Leading Self: Motivation and Leader Identity of Women in Japan

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss women leaders' identity and its development based on the assumption that women perceive their identity differently from the way men do because identity formation is influenced by internal and external factors over time. Okamoto (2010) defined identity in three aspects: self as an individual presence, self in relationships with others, and how self is positioned in a society; and lifestyles and gender roles impact the development of women's identity in the modern world. Sugimura (2010) argued that Japanese women's identity is shaped by societal expectations of women to be obedient, amicable, and harmonious. This affects career choice of women to jobs that are considered to be suitable for women to fulfill the expectation, such as secretary, nurse, and teacher. This chapter begins with the business environment in which Japanese M. Kobayashi (B) Talent Development,