Chapter 15: Gender and Leadership

  1. How do popular press authors and academic researchers differ in their reporting of gender issues and leadership for women?
    1. Popular press authors and academic researchers differ in their reporting of gender issues and leadership for women because academic researchers say that gender has almost no relation to the effectiveness of a leader. Popular press authors argue that in some situations female leadership is more effective.
  2. Describe women’s current representation in political and corporate leadership positions.
    1. Women’s current representation in political and corporate leadership positions have substantially increased throughout the year. Woman are now running for office and winning. They are also becoming CEO, CFO, and COO in companies and are also starting their own companies. A huge movement toward women’s rights and equal pay has helped this transformation greatly.
  3. Explain the organizational barriers that put women at a disadvantage for promotion, including corporate culture and the pipeline theory.
    1. Glass cliff refers to men being given better positions and positions of higher risk because people believe women would not be able to handle them. The Pipeline theory states that woman do not have that much human capital compared to men. This barrier is due to the fact that woman have less work experience, have household duties, and have to undergo childbearing. Corporate culture says that since woman take maternity leave when they have children they are less likely to be promoted in the future. The glass ceiling means that the company claims that everyone has an equal opportunity to be promoted except that woman tend to only get promoted until a certain level.
  4. Explain the results of meta-analyses on gender and leadership style.
    1. The results of meta-analyses on gender and leadership style were that women lean more towards leading democratically because they were being criticized by men of being too masculine if they did not lead their followers this way.
  5. Describe the research results of gender and transformational leadership and how these might differ for women and men.
    1. The research results of gender and transformational leadership and how these might differ for women and men are that woman are found to be more transformational than men are. The problem that occurs is that the effectiveness of female leaders dwindles when the male subordinates devalue them.
  6. Explain research results on gender and leadership effectiveness.
    1. Research results on gender and leadership effectiveness by showing that gender did not play that much effect men and woman are on an equal playing field. However, what would affect woman is how people view their gender.
  7. What reasons are offered in the chapter for men’s advantages in leadership?
    1. Some reasons are offered in the chapter for men’s advantages in leadership is based on stereotyping, prejudices, female gender roles and subordinate devaluing.
  8. Explain the value of informal networks and mentoring relationships.
    1. The value of informal networks and mentoring relationships are that they are very valuable. The reason for that is because they perform or when they try to go out and network they are seen as less hirable or less attractive. This means that they have a mentor support them and will help them network is very important for woman to be successful.
  9. What reasons are given in the chapter for a likely future increase in the number of women in higher leadership roles?
    1. Some reasons are given in the chapter for a likely future increase in the number of women in higher leadership roles are that it increases flexibility for them and it creates more diversity in the workplace. Another organizational change is that it increased female mentorship and prominence in high ranking positions. Another reason is that teaching boys that they can also have household responsibilities will allow for woman to be able to attain leadership roles.
  10. How might gender differences in leaders’ values affect their company’s philanthropy and sense of social responsibility?
    1. Gender differences in leaders’ values affect their company’s philanthropy and sense of social responsibility by letting woman be able to be involved more instead of using stereotyping to not let them do something. It also means that it should not limit woman’s ability to be promoted and it should allow woman to be promoted past a further level than they originally were able to.
  11. What is intersectionality?
    1. Intersectionality is the nature of social categorizations such as race, class and gender, these apply to individuals or groups and are created to overlap. This term is negative because it deals with discriminations and disadvantages.
  12. What are strengths of research on gender dynamics in leadership?
    1. Some of the strengths of research on gender dynamics in leadership are that there is a good amount of knowledge that goes into gender and leadership that allows for better representation. There is also a good amount of understanding of gender. This creates a better understanding of leadership. Another strength is that there is a good amount of knowledge that allows for facts and the truth to be uncovered about gender gaps. The last one is that is allows for an effective strategy to be made.
  13. What are criticisms of research on gender dynamics in leadership?
    1. Some criticisms of research on gender dynamics in leadership are that it is not handled on its own because it is not considered to be in unison of leadership and diversity. Another criticism is that there are gender gaps that should be addressed and most of the research done is in the western context.

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