Sociocultural Aspects of Leadership: A Look at Gender Roles

Abstract

The research aims to examine specifically the gendered aspects of professional and management leadership and evaluate the prospects for overcoming gender inequality in the social sphere. The study involved 350 students comprising of 45% men and 55% women from three different universities of Kazan (Russia): Kazan Federal University, Kazan Federal Agricultural University, and Kazan State Medical University. To accomplish the research objectives, empirical data were gathered using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and a Sex Typing on Leadership Survey composed by Cann and Siegfried (1990). The findings reveal that only 12% of students were raised in traditional patriarchal families, while the rest was raised in a multicultural environment. The gender-neutral type of leadership is dominant in student groups. This observation suggests a definite trend towards gender equality in management.