly, it was found that although there were statistically significant differences between most of the cultural value dimensions of the various sub-cultural groups, not all of these differences were practically significant. Results indicated that these groups could often be clustered together on specific cultural value dimensions, sometimes consisting of a Black, White, and Coloured cluster, sometimes as a Black, Coloured, and Indian cluster, and so forth. Secondly, independent variables other than sub-cultural group, gender, and age also showed practically significant relationships with some of the cultural value dimensions. Thirdly, the results indicated that the cultural values are very stable, even in the dynamic and multi-cultural South African environment, and as such, no core or peripheral values could be identified. Finally, the results also indicated that the transformational-transactional leadership model is cross-culturally endorsed within the South African financial services sector. It pointed out that irrespective of gender, junior or middle management level, age, educational level, number of years full-time work experience, number of years as manager, or having been exposed to formal Western management training, all managers evaluated themselves as more transformational than transactional. / Thesis (PhD (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Psychology / unrestricted

This qualitative study utilized elite, semi-structured interviews of a purposive sample of the first women who became Special Agents and supervisors in the highly gendered Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The historical context for their experiences is significant in light of social and legal mandates for equal opportunity and the increased interest in gender-specific research that took place during the 1970s. Literature relating to feminist perspectives, the integration of women into nontraditional occupations, and the gendered nature of bureaucracy supported the conceptual framework. Guided by educational criticism, four strategies were used recursively: typological analysis was used to define categories of data; interpretive analysis was used to identify patterns and connections in the data; evaluation was used to attach value to the data beyond the participants, and thematics were used to analyze pervasive messages within the data as a whole. Typologies included the choice of nontraditional careers, decision-making, efficacy as leaders, and efforts to negotiate the FBI’s bureaucracy. Three metaphors were used to interpret connections and patterns according to feminist standpoint theory, career self-efficacy theory, and various organizational principles. A Supergirl metaphor highlighted women’s unique knowledge and complex roles; a Target metaphor highlighted complex patterns for high achievement and response to obstacles, and a Clubhouse metaphor highlighted masculine culture, the role of rules, and changes to an organization’s equilibrium. Evaluation analysis addressed the moral obligation for women in leadership and the need for organizational diversity. Themes in the data included occupational pride, the challenge to manage multiple roles, an absence of relationship support, and inconsistency in feminist views.

This qualitative case study was designed to determine the perceptions about female leadership among female faculty and administrators at East Tennessee State University. Participants were asked about the motivating and prohibiting factors (barriers) that affected their leadership capabilities at the institution. They cited motivating factors that led them to optimal performance. These included family support, mentoring practices, affirmative action, collegial working atmosphere, support from the top leadership, and encouragement from their colleagues. The dissertation was also to investigate how female leaders perceived their leadership roles and the factors that enhanced female leadership and the barriers that hindered female leadership at ETSU. The women in this study talked about the impediments or barriers of their upward movement. These included salaries that were lower than those of their male colleagues, stereotyped thinking within the community with biases against females, family chores vis-à-vis work schedules, sexual discrimination, lack of role models, etc. The findings were: (a) Female leadership was uniquely relationship-oriented; (b) female leaders combined work and family and managed the two fairly well; (c) female leaders were more likely to mentor other women but also were often mentored by men; (d) female leaders worked at a more relaxed pace with details in mind and did not have the target of the big picture as a priority; (e) they worked hard to attain the positions previously held by men and are now at par in higher positions both in faculty and administration; (f) they worked hard to surmount the barriers placed in their way as they moved up the ladder in faculty and administrative positions; (g) they volunteered for positions in the staff and faculty senates without considering financial gains; (h) they were the majority in the lower ranks of the administrative ladder of the university and played crucial supportive roles; and (i) their leadership styles were more humanitarian and on the relationship philosophy than were the leadership styles of their male counterparts.

No description available.

This study focused on the challenges female school principals face in managing their schools effectively and the possible strategies to overcome these challenges. Ten schools from Mpumalanga province were purposively selected as research sites. Participants were the school principal and a member of the school management team of each school. Individual interviews with the school principals and an open-ended questionnaire to the school management team members were used to collect data. The findings revealed that a lack of confidence in female leadership with related gender discrimination, a lack of support and respect from staff and the community, and unfair practices with the promotion procedures of women are the main challenges that hamper female leaders in managing their schools well. The fostering of a positive attitude towards female leadership, a strong support system, female leaders empowering themselves and an effort to build good relationships with all stakeholders represent solution strategies. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

La crise qui sévit actuellement au sein du leadership supérieur des Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) ramène au premier plan certaines lacunes structurelles profondes de la culture militaire canadienne. Le peu de représentation féminine parmi les postes clés fait resurgir les questionnements quant aux barrières limitant leur accès. L’objectif de ce mémoire sera d’abord de raconter les parcours de carrières de femmes militaires actives au sein de la Force régulière et d’en cerner les obstacles vécus en fonction du genre. Le matériel empirique puisé à partir des récits de vie permettra ensuite de déterminer l’existence de barrières structurelles pour identifier leur nature, leur construit et leur reproduction. Cette recherche est le produit de 15 entretiens semi-dirigés réalisés auprès de femmes militaires actives de la Force régulière. Elles évoluent distinctement dans les trois éléments des FAC (Marine royale canadienne, Armée canadienne et Aviation royale du Canada) et font carrière dans plus d’une dizaine de métiers différents. Le matériel empirique recueilli a permis de cibler des moments clés de la carrière et d’ensuite procéder à une analyse de croisement des données. Au niveau des parcours de carrière individuels, ce mémoire démontre que la culture normative dominante est issue d’une masculinité hégémonique. Ainsi, les métiers des armes de combat demeurent toujours les plus valorisés de l’organisation, étant ceux par lesquels passe l’ascension vers les rangs supérieurs. Structurellement, les allers-retours entre empirie et théorie ainsi que les interactions entre structure et individualité confirment l’existence de rapports de pouvoir multilatéraux, allant au-delà de la logique top-down de la hiérarchie. Ce multilatéralisme est vécu horizontalement en raison de la culture normative puis verticalement dans la hiérarchisation des rôles de genre et des échanges entre leaders et subordonné·e·s. Combiné aux exigences institutionnelles des FAC, il exacerbe les défis invisibles auxquels les femmes militaires se heurtent dans l’ascension des rangs, notamment en rapport avec la crédibilité minée, la conciliation travail-famille, la posture maternelle et le tokénisme d’être « première femme ». En donnant la parole aux récits de vie et aux parcours de carrières de femmes actuellement en service, ce mémoire contribue à briser l’invisibilité des réalités vécues et d’identifier les barrières structurelles de genre intrinsèque aux FAC. Au niveau empirique, la méthode utilisée contribue à l’avancement des recherches sur les parcours de carrière des femmes militaires des Forces armées canadiennes. Au niveau théorique, la méthode amène de nouvelles perspectives d’analyse complémentaires au féminisme d’État en l’appliquant à une bureaucratie atypique. Les théories mobilisées soulèvent des pistes de solution dans l’élaboration de politiques qui assureraient une meilleure rétention des femmes militaires déjà en poste. La recherche contribue également à la littérature francophone qui traite du leadership militaire féminin et des enjeux de genre dans les FAC. / The current crisis amongst the senior leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) brings to the forefront structural gaps within Canadian military culture more broadly. The paltry representation of women within key posts has resurfaced questions surrounding barriers to entry. The objective of this thesis is primarily to present the career trajectories of Regular Force female members of the military and to highlight the obstacles they face because of their gender. The empirical data taken from these narratives allows for identifying structural barriers, their nature, their construction, and their reproduction. This research is the result of 15 semi-directed in-depth interviews conducted with female members of the military in the Regular Force. These women develop differently according to the three distinct elements of the CAF (Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force) and bear witness to careers lived across more than ten different trades. The empirical data allows for the triangulation of key moments within each woman’s career and to then proceed to crossreferencing. On an individual career level, this thesis shows that the dominant normative culture derives from hegemonic masculinity. Furthermore, trades belonging to the combat arms are still the most valued within the organisation and represent the path to the highest attainable ranks. Structurally, the liaison between theory and empirical practice, and those between structures and individuality confirm the existence of multilateral relationships of power. These relationships go beyond the topdown logic of hierarchy. This multilateralism is lived horizontally because of the normative culture, vertically based on the hierarchization of gender roles, and also amidst the exchanges between leaders and subordinates. Combined with the CAF’s institutional requirements, this exacerbates the invisible challenges which confront women as they climb the ranks, notably with regard to credibility, worklife balance, motherhood, and the tokenism of being the “first woman.” By giving a platform to these narratives from currently serving women, this thesis serves to break invisible lived realities and identify the gendered structural barriers intrinsic to the CAF. On an empirical level, the method used contributes to the advancement of research on the career trajectories of woman in the Canadian Armed Forces. On a theoretical level, the method used applies new analytical perspectives related to state feminism and directs them toward an atypical bureaucracy. The theories discussed within this project upend the current policies which seek to promote retention amongst women already serving. This research also contributes to the body of francophone literature which deals with female military leadership and with gender issues in the CAF.

Teacher attrition in schools is a common and ongoing phenomenon experienced nationally and internationally. Teacher attrition takes place continuously in schools either voluntarily or involuntarily in the form of retirement, resignation, transfer, dismissal, redeployment, ill-health and death, affecting the teaching and learning process in a negative way. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of female principals on teacher attrition. The study was conducted in the public schools of Tshwane West District of Gauteng Province. Transformational leadership theory and ethics of care theory underpinned this qualitative study positioned within the constructivist paradigm. A case study design was used to explore the case of teacher attrition. Purposive sampling was used to select the female principals to participate in this study. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis. Qualitative content analysis was employed for data analysis. The study found that teacher attrition affects schools negatively. It disrupts and destabilises the schools, affecting the morale of the teachers as well as affecting learner performance and discipline as it takes place throughout the academic year. The female principals employ various strategies to address the issue of teacher attrition and to motivate for teacher retention. The study recommended that female principals be empowered to enable them to cope with their role of managing teacher attrition. / Educational Management and Leadership / Ph. D. (Education (Educational Management and Leadership))

Abstract  Background: In Indonesia and around the world, gender discrimination in employment practices is a pervasive and ongoing issue due to gender stereotypes and social norms. Organizations must therefore be aware of their influence, and how they through various stages of the recruitment process can reduce this prejudice. Additionally, organizations need to be conscious about how they can create and sustain an inclusive hiring procedure that leaves no one behind.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore what type of impact recruitment can have in terms of gender equality, equal opportunities and discrimination for working women in Indonesia. Furthermore, to investigate what impact gender stereotypes and social norms in Indonesia have on the recruitment processes in the country.   Method: This study adheres to an inductive approach with a qualitative research method. The empirical findings have been gathered through the conduction of nine interviews with employers at a consultancy company in Indonesia.  Conclusion: The conclusion of this thesis shows that recruitment can have a positive impact for gender equality in Indonesia and that a strategic recruitment process can help to develop gender stereotypes and social norms. However, there is a limit in how much recruitment can act as an equality tool since they do not always hold the final word on who to hire.

Följande examensarbete ämnar undersöka och förmedla en djupare bild av kvinnliga ledares upplevelse av att leda i den svenska bygg- och anläggningsbranschen. Uppsatsen är en kvalitativ studie där åtta kvinnliga ledare djup-intervjuats om deras personliga upplevelser gällande de utmaningar som de navigerat sig genom under sitt avancemang i arbetslivet. Dessa utmaningar är i denna studie uppdelade i fem kategorier för att skapa en tydlighet för läsaren genom uppsatsen. Syftet är att generera en större förståelse för de utmaningar som kvinnliga ledare förhåller sig till, vilket i sin tur kan bidra till att utvecklingen går framåt inom branschen. Samt att undersöka om tidigare forskning kring de metaforer som används för att beskriva dessa utmaningar går att tillämpa på kvinnornas upplevelser av bygg- och anläggningsbranschen. Urvalet till studien omfattar åtta kvinnliga ledare med befattningar som platschef och arbetsledare, där majoriteten av den grupp som de leder består av män. Resultatet av studien visade att tidigare forskning gällande teorin om glaslabyrinten passar in på upplevelserna kvinnorna hade från sina karriärsliv, och andra föregående metaforer anses mindre relevanta i sammanhanget. Inledningsvis uttryckte flertalet av intervjupersonerna att de inte upplevde några svårigheter att leda i branschen. Under intervjuerna uppdagades dock flera faktorer som kvinnorna tidigare inte upplevt som utmaningar, men som författarna till studien tolkar som svårigheter de fått förhålla sig till. Detta uppfattar författarna till uppsatsen vara en del av en copingstrategi för att hantera den rådande kulturen och således bli accepterad och respekterad av sina medarbetare. Dock framkom det i studien att den svenska bygg- och anläggningsbranschen på senare tid haft en positiv utveckling, men för att ytterligare förbättringar ska kunna genomföras behöver dessa utmaningar fortsätta att uppmärksammas i samhället. / This thesis aims to investigate and convey a deeper picture of female leaders' experience of leading in the Swedish construction industry. The essay is a qualitative study in which eight female leaders were interviewed in depth about their personal experiences regarding the challenges they navigated around during their advancement in working life. These challenges are in this study divided into five categories to create clarity for the reader through the essay. The aim is to generate a greater understanding of the challenges that female leaders face, which in turn can contribute to progress in the industry. As well as investigating whether previous research on the metaphors used to describe these challenges can be applied to women's experiences of the construction industry. The sample for the study includes eight female leaders with positions such as site manager and supervisor where the majority of the group they lead consists of men. The results of the study showed that previous research regarding the theory of the glass labyrinth fits the experiences the women had from their career lives and other preceding metaphors are considered less relevant in the context. Initially, the majority of the interviewees expressed that they did not experience any difficulties in leading in the industry. During the interviews, however, several factors were discovered that the women previously did not experience as challenges, but which the authors of the study interpret as difficulties they had to deal with. The authors perceive this to be part of a coping strategy to deal with the prevailing culture and thus be accepted and respected by their employees. However, it emerged in the study that the Swedish construction industry has recently had a positive development, but in order for further improvements to be implemented, these challenges need to continue to be noticed in society.