Leadership Effectiveness in IT-Centered Organizations: Gender and Levels of Management

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is to investigate leadership effectiveness in IT-centered organizations giving attention to gender and levels of management. A seven-point scale instrument that measures leadership effectiveness (leading organization, leading people, leading self) was used to collect data. The participants (N = 197) were top, middle, and lower-level managers that used IT for organizations’ strategic, tactical, and operational activities. Collected data were analyzed using MANOVA. Results indicated no overall significant group differences for the levels of management with respect to the three leadership effectiveness groups. However, there were overall significant group differences for gender and the interaction of gender and levels of management. In all three leadership effectiveness groups (leading organization, leading people, leading self), women leaders scored significantly higher than men leaders did. Women also significantly scored higher on all levels of management than men did with respect to the three leadership effectiveness groups. These findings are interpreted, and implications are discussed.