Forskning har länge bedrivits inom området gällande kvinnors hinder att nå högre chefspositioner. Könsroller, stereotypiska egenskaper, kategoriseringar och negativa attityder tycktes vara centrala i problematiken. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka hur högskolestudenter skattade sina attityder till kvinnor som chefer (n = 193, varav 124 kvinnor). En vinjettstudie med experimentell mellangruppsdesign genomfördes där materialet analyserades med tvåvägs ANOVOR för oberoende mätningar. Resultatet visade att kvinnliga högskolestudenter hade en signifikant mer positiv attityd till kvinnor som chefer jämfört med manliga högskolestudenter. Det påvisades även en signifikant skillnad i skattad attityd till kvinnor som chefer beroende på läst vinjett där kvinnliga högskolestudenter skattade kvinnor som chefer mer positivt efter att ha läst en vinjett om en kvinna som chef. Dock hade utbildning inom beteendevetenskapliga ämnen ingen signifikant inverkan på skattad attityd. Slutsatsen blev att kvinnor som chefer skattades mer positivt än förväntat, och att det tycks ha skett en attitydförändring.

Studien ämnar undersöka hur kvinnliga projektledare inom konsultbranschen hanterar stereotypa könsbaserade förväntningar i sin yrkesroll. Mycket pekar på att denna bransch har formats av manliga värderingar och det kan därför förväntas att kvinnor som är projektledare upplever att de behöver agera på specifika sätt för att hantera detta och öka sin legitimitet som projektledare. Därför var syftet med denna studie att beskriva hur kvinnliga projektledare hanterar könsroller och stereotypisering i sin yrkesroll genom att intervjua fyra kvinnliga projektledare. Från intervjuerna framkom det att kvinnorna upplevde att det fanns vissa fördomar och förväntningar relaterade till kvinnligt ledarskap som de behövde hantera i sitt arbete. Resultatet från intervjuerna användes sedan för att bygga upp en ny modell som förklarar hur kvinnliga projektledare hanterar stereotypisering. Baserat på intervjuerna blev slutsatsen att kvinnorna hanterade könsbaserade förväntningar på tre olika sätt. Genom maktsträvan, påverkan och rollanpassning.

Kvinnligt ledarskap har studerats under årtionden och en av de mest inflytelserika teoriernaom synen på kvinnliga ledare är “Role Congruity Theory”. Enligt detta ramverköverensstämmer inte kvinnliga könsnormer med normen om ledarskap, vilket påverkarkvinnors möjligheter att bli chefer. Eftersom dessa normer verkar ha förändrats över tid, finnsdock möjligheten att de olika normerna har blivit mer överensstämmande på senare tid. Dennastudie undersöker därför kvalitativt förutsättningar och normer om ledarskap som påverkarkvinnors möjligheter att bli chefer i Sverige idag. Studien baseras på kvinnornas personligaerfarenheter och data har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer som har analyseratsgenom induktiv tematisk analys. Denna metod hittar konkreta exempel på hur sådanaförutsättningar och normer kan se ut i praktiken och abstraherar dem till kategorier. Studiensresultat indikerar både för- och nackdelar för kvinnors förutsättningar på arbetsmarknaden,där upplevelsen om stöd från omgivningen och av att ha samma förutsättningar som sinamanliga kollegor identifierats som fördelar. Vissa gamla strukturer som begränsat kvinnorsmöjligheter att bli chefer lever emellertid kvar. Resultatet belyser också att ett skifte verkar haskett i synen på ledarskap där ett mer demokratiskt och mellanmänskligt ledarskap bliviteftertraktat, vilket utifrån tidigare forskning är egenskaper som är förenliga med kvinnligakönsnormer. Eftersom den nya synen på ledarskap är mer förenlig med kvinnliga egenskaper,indikerar resultaten att kvinnliga könsnormer och normer om ledarskap är mer kongruentaidag. Fortsatta studier behövs dock för att uppskatta i vilken grad detta generaliserar till enbredare samhällsnivå. Studien diskuterar både teoretiska och praktiska implikationer.

This research qualitatively investigates the activities that female Bangladeshi entrepreneurs perform to become successful in their ventures with the support of microfinancing. Microfinancing is a loan transfer of a small amount to a small business borrower who lacks access to commercial banking services and has significantly assisted entrepreneurs. Microfinancing has a positive socio-economic impact on those females who do not have access to traditional banking. In-depth research concerning factors affecting the entrepreneurial intention of females remains relatively scarce. This research examined entrepreneurial work characteristics that assist female entrepreneurs in becoming successful. Based on interviews with 34 female entrepreneurs from the five regions (Dhaka, Tangail, Manikganj, Gazipur, and Cumilla) of Bangladesh between the ages of 27 to 70, this study sought to identify the significant categories of start-up companies related to the development of entrepreneurship among the rural women borrowers through microfinancing (microcredit program). Specifically, this study examined obstacles faced by females of Bangladesh and explored how they overcame those barriers and became successful small business entrepreneurs. A grounded theory approach was used to categorize critical obstructions and facilitating factors, and role congruity theory helped inform the nature of the emerging categories. The top five types of businesses found in this study were room renting, retail store, vegetable business, tailoring business, and livestock farm. The following nine themes emerged from analysis as vital factors influencing the nature and outcome of the small business ventures: 1) the amount of microloan fund, 2) changes in business categories, 3) employees, 4) training and business issues, 5) advantages of microfinancing, 6) disadvantages of microfinancing, 7) sholo shiddhanto (16-decisions), 8) potential unique obstacles, and 9) perceived success.Most importantly, a wide range of advantages was documented. From a role congruity theory perspective, this suggests that microfinancing allows the women to operate their small businesses in a manner that will enable them to maintain high congruity or fit with their family roles and other lifestyle requirements. The findings of this study assisted with a further understanding of this new phenomenon of microfinance entrepreneurial work. This study also illustrates areas needing additional review and research by exploring and deciphering how perceptions and conventions interplay with the specific challenges the women entrepreneurs of Bangladesh face. Theoretical and practical implications for how stories about women entrepreneurs can benefit organizational decision making are also discussed.

Women continue to be underrepresented in superintendent roles in public schools. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of women superintendents regarding the professional and personal factors that impacted their ability to be promoted to the position of superintendent in Texas public school districts. I applied role congruity theory (RCT) to participants' shared stories to ascertain how their promotion to the superintendency was affected by gender-related role stereotypes. Based on that lens, my findings revealed that every woman believed both formal and informal mentorship and networking opportunities were critical factors in being promoted to the superintendency and their continued success in that role; they perceived they had control over deciding how to balance family and work-life, they agreed they needed to have a supportive family; they perceived that hard work was directly correlated to promotion to or success in the superintendency, more so than gender. While each of the women may have experienced gender-related issues in their career, none perceived that gender-related issues impacted their ability to be promoted. Most of my participants said the career path they followed was a factor, and suggested that other women should be strategic about which superintendent position they should accept. As a result of my findings, I make recommendations that should be offered to women who want to pursue the superintendency and for future research.

No description available.

Brand loyalty in a gaming context takes many forms, including conscious selection of brand, intention of game continuation, positive word of mouth, recommendation, or even active recruitment. As games can be played multiple times, player loyalty is essential to fostering an on-going relationship between brand and consumer. This study focuses on the theory of self-congruity, the congruence between one’s self-concept and one’s perception of a brand’s personality, and its impact on brand loyalty in the gaming industry, a market that has grown exponentially in recent years. Through 31 in-depth interviews, the initial qualitative research explores self-congruity (actual, ideal, social, and ideal social) and its relationship to the gaming environment and how that impacts brand loyalty. The findings of the first study demonstrated: 1. congruity between the player and game character, rather than the game itself, 2. the deeply personal approach to character design, and 3. the feeling of immersion in the game’s narrative. Based on the initial study findings, the second study was developed to incorporate flow theory that describes the nature of feeling fully immersed within the game. A conceptual model was created to integrate self-congruity and flow theories and their impact on brand loyalty. The model was then tested through 512 respondents of a self-reported survey. Results supported prior researchers’ findings, such as the relationships between player-character identification and flow as well as flow and loyalty. Yet, we found that ideal congruity may be a stronger indicator of loyalty as mediated through flow, while actual congruity may in fact inhibit the relationship. The results of this research provide a theoretical contribution by adding self-congruity theory to the flow and loyalty body of knowledge in the gaming space. Furthermore, the self-congruity measurement model provides an alternative measurement method to the previous player-character identification model. From a managerial perspective, the study results support an approach to game design that encourages character design suited to players’ ideal selves rather than mimicking their actual, “real world” selves. / Business Administration/Marketing

Are men and women equally likely to be perceived by people to possess similar requisite characteristics in comparable yet diverse occupations within management, leadership, and entrepreneurship? Because modern workplaces continue to be impacted by the persistence of varying perceptions of men and women about requisite attributes of successful people in several organizational roles, the concept of gender bias and occupational stereotypes has warranted the attention of theoreticians, scholars, and practitioners to a large extent (Koch, D’Mello, & Sackett, 2015; Kuwabara & Thébaud, 2017; Pinker, 2003; Pinker & Spelke, 2005). Although empirical evidence clearly indicates that gender inequalities in the workplace can have a significant effect on peoples’ perceptions about different characteristics of individuals in general and in specific organizational roles, there is a paucity of research examining these perceptions in a variety of leadership positions. Previous literature has investigated the gendered construction and re-construction of these professions but only to a limited extent (Gupta, Turban, Wasti, & Sikdar, 2009; Heilman, 2001, 2012; Heilman, Wallen, Fuchs, & Tamkins, 2004; Koenig, Eagly, Mitchell, & Ristikari, 2011; Kuwabara & Thébaud, 2017; Ryan, Haslam, Hersby, & Bongiorno, 2011; Schein, 1973, 1975, 2001). However, research in years past has not yet examined the full range of industry and entrepreneurial contexts that may create gender typecasting of roles. By extension, the current study focuses on how the gender-differentiated perceptions of men and women influenced the requisite characteristics of successful professional personnel in various managerial, leadership, and entrepreneurial positions. Specifically, given that these professions are influenced by gender-role expectations and stereotypes, this empirical investigation drew from role congruity theory of prejudice (Eagly & Karau, 2002) to examine the relative degree of perceived overlap between the traits associated with specific roles in management, leadership, and entrepreneurship with the traits commonly associated with men and women in general. Primary data were obtained from a diverse sample of 600 (12 x 50) working adults in the United States (N = 600, 300 women, 300 men) between the ages of 21 and 65. This was accomplished using an online survey designed via Qualtrics and administered through Amazon’s MTurk, from the lens of the classic think manager-think male (TMTM) research paradigm (Schein, 1973, 1975, 2001). The instrument used for data collection was the 92-item Schein Descriptive Index (SDI), which was used to describe sex role stereotypes and perceived requisite characteristics of twelve distinct target groups. The results of this study indicate that the perceived requisite traits of successful leaders and entrepreneurs are construed in predominantly masculine terms. These findings support and further inform the nature, existence, significance, and persistence of the “think manager-think male stereotype effect” (TMTM effect) and the “glass ceiling phenomenon” across a variety of managerial, leadership, and entrepreneurial roles, contexts, and industries. The TMTM effect was stronger among high tech entrepreneurs, CEOs, and entrepreneurs in general, whereas it was lessened for entrepreneurs in educational and health care roles, as well as for middle managers. Additionally, consistent with prior research, TMTM effects were generally either more likely to occur, or were stronger in magnitude among male raters than among female raters. These results largely support role congruity theory of gender differences in management and leadership that indicate incongruity of female gender stereotypes in general with stereotypes about high-status and prominent occupational roles in various organizations (Eagly & Karau, 2002). Specifically, the perceived trait overlap was noted to generally be stronger between men in general and successful leaders in various roles than that between women in general and successful leaders in various similar roles. The findings of the current study are expected to be valuable for those seeking to encourage opportunity regardless of candidate gender in management, entrepreneurship, and leadership, as well as for those promoting the role of women’s advancement in these professions. The study’s results have both theoretical and practical implications. Understanding these perceptions can have a significant impact on the gender biases prevalent in society, in organizations, and even across the specific entrepreneurial contexts and industries investigated within the current study. In today’s super-competitive business environment, firms must appreciate the importance of fostering equal opportunity, avoiding gender biases, and facilitating racial and ethnic diversity.

No description available.

The full text will be available at the end of the embargo: 10th April 2027