Leadership and Gender

Presented by:Crystal GordonJennifer Jantz

Jessica MendezUniversity of Southern California School of Social Work

Professor Eva ReinaSOWK 611

March 26, 2016

Gender Styles & Effectiveness

Differences• Women less likely to:

– Self-promote– initiate negotiation

• Women more likely to use:– Democratic (participative)– Transformational styles

Similarities• Men & women equally

effective leaders• Both more effective when

leadership role is congruent with their gender

• Both equally committed to employment roles & motivated to attain leadership roles

Northouse, P. G. (2015). Women and Leadership In Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed. Chapter 15, pp. 401-408). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Gender Differences

WOMEN• More likely to use

– Positive reward based incentives

• More likely to receive– backlash for adopting

masculine traits• Exceed men on culturally

feminine components– Support & mentoring

• Promote public good more

MEN• More likely to use

– Negative threat based incentives

• May not accept – Transformational leadership

from women

Eagly, A. H. (2013). WOMEN AS LEADERS: Leadership Style Versus Leaders’ Values and Attitudes. Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/conferences/2013-w50-research-symposium/Documents/eagly.pdf

Glass Ceiling/Labyrinth

• In recent years, the predicament of female leaders is improving but there is still a long way to go.

• Keep in mind: women earn 57% of the bachelor’s degrees, 60% of the master’s degrees, and over 50% of the doctorial degrees

• Half of all management and professional positions and a quarter of all CEO positions are occupied by women.

• But, less than 17% of top positions with Fortune 500 companies and only 20% of US congress are women

Glass Ceiling/Labyrinth

• The “invisible barrier” that does not allow women to rise above a certain leadership level was termed the “glass ceiling” in 1986.

• Those who feel this is not an accurate portrayal prefer “leadership labyrinth,” which implies a journey of challenges.

• Both terms refer to the global issue of a gender gap with women disproportionately relegated to lower-level and lower-authority leadership positions compared to men.

Glass Ceiling/Labyrinth

• Three types of explanations for the gender gap have been offered:

1) Gender DifferencesStyle and EffectivenessCommitment and MotivationSelf-PromotionNegotiationTraits

2) Human Capital EducationWork ExperienceDevelopmental OpportunitiesWork-Home conflict

3) PrejudiceGender StereotypesBiased Perception and EvaluationsVulnerability and ReactanceCross Pressures

Glass Ceiling/Labyrinth

• Successful navigation of the labyrinth is increasing because:– Changes in workplace norms & development opportunities for women– Greater gender equity in domestic responsibilities– Greater negotiation power of women (work/home balance)– Effectiveness and predominance of women-owned businesses– Changes in the incongruity between women and leadership.

Glass Ceiling/Labyrinth Example• The Institute for Women’s Policy Research ranks Louisiana 49th

for equal pay, women’s overall earning potential, and labor force participation

•Louisiana women earn $0.667 for every $1 a man earns.

•Nationally, women earn $0.78 for every $1 a man earns.

Glass Ceiling/Labyrinth Example• Based on current trends, Louisiana women will see equal

pay in 2106.

• Nationally, the projection is 2058.

• Women employed full-time in Louisiana earn a median annual wage of $32,000 compared for $48,000 for men.

Success Navigation of the Labyrinth

• The key to organizational success is acknowledging and trying to understanding the dynamics of leadership and gender.

• It is about equal opportunity and diversity!

Closing the Gap at a micro level

Changes in individual and interpersonal levels • The role of prejudice and appropriate gender roles in society

beginning at childhood• Children develop their gender identity by age 3• According to Fiske (2008), people appreciate girls cuteness

and boys achievements, toys, sports, and clothes are gender specific

• People need to adopt behaviors such as individualism and interpersonal motivation to overcome biases.

• Women use of effective negotiation (at work and home) to augment their leadership advancement

Closing the Gap at a Macro Level

Changes in organizational and societal levels• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1995 76% of

women between 25-54 worked outside the home.• 47% of white women and women of color make up the

workplace• In a societal level, with more female presence in the workplace

structural changes in distribution of child rearing and domestic duties need to made

Case Studies

Women can no longer be discriminated in the workplace, however it comes with a price.

• The amount of time fathers spend with their children under 13 on workdays has increased from 2-3 three hours

• At the same time, the amount of time mothers spend with their children under 13 on workdays has remained constant at an average of 3.8 hours.

Thus, mothers still spend significantly more time per workday, caring for their children than fathers.

Child Care

Case Studies ContinuedCooking

• The percentage of women who say they do most of the cooking has dropped from 75% in 1992 to 67% in 2008

• The percentage of men who report they do most or an equal share of cooking has increased substantially since 1992, from 34% to 55% in 2008

Cleaning • While a significantly larger percentage of men say they are involved in

cleaning responsibilities in 2008 (53%) than in 1992 (40%), women do not report any change over that period.

• Working mothers do 20 hours of housework each week, compared to working fathers, who do 10.

The more things change…• Rather than blaming each other for the situation, men and

women are increasingly willing to work together to learn about their new roles. Successful marriage partners learn to negotiate and share tasks. Managers take employees aside and tell them when comments are inappropriate. It will take time to sort out all the implications of the changing gender roles of Americans, but new expectations should result in better workplaces, better relationships, better schools, and better lives.

References Eagly, A. H. (2013). WOMEN AS LEADERS: Leadership Style Versus Leaders’ Values and

Attitudes. Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/conferences/2013-w50-research-symposium/Documents/eagly.pdf

Galinsky, E., Aumann, K., & Bond, J. (2008). Times are changing: Gender and generation at work and at home. Retrieved from http://familiesandwork.org/site/research/reports/Times_Are_Changing.pdf

Larino, J. (March 13, 2015). Equal Pay For Louisiana Women Still A Century Away. The Times-Picayune. Retrieved from www.nola.com

Northouse, P. G. (2015). Women and Leadership In Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed. Chapter 15, pp. 401-408). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage