When dominant models become dominating: A narrative identity approach to female leadership in Pentecostal organizations

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article contributes to research on Pentecostal female leadership by approaching the topic from organizational leadership perspective. The study contends that an increased emphasis on the Pentecostal pneumatological narrative of spiritual empowerment of all people may help women build a robust and authentic leadership identity when it simultaneously influences the public narratives that shape leader identities in Pentecostal organizations. First, the paper shows that cultural assumptions about leaders implicitly impact how women are perceived in leadership roles. Secondly, it employs literature on organizational identity work to shed light on the complex role of female leaders in Pentecostal organizations from a narrative perspective. Finally, it brings these strands of organizational research into a critical and constructive dialogue with the Pentecostal pneumatological narrative to suggest a way forward that might bolster female leadership in Pentecostal settings.