Women leadership and emotions: Knowledge structure and future research opportunities

Abstract

There is extensive research conducted on the various aspects affecting women's ability to reach leadership position and their contribution toward the success of the organization. Studies on the necessity of the intelligent use of emotion as a prerequisite for effective leadership have been done in the past. However, the literature on the role of emotions in women's leadership is fragmented and disparate regarding emotions playing an advantageous or disadvantageous role for women leaders, thus, suggesting the need for a systematic literature review. Consequently, the current study of the available literature aims to discuss the reported progress in the research on women's leadership and emotions. We used articles from Scopus and Web of Science databases and applied inclusion and exclusion criteria following the SPAR-4-SLR protocol. We conducted a systematic review using bibliometric analysis and the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methods (TCCM) framework, which provides a detailed understanding of the intersection of gender, leadership, and emotions and shows the evolution of this topic over time. Our findings revealed two main research themes: emotional expressions and emotional competence among women in leadership positions and the effect on their career advancement. This study supplements the existing reviews and attempts to interpret and suggest future research directions using the TCCM framework.