This study aims to explore strengths and challenges in an all-female executive team. The subject of female executive teams is relatively unexplored, why the study contributes with a new perspective on the dynamics and processes occurring in an all-female executive team. 45-minute interviews were conducted with each member of the group, which consists of five women between the age of 50 and 61. Together they constitute an executive team in a Swedish organization. A thematic analysis was conducted and four themes were identified, as follows: openness, respect, inefficient processes and homogeneity. In general, the group is perceived to be well-functioning, and they consistently emphasize positive qualities within their group. Among other things, they talk about an open climate, absence of prestige and express care for each other. To some extent, the group is homogeneous. This makes them at risk of groupthink and missing perspectives, although there is no indication in the interviews that this is occurring. They do however express a lack of time and strategic work, deficiencies in structure and to some extent a too large need for control. The study’s findings are discussed in relation to previous research on power structures, gender studies and group development. At last, suggestions are given for further studies to explore whether it is the gender composition or the women's personalities that make the group so well-functioning.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:sh-53422 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Andersson, Lina |
| Publisher | Södertörns högskola, Institutionen för samhällsvetenskaper |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
Page generated in 0.0026 seconds