Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Understanding and Managing Gender Diversity Challenges at Leadership Positions:A Review


Affiliations
1 Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


In this review paper, we aim to understand the gender biases faced by women while reaching their well-deserved positions at the senior level. The purpose of this study is to uncover the challenges faced by women to reach leadership positions. Our purpose is also to see the steps being taken by the organisations and the HR departments to overcome these challenges. The results of this paper reveal that women, like men, require mentors and leadership training in order to reach their goals. It was also seen that for women to grow in the organisation it is all the more important for the men to change their perceptions about women and look at their valuable contributions without biases. Thus a safe scope for experimentation, knowledge, learning and community cooperation is critical in leadership development programmes for women. The paper focusses only on the gender-related preconceptions and doesnt focus on other diversity challenges faced at leadership positions.

Keywords

Diversity, Gender, Leadership, Perception.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Alkahtania, A. H., & Abu-Jarad, I. (2011). The impact of personality and leadership styles on leading change capability of Malaysian managers. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, 1(2).
  • Alkadry, M. G. (2011). Leadership diversity and the diversity, Organizational Communication, and Citizenship Imperatives.
  • Arsenault, P. (2004). Validating generational differences: A legitimate diversity and leadership issue. Leadership and Organizational Development Journal, 25(2).
  • Athitakis, M. (n.d.). Are women and minority leaders set up to fail. Retrieved from http://associationsnow.com/2013/07/ are-women-and-minority-leaders-set-up-to-fail/
  • McKinsey, J. B., & Lareina, Y. (2011). Unlocking the full potential of women in the U.S. Economy. McKinsey and Company.
  • Belbin, M. (2011). Management teams: Why they succeed and fail? Human Resource Management International Digest, 19(3).
  • Bendelta. What is the role of leadership in change management? Accessed on February 23rd, 2015 .
  • Christensen, T. (2003). Coping with complex leadership roles: The problematic redefinition of government owned enterprises. Public Administration, 81(4).
  • Davidson, M. N. (2012). The end of diversity: How leaders make differences really matter. Jossey Bass: A Wiley Brand.
  • Development Programs Addressing Issues of Diversity. Research Centre for Leadership in Action, 2010. Accessed on 10 Jan, 2016.
  • Devillard, S., Sancier-Sultan, S., & Werner, C. (2014). Why gender diversity at the top remains a challenge. Harvard Business Review.
  • Dinwoodie, D., Pasmore, W., Quinn, L., & Rabin, R. (2015). Navigating change: A leader’s role. Centre of Creative Leadership.
  • Director’s Diversity in Leadership Study, Overcoming Barriers to Advancement, 2015.
  • DiverCity. (2008). The value of diverse leadership. The Greater Toronto Leadership Project.
  • Ebbers, L., & Rockel, V. (2005). The leadership Institute for a new Century: Lincing women and minorities into tomorrow’s community college leadership. Community College Journal of Research and Practices, 24.
  • Eagly, A. (2016). Gender and Work: Challenging Conventional Wisdom. Accessed on 17 Jan,2016.
  • Firestone, W. (2000). Leadership: Roles and Functions? Rutgers University.
  • Fischhoff, I., & Sundaresan, S. (2012). Social relationships and reproductive state influence leadership roles.
  • Followell, C. (2011). Key challenges to creating gender balance at all levels of the Organisation. White Paper - 2014.
  • Ford, D., & Pande, R. (2011). Gender quotas and female leadership: A review. Background Paper for the World Development Report on Gender.
  • Gary, Y. (2001). Leadership in organizations. National College of School Leadership, Prentice Hall.
  • Groysberg, B., & Connolly, K. (2013). Great Leaders Who make the Mix Work. Harvard Business Review.
  • Hogg, M. (2001). A social identity theory of leadership. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5(3), 184-200.
  • Jean, L. C. (2013). Diversity leadership: Influence of ethnicity, gender, and minority status. Open Journal of Leadership, 2(1), 1-10.
  • Kandola, B. (2006). Skills Development: The missing link in increasing Diversity in Leadership. Industrial and Commercial Training, 36(4).
  • Kilian, C. (2009). Corporate leadership: Building diversity into the pipeline. American Psychological Association. KPMG’s Women’s Leadership Study, 2012 Accessed on 4 Jan, 2016.
  • Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion, Public Service Leadership initiative. Accessed on 7 Jan, 2016.
  • Mattis, M. (2006). Advancing women in business organisation: Key leadership roles and behaviors of senior leaders and middle managers. Journal of Management Development, 20(4), 371-388.
  • Martin, J., & Marion, R. (2006). Higher education leadership in Knowledge Processing, 12(2), 140-151.
  • Martine, D. (1998). Cultural diversity and management/ leadership models. American Business Review.
  • Middlehurst, R. (2004). Changing internal governance: A discussion of leadership roles and management structures in UK Universities. Higher educational Quarterly, 951-5224, 58(4).
  • Mitchelle, R. (2009). A theoretical model of transformational leadership’s role in diverse teams. Leadership and Organisation Development Journal, 30(5).
  • Morrison, M., Lumby, J., Maringe, F., Bhopal, K., & Martin, D. (2007). Diversity, Identity and Leadership.
  • Next Generation Diversity: Developing tomorrow’s female leader. Accessed on 18 Jan, 2016.
  • Parcheta, N., Kaifi, B. A., & Khanfar, N. M. (2013). Gender inequality in the workforce: A human resource management quandary. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 4(3).
  • Phelps, E. M. (1997). Understanding and managing diversity the personnel challenge for leaders, AU/ACSC/0607I/97-03.
  • Race and Leadership:Implications for Leaders of Color and Leadership. (2013). Accessed on 15 Jan 2016.
  • Rodd, J. (1997). Learning to be leaders:Perceptions of Early childhood professionalsabout leadership roles and responsibilities, 18(1).
  • Ryerson Institute. (2012). Women in Senior Leadership Positions:A Profile of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
  • Sachs, J., & Blackmore, J. (1998). You never show you can’t Cope: Women in school leadership roles managing their emotions. Gender and Education, 10(3).
  • Sinha, S. (2013). A Snapshot of Diverse Leadership in the Health Care Sector. Stelter, N. (2002). Gender differences in leadership: Current social issues and future organizational implications. Journal Leadership and Organisational Studies, 8.
  • Thomas, A. D., & Ely, R. (2009). Making differences matter: A new paradigm for managing diversity. Harvard Business Review.
  • Thompson, M. (2000). Gender, Leadership Orientationand effectiveness: Testing the theoretical Models of Bolmen and deal and Quinn, 42(11).
  • West, S. (2013). Humanities Research Leadership in Europe. Stimulus Paper. Accessed on 2 Jan 2016.
  • Winston, M. D. (2001). The importance of leadership diversity: The relationship between diversity and organizational success in the academic environment. College and Research Libraries, 517-526.
  • Whelan, J. & Wood, R. (2013). Increasing gender diversity through targets with teeth, Women in Leadership: Understanding the gender gap. Ceda policy perspective.
  • Jen-Te, Y. (2007). Knowledge Sharing: Investigating appropriate leadership roles and collaborative culture.
  • Tourism Management, 28(2).
  • Zafft, C. R., Adams, S. G., & Matkin, G. S. (2013). Measuring leadership in self managed teams using the competing values framework. Journal of Engineering Education, 98(3).
  • Owen, D. (2009). Privilegedsocial identities and diversity leadership in higher education. The Review of Higher Education, 32(2).

Abstract Views: 458

PDF Views: 1




  • Understanding and Managing Gender Diversity Challenges at Leadership Positions:A Review

Abstract Views: 458  |  PDF Views: 1

Authors

C. Nikhila Reddy
Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Jyoti Adhikari
Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Jaya Chitranshi
Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Abstract


In this review paper, we aim to understand the gender biases faced by women while reaching their well-deserved positions at the senior level. The purpose of this study is to uncover the challenges faced by women to reach leadership positions. Our purpose is also to see the steps being taken by the organisations and the HR departments to overcome these challenges. The results of this paper reveal that women, like men, require mentors and leadership training in order to reach their goals. It was also seen that for women to grow in the organisation it is all the more important for the men to change their perceptions about women and look at their valuable contributions without biases. Thus a safe scope for experimentation, knowledge, learning and community cooperation is critical in leadership development programmes for women. The paper focusses only on the gender-related preconceptions and doesnt focus on other diversity challenges faced at leadership positions.

Keywords


Diversity, Gender, Leadership, Perception.

References