A Review and Future Research Agenda on Female Leadership & Organizational Context Factors

Abstract

Scholars have begun to study different organizational context factors (i.e., organizational variables that could affect behavior occurring in the organization) that may impact whether women obtain and retain leadership positions. So far, scientific insights in this field lack an overarching framework that contextualizes existing research findings and points out overlooked themes as well as promising future research areas. To provide an overview of the current state of research, we conducted a systematic literature research and identified 91 articles studying organizational context factors and female leadership. Using VOSviewer, we extracted three clusters representing underlying areas: (1) structures & workforce composition, (2) career & development, (3) second-generation gender bias. The first cluster includes articles on HRM processes, gender diversity of board members or industry types. The second and smallest cluster consists of articles on leadership development programs. The third and largest cluster contains articles on stereotypes and invisible barriers in organizations that characterize corporate cultures and negatively impact female leaders, as well as initiatives to overcome these obstacles. We suggest future theoretical and methodological research directions such as overlooked contextual factors (e.g., company reputation), introducing an intersectionality perspective, and field (intervention) studies. We end with a systematic overview summarizing practical implications.