In the last twenty years, researchers could not fully reach an agreement of whether female and male leaders have similar or dissimilar leadership approaches. Nevertheless, there is a body of research driven with prophecies that women leaders have variant leadership styles.   This research is about women styles in leadership with focus on effective behaviours and qualities, as well as, the developed interpersonal skills adopted by a proportion of women leaders, which have positive impact on subordinates.    The study is conducted to generate my own understanding of some women perceptions of leading in a different way and the vindications of these perceptions. It is based on qualitative methods, deductive and inductive approaches are used for analysis.   Eight interviews was undertaken to complete the study. The interviewees were selected for the reason of being leaders who have experienced and practice leadership throughout their professions.   Last part of the thesis is not a summary of previous chapters but rather testing my fulfilment in answering the strategic main question. I will share my perception of women ways in leading. The reader would be introduced to the latest studies and horizons of the theme under study.

<p>In this study, I explored the experiences of gender and power relations among a group of black women holding leadership positions in six government departments in the Western Cape. South Africa is in a process of transition and, to create a departure from the past, key objectives focus around the transformation of gender disparities and the eradication of racism and other forms of inequality and discrimination in all spheres of this society. There are many methods utilized to increase the number of women in leadership positions in the private and public sectors. However, there is a lack of research regarding the social environment for women once they have entered into these structures (Angevine, 2006). This study made use of a feminist qualitative methodology which guided the research. Six semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted in order to carry out an in-depth exploration of participants&rsquo / experiences. After the participants had given consent, the interviews were audio-recorded, then transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed in accordance with qualitative thematic analysis. All standard ethical considerations to protect the participants and the researcher were taken into account and practised throughout the research. The findings show evidence that black African women leaders in government departments have internalized learnt subservient characteristics / and that this serves to undermine their authority as leaders. Specifically, larger social power relations and traditional forms of authority undermine their capacity to express authority in work environments. They also experience both subtle and blatant racist and sexist prejudice in the form of stereotypes and hostility in the workplace. A minority of women managers actively oppose the gendered notions that undermine their leadership. Ultimately, black African women managers are not accepted or supported as legitimate leaders in the workplace. Women leaders are perceived to be incapable of performing effectively as leaders because of gender and racial stereotypes that serve as hindrances to their expression of leadership. The study found that some participants conform to the socially constructed notion of maintaining a work-life balance and this poses a challenge for such leaders. Those who are married attempt to balance career and life by maximizing on their management of their time. A number of women had made the personal decision to remain single in order to focus explicitly on their careers.</p>

This study explores the life stories of eight women in the South African mining industry; four older women in senior managerial positions and four younger women who have recently acquired a technical mining-related qualification that should place them on the path to management. A major goal was to understand how the women came to their careers in mining, the field being a non-traditional choice for women. The study also aimed to explore how working in a male-dominated industry affected their current life experiences and future aspirations. Life story interviews were conducted to trace the journeys they took to their present positions. The stories collected were then analysed using qualitative thematic analysis through Atlas.ti, to derive patterns in the accounts collected, as well as any differences that may exist between the two groups of women. The results indicate that each woman’s life story is unique. However, significant patterns were found during the analysis. Both the younger and older women were raised in nuclear family structures, consisting of two parents and one or more siblings. Both groups of women also displayed a high affinity towards academics and performed well throughout their basic education years, while displaying a specific interest in the scientific- and technically-related fields. This was then followed by attendance of a higher education institution, with continued high performance. At this point most of the women entered the mining industry, through a bursary from a mining company requiring them to work back the bursary as an employee of the company. The participants all have a high level of ambition and desire to succeed in their respective professions. The results provided insight on how early life and other influences shaped the women’s career choices. Although the participants were diverse in their method of entry into the mining industry and the motivations or factors that have thus far kept them there, their workplace experiences have been similar, even though their reactions to them varied. They faced challenges related to being respected professionals despite their gender, career delays, sacrificing femininity to conform to a masculine environment, and exposure to overt sexual harassment. These challenges and experiences have been a source of growth for some, mainly in the older cohort, and a signal to exit the industry for others, mainly in the younger cohort. This explains to an extent why the technically qualified women-miner statistics have remained stagnant, since half the women are leaving the industry as fast as they are entering. Overall, the results of the research paint a bleak picture of the leadership and professional pipeline for women in mining. The implications of these findings for research and organisations in South Africa are discussed. / Dissertation MCom--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

<p>The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and understand the experiences of superintendent-certified women educators who reside in Indiana and are seeking the position of superintendent. Using a qualitative descriptive design [QDD] and open-ended, in-depth interviewing, I attempted to understand and describe the absence of women superintendents leading Indiana’s public schools. This study allowed me to immerse myself in the lived experiences of current superintendent-certified women educators with the goal of understanding what their job search and leadership experiences meant to them and identify common themes that emerged. The conceptual framework of my qualitative study was based on the ideas that women’s pathways to the superintendency are more complex than men’s and are influenced by both internal and external factors. Four women who aspire to be a superintendent, reside in the state of Indiana, and hold an educator’s license with the content area of District Administrator License: Superintendent were interviewed. Qualitative data was collected through use of synchronous, online, audio and video recorded interviews. The analysis of participants’ responses caused five themes to emerge – geography, family or career, mentors, grooming, leadership is “male”/gender bias. The five themes supported the development of three assertions. As women educational leaders continue their path to advancement and pursue the superintendency, maintaining, and preferably improving, their work-life balance is a requirement. Where a superintendent’s position is located, and how the location of this position may impact perceptions of balancing both family and a career, impacts women educational leaders’ decision making. Women educational leaders’ movement into superintendency is greatly influenced by other educational leaders who are in positions above them.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

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The role of gender on international security has received a great deal of attention. In crucial political arenas, women are conspicuously absent, and this lack of representation permits male interests to take precedence. In 2017, the global average percentage of women in parliament was only 23.3%, a gain of 6.5% over the previous decade. Does the occurrence of violent conflict change when women become leaders or when their participation in parliament increases? There is a varied range of explanations that supports or contradicts the assertion that women in leadership positions lead to less conflict and war. This research aims to evaluate the conduct of female leaders during crises. It is impossible to prove that female pacifism creates a less conflicted system. However, it does contribute to the notion that a women-only leadership would be just as conflicted as the existing patriarchal institutions, albeit in a different manner. The study conducted a desk study research method. It aimed to answer specific questions related to primary research. Secondary research was conducted by looking at already existing secondary data. The obtained data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings suggest that women may have distinct gender values than males due to their different social positions. Women leaders must overcome sex role stereotypes. Women in influential positions may use their experiences as voters and members of society in their policy choices as leaders. The widest gender disparity occurs between men and women in the intellectual core of politics (foreign affairs). This has driven women to favor other paths over foreign policy and war, so we may anticipate female leaders in powerful positions to behave differently than males. / Master of Arts / Gender and its influence on international relations has gained interest worldwide. Notably, women today are few in the political scene. Consequently, male interests are dominant. For example, the number of female parliamentarians has increased slightly over the last few decades. Nevertheless, whether women leaders result in less conflict and war remains a question. This thesis evaluates the conduct of women leaders during conflict and war. According to the findings, the answer as to whether women leaders cause less conflict and war is inconclusive. In fact, just like male leaders, women leaders are just as likely to result in more conflict and war. However, women leaders are faced with specific sex-role stereotypes. Moreover, women leaders are more likely to address social issues based on their experiences. These factors may influence female leaders to behave differently than men.

Although Black women are the most educated group in America, they continue to face baffling complexities on the pathway to leadership and career promotions. This research elicits Black women’s lived experiences to explore how their pathway to leadership and career promotion differs from those of other women of color. Study One focused on expert notions of women's leadership to examine facilitators and barriers that impact pathways to career promotion. It found that mainstream approaches to leadership overemphasized individual actions, excluding the nuances specific to Black women. Study Two explored the experiences of Black executive women more deeply. It found that Black women’s double minority reality led to a greater need for community in the workplace compared to other women of color, who identified mentorship as the more critical factor in answering the research question. Together, Study One and Study Two suggest that organizational culture, community, and individual resilience are critical to Black women’s success as executives. / Business Administration/Interdisciplinary

Ar tikrai moteris-lyderė turi būti maištaujanti feministė? Kyla klausimas, ar mes gerai suprantame, kas yra geras lyderis ir kokios yra jo savybės. Ilgą laiką buvo įprasta įmonės vadovo poste matyti vyrą, kuris elgiasi tarsi karo vadas: griežtai bei užtikrintai. Šiandien lyderiui šių savybių nepakanka, jam keliami ir nauji reikalavimai: grįžtamasis ryšys, paskatinimas ir parama, empatija ir intuicija. Šios savybės paprastai labiau būdingos moterims, tačiau mūsų visuomenėje jos, net ir turėdamos ambicijų pirmauti, rečiau negu vyrai siekia lyderių pozicijos. Moterims pasiekti aukščiausią poziciją yra sunkiau, o priežasčių tam reikia ieškoti visuomenės ir pačių moterų nuostatose. Darbo tikslas: Išnagrinėti moterų lyderystės ypatumus ir įvardinti jų lyderystės sėkmės kriterijus Darbo uždaviniai: 1) Atskleisti šiuolaikinio lyderio sampratą, 2) palyginti moterų ir vyrų lyderystės ypatumus, 3) išryškinti moterų lyderystės sėkmės veiksnius, 4) išnagrinėti Lietuvos verslininkių lyderystės bruožus, 5) nustatyti Lietuvoje verslą kuriančių moterų lyderystės sėkmės veiksnius. Tyrimo metodai: 1) mokslinės literatūros analizė ir apibendrinimai, 2) pusiau struktūrizuotas interviu. Atlikta literatūros analizė parodė, kad mokslininkai neturi vieningos nuomonės dėl lyčių skirtumų lyderystės kontekste. Dauguma atliktų tyrimų parodė, kad vyrams yra labiau būdingas transakcinis lyderystės stilius, o moterims – transformacinis. Sėkmingos moterims lyderėms yra būdinga: bendradarbiavimas, kitų žmonių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Is woman leader always a rebellious feminist? There’s a question about understanding of a true leader and his characteristics. For a long time it was normal to see a man at manager‘s position, acting like a war hero: strictly and firmly. For a modern leader it is not enough! He is required to show feedback, support and empowerment, empathy and intuition. These characteristics are often found in daily behavior of women, but still in our society women do not show enough ambitions to seek for leading positions. It is more difficult to reach a top position for a woman than a man. Why? We need to look for reasons in our society and inside women thinking. The purpose: to analyze characteristics of women leadership and determine key success factors of their leadership success. The tasks: 1) Reveal the concept of modern leadership, 3) Compare peculiarities of female and male management; 3) Determine key success factors of female leadership; 4) Analyze leadership characteristics of Lithuanian women entrepreneurs; 5) Specify key success factors of leadership of Lithuanian women entrepreneurs. Research methods: 1) Analysis of academic literature, 2) Semi-formal interview. Analysis of academic literature showed that academics do not have a common opinion about sex differences in the context of leadership. Most researches show that men often demonstrate transactional style of leadership and women prefer transformational. Successful women leaders have some things in common: cooperation... [to full text]

I den här studien har vi studerat ledarskap med koppling till genus, genom att studera tidigare forskning och sedan jämföra med det empiriska materialet genom intervjuer hos ledare. Intresset för det valda ämnesområdet uppmärksammades när vi genom statistik jämförde antalet manliga ledare med kvinnliga. Detta påvisade att det råder ojämställdhet mellan könen i antalet ledarskapsbefattningar. Därför valde vi att undersöka ämnesområdet ur flera aspekter för att skapa oss en uppfattning till den bakomliggande anledningen där manliga ledare besitter fler ledarskapspositioner än kvinnliga. Det finns mängder med forskning kring skillnader mellan manligt och kvinnligt ledarskap, det som skiljer denna studie från resterande är att vi utgår ifrån ledarskap hos män och kvinnor för att undersöka om ledarskap har ett bakomliggande genus. Detta genom att studera ledarskap med hänsyn till genusperspektivet där vi framhäver jämställdhet, ledarskap, egenskaper, föreställningar, maktpositioner samt kvinnliga och manliga ledarroller. I denna studie använder vi oss av en kvalitativ metod, nämligen djupintervjuer. För att denna metod anser vi vara relevant för rapporten då vi strävar efter djup och innehållsrik data. Vidare presenterar vi under vår teoretiska referensram tidigare forskning och teorier i form av vetenskapliga artiklar och avhandlingar. Teman som framhävs under den teoretiska referensramen är ledarskap, ledarskapsstilar, manligt och kvinnligt ledarskap, genusperspektivet på ledarskap samt stereotyper. Därefter presenterar vi i det empiriska avsnittet vår insamlade data i form av utförda intervjuer på sex olika ledare, varav tre manliga och tre kvinnliga. Där delar respondenterna med sig av sina tidigare erfarenheter samt uppfattningar kring ämnet. Efter att studerat tidigare forskning och intervjuat ledare inom olika ledarskapsbefattningar diskuterar vi under analys och tolkning, teori och empiri där vi jämför, tolkar och framhäver egna åsikter kring det valda ämnesområdet. Detta för att redogöra för en slutsats och besvara forskningsfrågan. Efter genomförd undersökning där vi tagit del av ledares erfarenheter och föreställningar och jämfört med tidigare forskning drar vi slutsatsen om att ledarskap inte direkt har ett bakomliggande genus. Det visar sig att ledarskap är personlighetsbaserat där det skiljer i egenskaper, värderingar och attityder. Detta för att vi är olika som individer och värderar olika. Samtidigt använder sig både manliga och kvinnliga ledare av egenskaper som klassas maskulint respektive feminint. Vi kan dock inte förneka att män av biologiska skäl har ett kroppsspråk och egenskaper som ger en bild av manlig dominans inom ledarskap till skillnad från kvinnor. / In this study, we have chosen to study leadership in reference to the gender perspective, by studying earlier made researches on this subject and comparing it to the empirical part through interviews with leaders. The underlying interest in the chosen subject was highlighted when we compared the number of male leaders with women, through statistics. This showed that there is gender imbalance in the number of leadership positions. Therefore, we chose to investigate in this subject area from several aspects in order to create a vision of the underlying reason why male leaders possess more leadership positions than women. There are numbers of research on differences between male and female leadership, what distinguishes this report from the rest is that our main focus is on leadership in men and women to examine whether leadership has an underlying gender or not. This by studying leadership with regard to the gender perspective, where we emphasize gender equality, leadership, characteristics, power positions but also female and male leadership roles. In this study, we are using a qualitative method through interviews. This is due to the fact that we consider this method as relevant for the report as we strive for deep and comprehensive data. Furthermore, we present previous research and theories in the form of scientific articles and dissertations under our theoretical frame of references. Themes that are highlighted in the theoretical part are leadership, leadership styles, male and female leadership, gender perspective on leadership and stereotypes. In addition to that we also present in the empirical part our collected data from the interviews that are conducted on six different managers, whereas three are men and three are women. There the respondents share their previous experiences and perceptions about the subject. After studying previous research and the responses from the interviewed leaders, we discuss in the analysis and interpretation part the theory and the empirical data. Through this, we compare, interpret and emphasise our own opinions about the chosen subject area. This will lead us to a result that can answer our research question. After examining leaders' experiences and perceptions in relation to previous research, we conclude that leadership does not directly have an underlying gender. It turns out that leadership is based on personalities rather than gender, because it differs in characteristics, values and attitudes. This because we are different as individuals and we value differently. Furthermore, to strengthen this conclusion it has been presented that both male and female leaders use qualities that are classified as either masculine or feminine, with that said they use each other'squalities. However, we cannot deny that men for biological reasons have a body language and characteristics that creates the picture of male dominance in leadership, unlike females.

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