Women as Leaders: A Question of Style

By John K. Allen, Ed.D. & Betsy Gibson Psy.D.

Work force demographics have changed significantly as more and more women have entered the labor market. Statistics indicate that by the late 1980s at least 50% of married women worked outside of the home. As more and more women moved into the work place a percentage of them also moved into positions of leadership. But how are the differences between men and women expressed in leadership style?

We know both intuitively and from research that men and women differ psychologically. Women tend to be more friendly, interested in other people, socially sensitive, and more expressive than men. But do these differences come out on the job? And if so, how?

Because of these differences women may enter the work place with a different set of skills or predispositions than men. Based on these differences many believe that “women managers are nurturing.” or “men are more aggressive managers than women”. Now research evidence is accumulating which sheds light on the real differences between men and women in leadership style and on whether or not these differences translate into differences in managerial effectiveness.

Psychologist Alice Eagley (1995) and her colleagues at Purdue University reviewed the scientific research on gender differences in leadership style, leadership effectiveness, subordinate satisfaction and other factors. Overall, they found that in 92% of the reports women lead in a more democratic and participatory way than men and are slightly more concerned with morale and social relationships than men. This finding supports the theory that women leaders are more relationship oriented than men.

However, many of these studies were conducted in laboratories or with college student subjects. Eagley and her colleagues found that when studies were conducted in real organizational settings using real managers there were no differences between women and men in their tendencies to be task versus interpersonally oriented. This may be due to the kinds of women who are selected into leadership positions. Or perhaps the social norms and rules that govern corporate behavior lead women to shape and temper their natural style.

As a number of writers have pointed out, the successful leader is one who can adapt his or her leadership style to the particular needs of the individuals for whom he or she is responsible. Perhaps successful leaders of both sexes are capable of being task oriented and relationship oriented, not primarily one or the other.

In our own study of small business owners conducted with colleagues from the State University of New York at Albany Karyn A. Loscocco, Joyce Robinson and Richard H. Hall and published in Social Forces (1991) we found that men and women business owners operate in virtually the same manner. Perhaps successful women managers in organizations have learned how to be more task oriented than the majority of women while successful male managers have learned how to be more relationship oriented than the majority of men.

Eagley’s research team found no overall sex differences in leader effectiveness. In fact, employees are actually more satisfied with women leaders. However, they tend to rate men as abler leaders.

Given appropriate training, education, and experience, women emerge as effective leaders across all organizational roles and industry types. Organizations that provide sufficient opportunity for women’s emergence as leaders are amply rewarded for their efforts. Stereotypes may persist however. Recent research suggests that women who succeed in traditionally male-dominated fields like engineering or finance may be viewed more negatively than their male counterparts.

Organizations wishing to facilitate the development of women leaders should identify individuals who have generic management skills and provide opportunities that will allow these skills to develop. Certain jobs and experiences within the organization have more development opportunity than others. Finally, organizations should reward those managers who develop leaders of all genders.

References

Eagley, AH, Karau, S.J., Makhijani, M. Gender and the effectiveness of leaders: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin (1995), 117 (1), 125-145.

© 2007 West Falmouth Associates. All rights reserved.

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