Gender Communication and Leadership: A Qualitative Research in Managerial Level

Abstract

As a result of women’s struggles over the years, more women than ever are entering the labor force and taking senior management positions but the representation of women in managerial processes is still limited in almost all countries. Gender stereotypes or the problems that may arise in gender communication can be defined as one of the obstacles in women’s career process. In this context, the aim of this study was to discover the communication competencies and barriers among senior managers based on gender communication language, behavioral patterns, and perceptions of male and female leaders toward each other. The study employed qualitative analysis based on semi-structured questions to interpret how female and male executives evaluate each other. Instead of coding only important concepts, a grounded coding process that involved full interviews was permitted to acquire a deeper understanding was applied. After finalizing the coding process, cluster analysis that explores the similarities of the codes was applied, and this enabled a deep understanding of gender differences within large-scale corporate companies in Turkey. Findings show that gender-based roles and gender stereotypes in corporate companies in Turkish society are compatible with the literature, but also reveal new patterns. Although women’s awareness of their communication skills has increased, it is seen that there are still some gender stereotypes that they accept.