The Effect of Sex and Gender on Perceptions of Leaders: Does Situation Make a Difference?

Abstract

Relatively little research has been done focusing on feminine and masculine communication styles in leadership. This study seeks to fill in some of the gaps. The quantitative design of this study is based on Goldberg's (1968) experimental paradigm and used an Internet-linked survey consisting of Renzetti's (1987) Sex Role Attitudinal Inventory, a brief description of a leader (one of four different sex and gender combinations), and a Likert-type scale with 20 items that rated leaders on several dimensions. A factor analysis resulted in combining these into three factors: task/dynamism, relationship/organizational ID/qualifications, and an overall item. Participants were selected using a snowball approach. Expectation states theory was the foundation for this study. The results suggest that the expectation of leaders is changing with a feminine communication style preferred across the board, regardless of situation or sex of the leader