To the staff of the Graduate School of Business for their support and guidance throughout the duration of the MBA program. The research was conducted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) to better understand the differences in leadership styles and the important role gender plays in leadership. The aim of the study was to highlight gender differences in leadership styles, gender discrimination, breaking the 'glass ceiling' and the stereotyping of male and female leaders.
The objective of this study was to determine if there were any differences in leadership styles based on demographics, perceptions, and past research. A striking feature of this study is that, while participants still prefer to be led by a male leader, the majority of participants felt that there were no differences in the leadership styles of men and women and that the gender of their manager had no effect. on their performance at work.
List of Tables
CHAPTER ONE Introduction
- Introduction
- Background, rationale and purpose of the Study
- Background
- Motivation for the study
- Focus of the study
- Objectives of the Study
- Research Questions
- The value of the study
- A brief discussion of the literature review
- Research Methodology
- Pilot Study
- Limitations of the Study
- Ethical Clearance
- Summary
In order to fulfill the objectives of the study, the perceptions and preferences of the participants were examined. This chapter will provide an overview of the research problem and its background, and the context in which the research was conducted. The objective and purpose of the study and research methodology will be explained.
The last chapter summarizes the research in terms of objectives, expected results of the study and conclusions. This chapter focused on the motivation of the study, highlighted the aims of the study and the key questions guiding this study.
CHAPTER TWO Literature Review
- Introduction
- Leadership
- Different leadership styles
- Evolution of leadership theory
- Transactional and transformational leadership
- Male leadership as opposed to female leadership
- Gender
- Gender differences in organisational behaviour
- Gender not the determinant of leadership style
- Stereotyping
- Gender stereotyping
- Gender stereotypes and leadership
- Summary
According to Eagly and Johannesen-Schmidt, leadership styles of men and women provide a pattern in the design of the organization, mostly reflecting the influence of gender stereotypes. According to Vinnicombe and Singh (2002), studies have shown that men and women who are in high-level leadership roles were perceived as being educated and masculine and. According to Burgess and Borgida (1999) and Eagly (1987) as cited by Bowles and McGinn (2008:8), gender stereotypes of female leaders are based on society's perceptions of women.
According to Heilman (1997) cited by Sikdar and Mitra (2009:3), men and women have characteristics that determine which career is suitable for them. According to Catalyst (2005:3), organizations overlook women in leadership roles due to gender stereotypes.
Chapter Three
- Introduction
- Research Study
- Research Study
- Sampling
- Reliability and Validity of the questionnaire
- Data Analysis
- Summary
This study examines women in organizations and how the challenges that have affected their employment, their promotion and the level of respect, command their respect from their peers both male and female. According to Mertens 1998:253, sampling "refers to the method used to select a certain number of people or things from a population". A key area of concern with sampling is the validity and interpretations of findings and the generalizability of findings to people in society (Shavelson, 1988).
The sample size of this study was 4361 as there were 4361 permanent employees currently employed at UKZN at the time the study was undertaken. Non-probability sampling is not random, rather, a person is selected based on some characteristic, such as being in the right place at the right time is called an appropriate sample, (CDC PPS Module, 2006). The actual response consisted of 64 respondents (n = 64) valid responses, The response rate was poor due to the nature of the study, which required a focus on participants' perceptions of their managers, which was of a sensitive.
Employees were invited to participate in the survey via UKZN's online reporting system. The questionnaire did not ask about their level within the organization because it assumed that all employees reported to a leader, whether male or female. It fails to convey to the researcher information about the situation and where the phenomenon occurred.
Furthermore, Patton (2002) stated that the interpretation and analysis of data explains the findings by highlighting the importance of the data. Data stored on QuestionPro has a built-in ability to analyze the data, which can then be exported as graphs or tables. This chapter described the research methodology, the analysis technique, the motivation for constructing the questionnaire and the advantages of using electronic questionnaires.
Chapter Four Presentation of Results
- Introduction
- Reliability
- Data Collection
- Age distribution of respondents
This question aimed to determine whether participants feel that female managers respond differently to male subordinates as opposed to female subordinates. 44.2% of participants agreed that female managers responded more positively to male subordinates as opposed to female subordinates, 11.5% strongly agreed, 38.5% disagreed, and 5.8% strongly disagreed. There was no significant difference between those who agreed and disagreed that female managers respond more positively to male subordinates (Figure 4.4).
This question aimed to determine whether participants think that male managers respond differently to female subordinates compared to male subordinates. 32.7% of participants agreed that male leaders responded more favorably to female subordinates compared to male subordinates, 15.4% strongly agreed, 48.1% disagreed and 3.8% strongly disagreed. There was no significant difference between the number of participants who agreed and disagreed that male leaders respond more favorably to female subordinates (Figure 4.5).
Nineteen percent (19%) preferred a delegator; a leader in the role of 'delegator' delegates and assigns a set of desired outcomes to a team member (the delegate) and leaves it up to him to determine how these outcomes can be achieved (Quinn et al, 2006 as cited in Andres 2008 : 57). 41 Four percent (4%) preferred an innovator: a leader in the role of 'innovator' according to Quinn et al (2006, as cited in Andres 2008:57) is creative, manages organizational changes and facilitates changes, identifies trends and has visions and innovations. 59% of female participants preferred to be led by male leaders, while 40% of female participants preferred to be led by female leaders.
There was no significant difference in the responses of male and female participants regarding whether male leaders respond more positively to female subordinates. There was no significant difference in the responses of male and female participants on whether female managers respond more positively to male subordinates. The research questions were analyzed and the results revealed that although the participants did not agree that male leaders were more effective, the participants still preferred to be led by a male leader.
Chapter Five Discussion of Results
- Introduction
- Leadership
- Gender Differences in Leadership
- Summary
Men and women are more similar than most people realize, and many studies have been undertaken and the findings have revealed that there are minimal differences in leadership styles of either gender (Eagly & Carli, 2007). There is a common view that women often have to work twice as hard in a leadership role, constantly proving their value to the organization. Therefore, women in leadership are expected to shift their current negative perceptions about gender and leadership stereotypes.
These result in people internalizing the idea that women are less capable of leadership roles than men. The results revealed (Table 2.1) that both male and female respondents preferred to be managed by male managers. Although women are more than capable of performing in leadership roles, they are still not given equal opportunities in leadership due to gender stereotypes.
Organizations and society play a large role in the perception of women in leadership roles, as organizations and society continue to define leadership as being transactional, aggressive and competent, which defines a male leader. The results revealed (Figure 4.3) that the majority of respondents preferred to be led by a male manager. Powell (1999) pointed out that research indicated differences in the range of influence styles, and a small difference in the treatment of leaders of poor performers, the differences were often more a function of a leader's confidence than of gender.
According to Mansbridge (1991, cited in Parker 2006), even if one admits that there are differences in leadership styles between men and women, the differences are so small as to be statistically insignificant. The positive responses showed that employees are beginning to view women in leadership as being as effective as their male counterparts. Based on an analysis and interpretation of the responses, it has been found that although employees at UKZN are beginning to see the value of women in leadership roles, they still prefer to be led by a male leader.
Chapter Six
- Introduction
- Recommendations to solve the research problem
- Recommendations for future studies
- Recommendations to overcome the limitations of the study
- Summary
The first objective of the gender leadership study determined employees' gender preferences in leadership. The finding revealed that the majority of participants preferred to be led by a male leader. The second objective of the study determined whether employees responded more positively to male leaders.
The findings of this study confirmed that most participants disagreed that they respond more positively to male leaders. The third objective determined whether the manager's gender affected the employee's job performance. The findings of this study revealed that most participants felt that the gender of their manager had no impact on their job performance.
Gender/diversity/sensitivity awareness training should be implemented among all employees and should be included as part of the organization's employee value proposition. The low sample size may be related to the issue of trust, as the topic of the study was very sensitive. To create a clearer picture of the objective of the study for the participants so that they understand the purpose of the research study.
The findings also only represent UKZN participants, which is not representative of society at large, and therefore not truly representative of the population. The announcement was lost among a bunch of other announcements and employees may not have seen it, which is one possible reason why the response rate was so low. Doing a pilot study would have helped me make the necessary changes in the data collection method and change some of the questions in the questionnaire that might have made the answers more targeted to the research question.
Bibliography
Ethical Approval
Informed Consent Letter
Questionnaire
- Race White
- The most senior person that I report to is male or female
- There is a balance between male and female leaders
- I prefer to be led by a Male Leader
- Gender makes a difference when it comes to being effective Strongly disagree
- Which of the following best describes your manager?
- The gender of my manager has an impact on my work
- I respond more positively to male leaders
- Does gender make a difference in the way my manager leads with regards to the ffg
END OF QUESTIONNAIRE Thank you for your participation
Gatekeepers Letter
This is to prove that the dissertation titled Gender Differences in Leadership Styles by Jolene Beryl.
