Researching Women Managers and Leaders

Abstract

The book draws on an empirical study and data set that is analysed through a set of critical lenses, namely shifts in theoretical perspectives related to feminism, critical analysis of policy changes in education management and leadership, and issues related to qualitative work. The first part of this chapter explores shifts in feminist theory over time and explains why the research draws on the perspectives of feminist poststructuralism. The second part of the chapter describes how the study was carried out and explains how the data were collected. The way that I am positioned within the research, as a woman manager and a feminist, poses a number of theoretical and methodological challenges, which are also explored in this chapter.