Determinants of Collaborative Leadership: Civic Engagement, Gender or Organizational Norms?

Cindy Simon Rosenthal

doi:10.2307/449108

Abstract

Determinants of Collaborative Leadership: Civic Engagement, Gender or Organizational Norms?

Highlights

This analysis attempts to unravel competing explanations of collaborative leadership styles of state legislative committee chairs
This study explores the link between experiences of civic engagement and collaborative styles of leadership while controlling for other possible explanations of collaborative leadership
Focusing on state legislative committee chairs, this analysis looks at their pre-political experiences of civic engagement

Summary

Introduction

This analysis attempts to unravel competing explanations of collaborative leadership styles of state legislative committee chairs. The data show that women chairs are more likely than their male peers to cite as valuable the leadership skills and experiences that they gain through community and volunteer experience. Compared to their male colleagues, women committee chairs on average report a greater reliance on collaborative strategies in the management of their committees. Prior community or volunteer experience has little or no direct effect on collaborative styles. Focusing on state legislative committee chairs, this analysis looks at their pre-political experiences of civic engagement. Are some experiences more typical of women committee chairs? Are those experiences associated with behaviors that advance a collaborative style of leadership? Are there legislative institutional factors that might be more important influences on leadership style?

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion