IJMB Journal – Abstracts

International Journal of Management and Business

IJMB Volume X, Special Edition

A Study of Female Interaction with Executive Leadership Expectations in U.S. Organizations

Jennifer A. Priddy

Wilmington University

E-mail: mjennifer.a.priddy@wilmu.edu

ABSTARCT

While women make up over 50% of professional level roles in the United States (US), their ascent to senior level roles has been stymied due to challenges and barriers tied to implicit leadership theory and role congruity theory. This qualitative study expands the understanding of how women adapt their leadership style in rising to executive roles within US organizations, as well as their impact on altering leadership trait expectations. Nineteen women from diverse industries with roles in the top three levels of their organization were interviewed. Leadership style challenges mentioned include double standards compared to their male peers, self-perception and self-confidence issues, as well as balancing emotions. These women noted how to be successful as leaders they needed to use both agentic and communal traits. Collaboration through participation and supporting employees as well as self-awareness were the most repeated communal traits that were seen as effective, while the most effective agentic traits were decisiveness and focus as well as “standing your ground.” The biggest impacts these women have had on their organizations were increasing transparency and openness, which tie to communal traits, as well as improving focus on direction and achieving goals, which tie to agentic traits. Interviewee advice to aspiring female leaders included suggestions tied to both communal and agentic traits. However, the most frequently mentioned advice focused on the communal traits of being self-aware and self-reflective and collaborating to get others’ perspectives. Keywords: Females, Implicit Leadership Theory, Role Congruity Theory, agentic traits, communal traits, leadership style, challenges, barriers, stereotypes, biases.

Click for full manuscript (PDF) or back to Volume 10_SpEd, Table of Content.