GENDER AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: PERCEPTIONS OF LEADERSHIP STYLE AND EFFECTIVENESS

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate changes in the perception of effective leadership as it relates to perceptions of female leaders. Estimations of effectiveness were compared between female and male leaders, while taking into consideration organizational culture. Scenario methodology was used to manipulate leader gender, leadership styles, and organizational culture through an experimental online survey. Findings, in part 1 of the study, show that female leaders were viewed as more transformational than male leaders with no significant differences in perceptions of leadership effectiveness. Leadership style, however, mediated relations between leader gender and perceptions of leadership effectiveness. In part 2, organizational culture was shown to increase the associations between gender roles and leadership style with perceptions of effectiveness. Female leaders may over time be perceived as effective as male leaders, if the present shift in effective leadership styles continue to align with feminine gender roles and organizational cultures embrace collectivistic practices.