The Influence of Gender and Organization Level on Perceptions of Leadership Behaviors: A Self and Supervisor Comparison

Abstract

Reports that male and female leaders provideabout their own task and consideration leadershipbehaviors as well as reports that their supervisorsprovide about their behaviors were analyzed with respect to four competing models (Fagenson, 1990).Leaders and their supervisors were drawn from a raciallydiverse managerial population at a Federal governmentagency. The gender-centered model posits the existence of innate or socialized gender differences inleadership styles (Loden, 1985; Rosener, 1990). Theorganization-structure model maintains that one'sposition in the organizational hierarchy influencesleadership style (Kanter, 1977). The gender-organizationand the gender-organization-system models maintain thatgender and organization level combine, independently andinteractively (respectively) to influence leadership behavior (Fagenson, 1990b). Predictions werebased on these four models as well as on Eagly &Johnson's (1990) meta-analytic study which found thatself-perceptions of leadership style were morestereotypic than those of others. Supportwas found forEagly & Johnson's findings, as well as for thegender-centered and organization-structure models.Leaders' reports of their leadership behaviors wererelated to their gender, while supervisors' reportswere related to the organizational level ofleaders.