Women and Leadership Theories

Confidence, integrity, purpose, empowerment, determination, and courage. These are some of the many words associated with leadership. Regardless of gender, these words apply to all leaders. It is no longer a question of what women leaders are, but rather why there are not women leaders. Today’s society focuses on fulfilling leadership positions with males, not because females do not have the same skills and knowledge as men, but because people associate men with leaders. There are various daily obstacles that women face in the attempt towards leadership roles including prejudice beliefs, resistance due to stereotypes, leadership styles, family life demands and underinvestment in social capital. We have found that through depictions in the media, women are not seen as effective leaders in the same sense as men. These media findings and various research techniques provide evidence for the lack of female presence in leadership positions.

Over the past few decades, great strides have been made by women in the workplace. This increased number in women in the workplace does not mean equality however. Even with equal qualifications and achievements, women are still not given all the opportunities that men have. The chapter in the textbook, “Gender at Work”, shows us more of these inequalities in the workplace. Such inequalities cause gender segregation of jobs and can be linked with the pay inequality in the labor force. Even in jobs that are predominantly filled by women, men earn more than women. Women are often stereotyped as being family focused and not as able to travel, therefore they tend to get passed up for promotions (Garson p.353). This invisible barrier that keeps women from moving up the executive ladder is referred to as the “glass ceiling” (Baxter and Wright p. 346). Women also tend to do more domestic work, or unpaid labor and caregiving. This extra unpaid work is referred to as “the third shift” and is largely rested on the shoulders of women (Gersel p. 352). Consequently, this seems to be one of the biggest things holding women back from taking on jobs that are normally considered male

For several decades now, women have struggled with equality in the workplace. “Men are told to think like a woman and women are told to act like a man” (Valian, 1998). However, this advice often reinforces gender schemas and stereotypical qualities such as sympathy for women and assertiveness for men. While these pigeon-holes are often exaggerated, research shows that gender characteristics do indeed exist, and they play a very powerful role in the workplace.

A question that a lot of people, especially women, seem to wonder is why are women being held back from leadership positions in the workplace. According to PEW Research Center ‘the problem is that women still have to do more

According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, women make up half of the workforce today and 40 percent of women are either equal to their male counterparts or the singular breadwinners in their household (Institute for Women’s Policy Research). And most Americans find women are better than men in key leadership traits such as intelligence and competence for

Northouse (2016a) describes the development of female leadership. It was once a question if women could lead; yes, they can, but a gender gap exists. Differences between men and women that affect their job attainment. Although men and women may have equal access to entry and lower level positions, men hold more prestigious upper level jobs. Why does this occur? Generally, women have invested less than men in human capital: job history, training, and school. Women invest more time than men in taking care of family. As a result, men obtain jobs that require more responsibilities (Northouse, 2016a).

In many cultures, women are supposed to stay at home, look after children, and do housework. Females are usually oppressed from doing things because they are seen as incapable; an article I discovered states that “cultural stereotypes can make it seem that women do not have what it takes for important leadership roles” (Women in the workplace seen

There is a controversial debate going on about whether men and women are equals at the office. Some companies believe that they are treating men and women fairly with no gender bias and equal pay. Others know that these big companies are getting treated unjustly in many different ways in the workplace. Therefore, men and women aren’t getting equal treatment at work because women aren’t getting taken as seriously as men and women’s salaries are much lower than men’s.

For decades, differences in gender have been at the forefront of debate, especially in relation to effective leadership in managing a company. Women were recognized as too emotional, weak or subordinate to be successful as managers. However, as time has passed, the perceptions of society have changed, and although women made the leap into many management positions, the stereotype that they are inferior to men still exists, making them feel the need to prove themselves. In management positions, women are challenged in different ways, present themselves in a different manner and communicate differently than men; however, despite the variations, females have successfully integrated themselves into the

As the author points out, the figures on women in leadership is staggering in disparity. The article takes time to focus on identifying and highlighting reasons what makes a successful leader. Having an opportunity to attend a leadership meeting, in which we discussed improving inclusion at my company, this article presented many of the same reasons that as a company we tried to understand, “Why do we not have more women in leadership?” This article really underscores that in order for a business to survive and grow or for that matter, any organization to flourish you need to find individuals that embody the above-mentioned leadership traits not just seniority.

Women leaders have shown to be the best in their positions and worthy of great challenges.

All around the world, generations of children have grown up with a history of male leadership. Gender equality has always been and continues to be a struggle, but with more awareness being shed on this problem, it has been improving on a local and global scale. However, governments still lack the gender diversity in their leadership positions that is needed by today’s standards and expectations. With more activism on a local and global level, future generations will grow up becoming leaders without limitations due to their gender.

Behind the workplace, gender bias is clearly apparent. When looking at applicants for a job, men are usually hired over the women because men maintain more physical abilities than women. Thus, women are hardly ever chosen for a job due to the stereotypical views of women possessing physical incapabilities. “A workplace may use equipment designed with the heights and weights of men in mind, since the work traditionally has been “men’s work” (Bartlett 2). Because women are stereotypically viewed as weak individuals who don’t exhibit the capability of having a job, it is believed that a woman's place is in the home. Moreover, women are seen as individuals that need to be protected by men. Thus, women aren’t usually hired for laborious work and remain at home. To this, men are stereotypically the

Many citizens believe “a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, not in their capacity as a leader” (“Statistics from Miss Representation”). Many cases showcasing this ridiculous statement have been brought to light. In one instance, a large woman was rejected a job as a bus driver because she was thought as being incapable of being up to par (Rhode). The company dubbed the woman as being “unfit” and unable to evacuate a bus if needed (Rhode). However, the woman was not tested in any way and was simply tossed aside. In addition to being misinterpreted, women are also harshly judged by employers and male co-workers alike. The simple fact is, “employers think [women] are not as talented as men” (“Women Lack the Right Stuff”). It seems that the majority of men in the workforce believe women are not aggressive enough to be leaders within their respected fields (“Women Lack the Right Stuff”). This causes employers to lean heavily toward men while searching for employees to fill positions. However, one absolute truth about this world is that everyone is different. To categorize all women as having the exact same qualities is completely absurd and sexist. To say that all men are capable of being leaders and women are not is an incorrect judgment of human qualities. Unfortunately, those strongly connected to the workforce have developed this mindset. This in turn causes mistreatment of our women.

Women have long fought for the right to be viewed as equal within the work place. Over the past decades the percentage of women in management has risen from a mere 13.8% in 1950 to 50.6% in 2007 (Latu, 2000). However, gender stereotype bias and discrimination are still present in the modern workforce. Gender stereotypes are beliefs of how men and women should be and act. When evaluators don’t have clear criteria, ambiguity causes gender stereotypes to fill the voids. Leading to differences in the way men and women are evaluated. This happens, in most cases, on an unconscious level, though it does still occur consciously. It has been shown by psychologists that we routinely categorize individuals within milliseconds of meeting them, we classify them by their gender. In doing this we assume they will possess certain gender role traits, either feminine or masculine. Men are expected to have strong leadership traits, while women are known to have nurturing, submissive qualities. The cause of gender discrimination is based on cultural beliefs and organizational policies. Women are most vulnerable to gender discrimination and sexual harassment when they are in a male dominated environment, they may also be perceived as a threat.