A comparison of perceived leadership attributes of women by males and females in education and business.

Abstract

This study examined the acceptance of women in administrative and management roles by exploring gender differences in perceptions of women's suitability for management, characteristics that make them suitable, and aspiration for management positions. In particular, the study focused on how gender differences were affected by the enterprise (business or education) in which the individual worked and his/her role (worker or manager). A total of 1343 men and women from business and education participated in interviews from 1987 through 1993. This study focused on responses to 3 extracted statements on the Structured Interview Questionnaire; the first was concerned with aspiration to a higher position, with the second asking for a rating on women's suitability for leadership, and the third question was a verbal description of attributes associated with women's suitability for leadership. The 1343 participants were divided into eight groups: male and female workers from business and education, and male and female managers from business and education. These groups were the basis of comparisons for the five hypotheses that were developed for this study. A secondary analysis of the original data base created from the interviews was used to test these hypotheses. Four of the five hypotheses were supported indicating that both males and females considered women suitable for leadership and the attributes associated with their suitability were more nurturing than competitive. Females had significantly higher means on Nurturance scores than males in the study. Females had significantly higher means on Suitability scores and aspired to higher positions than the males. The hypothesis was not supported that education would have higher means on Suitability, Nurturing and Aspiration than business. The conclusions that were derived from this study showed that women have become more positively perceived for the management role both in business and education. The study also provided evidence that women are perceived to be nurturing, which is compatible with the participative management philosophy where leaders who display this attribute are preferred. At the same time, women are aspiring to higher positions more than men causing them to successfully prepare and acquire management positions.