Female Leaders Research Articles

Do women board members contribute to companies’ superior environmental performance? A literature review

AbstractThe urgent need to tackle climate change has led scholars to study the factors that affect companies’ ability to achieve superior environmental performance. One such factor, the influence of women board members, has received considerable attention because of women’s greater tendency to care for the planet. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no literature review has yet attempted to describe the state of the art of this relationship and its conditioning factors. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the degree of consensus in the literature regarding the role of board gender diversity in environmental performance and to specify the variables that condition this relationship. The content of all studies that offer evidence of this relationship is analyzed. The results imply that there is a high degree of consensus regarding the positive influence of female leadership on environmental performance in studies that focus exclusively on this relationship. The review also shows that this relationship is conditioned by numerous factors. However, the evidence in this regard is scant and in some cases inconclusive. Therefore, this review reveals both the scope and the unfilled needs in this field of study. It thus supports the sharing of knowledge on this topic and draws attention to the questions that need to be addressed.

Participación política de la mujer en los Andes

The women of the Andes serve as a testament to resilience and fortitude in the face of constraints imposed by social structures and stereotypes. The objective of this study is to analyze the narratives employed by women leaders regarding women’s political participation in the Andes. A qualitative methodology based on a hermeneutic-dialogical foundation was employed, whereby eight women of andean altiplano origin were interviewed using an in-depth interview guide. The questions addressed the following categories: the right to be elected, the role of women in political participation, and the obstacles faced by women in the political environment. As a result, a number of emerging subcategories were identified, including gender participatory democracy, the evolution of female political principles, the characteristics of a female leader, the socio-political aspects of women, the marginalization of women, the transition to female management, gender-related obstacles, and female vindication. These subcategories provide insight into the challenges faced by women in the struggle against sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and all forms of discrimination. They highlight the need for the development of inclusive and ethical systems that promote the rights of the gender in question.

Perspectives and challenges for the development of leadership in Latin American women

Throughout history, women have faced diverse Challenges and played multiple roles in society. Today, the pursuit of equality in all economic sectors continues, with Women striving to establish themselves as leaders in areas such as the productive sector, politics, and science. This transition has been characterized by constant changes and persistent challenges. This article explores the development of leadership and emotional intelligence in Latin American women, analyzing various perspectives and associated challenges. It addresses the barriers they face in developing leadership skills, as well as the need to improve their emotional intelligence to seize opportunities, develop and execute strategies, and overcome these barriers and challenges. Leadership among Latin American women is a complex and multifaceted topic that requires recognition of the influence of cultural, social, and geopolitical factors that are constantly changing globally. These factors impact women’s leadership in the region, perpetuating structural and systemic barriers such as gender discrimination, lack of access to educational resources, limitations in professional development, and socioeconomic factors such as poverty and inequality. These conditions have hindered the full development of women in the public and professional spheres. To promote female leadership, programs and policies are needed that promote gender equality through organizational and governmental practices that empower women and encourage their participation in leadership roles and decision-making.

Local Wisdom-Based Skills Apprenticeship Process for Women Ex-Migrant Workers in Kediren Village, Magetan District, Indonesia

Kediren Village is a village where most women of productive age from the village are former migrant workers who have minimal skills and knowledge when returning to their hometown. The skills apprenticeship process organized by the Head of Kediren Village aims to reduce the population's poverty rate and unemployment for former migrant workers. Skills apprenticeships organized based on local wisdom can positively impact women who are former migrant workers, including providing additional activities that can be carried out to earn additional income. This research examines the importance of skills apprenticeships for female former migrant workers in Kediren Village. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. The location of this research is Kediren Village, Lembeyan District, Magetan Regency, East Java. The informant criteria included the Kediren village head, chief, female former migrant workers, stakeholders, and community leaders as data sources in the research. Data was collected using in-depth interview techniques, observation, and documentation studies. Data analysis was carried out using the Miles and Huberman interactive model. This research shows that the skills apprenticeship process aimed at female ex-migrant workers can positively impact their ability to make traditional batik to support progress in improving the village economy and for individuals, as well as actively participating in activities organized by the chief executive. Research suggestions are aimed at female former migrant workers to develop the learning they have obtained in their daily activities and as an ongoing entrepreneurial field.

Gender Equality in Publishing and Communication of the Vine and Wine

The wine sector has historically been dominated and led by men, but in recent decades many women have started to occupy various roles, from production to marketing. However, disparities persist in terms of career progression, as well as contractual and salary treatment. Unfortunately, the available data is often fragmented and not always representative, as gender equality reports are not widespread and do not always take into account the positions in the organization chart. In wine communication women are still often represented in a stereotypical manner, although some recent articles and books have begun to denounce the existence of the gender gap and the lack of visibility for women in top roles in companies, consortia, academies, and editorial offices as well as in wine and vine events. The article presents a series of data on the presence of women in events, panels and conferences in the sector and analyzes the opportunities (existing or missed) related to visibility or to its lack in such occasions, before presenting the case of Millevigne magazine, which represents an example of female leadership in the technical publishing sector.

How do female CEOs affect corporate pay dispersion? The perspective of risk aversion and competition avoidance

AbstractExtant gender‐compensation literature has dominantly held a passive perspective on female leaders' compensation contracts. However, scant attention has been paid to the proactive aspect of this gender‐compensation relationship. This study fills this gap by incorporating female leaders' initiatives and integrating their proactive preferences to establish a link between gender and corporate pay dispersion. We first develop the theoretical argument that firms with female CEOs (SHE'‐E‐Os) have low pay dispersion due to their behavioral preferences—risk aversion and competition avoidance. Furthermore, we investigate how these preferences change over time—heterogeneous life‐cycle stages—which provides a long‐term perspective further enriching our understanding of the gender and organizational compensation structure. Using a 1992–2014 panel dataset from multiple sources, we find SHE'‐E‐Os are negatively associated with pay dispersion, particularly in firms during introduction, growth, or decline stages, as opposed to mature stages. Implications for literature on female leadership and pay dispersion are discussed.

Stigma of Women Leadership: The Impact on Trust and Leader Effectiveness

Stigma consciousness is crucial for influencing the effectiveness of female leaders, particularly in transformational leadership. Despite the increasing representation of women in the workplace, they still face significant challenges in reaching the highest organizational positions. This study explores how stigma consciousness moderates the impact of women’s transformational leadership on trust and leader effectiveness, while trust in leaders mediates these relationships. The research model in this study was analyzed using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) and the AMOS 28 software. This approach allows researchers to look at multiple complex relationships at the same time and combines regression and factor analysis to obtain a full picture of how variables interact with each other. We assessed the descriptive statistics and psychometric properties of the measurement scales using SPSS 28. Data were collected from 200 team members and subordinates of female leaders at various organizations in Indonesia. The results indicate that although women’s transformational leadership significantly enhances trust in leaders and leader effectiveness, this impact is moderated by stigma consciousness levels. High stigma consciousness weakens the positive effect of women’s transformational leadership on trust in leaders, thus reducing leadership effectiveness. Conversely, lower levels of stigma consciousness reinforce this positive effect. This finding highlight stigma consciousness as a barrier to women leaders’ trust and an obstacle to achieving leadership effectiveness. Reducing stigma consciousness is essential for the effective acceptance and recognition of women’s leadership. An inclusive, supportive environment free from stigma enables women to lead more effectively and gain greater team trust.

Can Chinese‐style trade unions promote corporate philanthropy? A stakeholder theory perspective

AbstractCorporate philanthropy is an important form of fulfilling social responsibility and improving social income distribution systems. Unlike Western trade unions, Chinese trade unions have government‐like functions. This study discusses whether Chinese‐style trade unions help promote corporate philanthropy. Based on stakeholder theory, this study examines the philanthropic effects of Chinese‐style trade unions using data from the Chinese Private Enterprises Survey and employs methods such as the Treatment Effect Model, Instrumental Variables Method, and Propensity Score Matching. The results show that unions with government‐like functions can significantly incentivize firms to engage in philanthropic activities and that this effect encourages start‐ups and well‐funded firms, which enriches and expands the research on the functions of unions. Trade unions can help enterprises gain political connections and promote a sense of corporate social responsibility, thus enhance corporate philanthropy. In addition, female leaders are more likely than male leaders to promote the positive impact of unions on corporate philanthropy. This study not only expands the literature on union functions and the antecedents of corporate philanthropy, but also enriches the discussion on the synergies among multiple stakeholders in stakeholder theory and the role of gender in the field of management.

Towards Corporate Financial Performance: What is the Role of Board Gender Diversity?

This study seeks to analyse the influence of board gender diversity in influencing the firm financial performance using the agency theory, resource dependency theory and human capital theory in the study. The study population is the forty-nine (49) banks licensed by Bank of Tanzania (BOT) as at December 2022. The study used purposive method of sampling technique and only listed banks were selected as study sample. The study used panel data from listed banks in the Dar es salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) market for the period of ten (10) years from 2013 to 2022. Our study has used secondary data through bank’s annual audited reports extracted from their specific websites and DSE website. Our study used both descriptive and inferential analysis where data collected were analysed by using the STATA 15. The study used return to asset (ROA) as dependent variable and female director education, female director tenure and female director leadership as independent variables. Our results show that female directors on the boardroom with consideration of demographic features of education, tenure and leadership does not significantly influence financial performance of firms. Furthermore, our study recommends further researchers to measure the non-financial influence that female directors may have on firms.

21st Century Skills Through STEAM Education: Analysis of School Leaders’ Perspectives

STEAM is an educational approach that strive for developing students’ STEAM skills to meet the demands of the global workforce. This research examined the role of STEAM education in developing 21st century skills, and the factors influencing the integration of STEAM education in the Pakistani education system. It was a descriptive research. A sample of 100 school leaders, 52 male and 48 female, using a simple random method was selected. Researchers made questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale was used for data collection after confirming its validity and reliability. The instrument's reliability (α =.87) was calculated. The collected data were analyzed it using SPSS (version 26). This study revealed that the majority of the school leaders agreed about developing 21st century skills through STEAM education such as technology and information literacies, problem solving, critical thinking, leadership, social and civic literacy and responsibility. Most of the leaders also agreed regarding the factors influencing the integration of STEAM education in the Pakistani education system, such as lack of resources and infrastructure, ineffective teacher training, traditional teaching methods, cultural barriers, lack of awareness, lack of budget, traditional testing system, limited collaboration with industry, language barriers, and lack of clear guidance in policy and curriculum. Both Male and female leaders were agreed equally regarding 21st century skills and factors influencing integration of STEAM education. This study recommends that Ministry of Education should minimize the aforementioned factors in order to ensure the effective integration of STEAM education in Pakistani education system and in order to develop 21st century skills among students.

Board gender diversity and employee productivity. The moderating role of female leaders

Drawing on the Motivational Role Modeling Theory and Critical Mass Theory, the main objectives of this paper are to analyze the impact of Board Gender Diversity (BGD) on Employee Productivity (EP) and to investigate the moderating role of a Female CEO or a Female Board Chair on this relationship in Social Economy companies. The methodology used is a fixed-effects regression with panel data for 1,914 Spanish Social economy companies in the agri-food sector from 2017 to 2021. Our findings uncover a non-linear relationship between BGD and EP displaying a descendent curvilinear pattern, though not strictly U-shaped. Moreover, we confirm the moderating influence of a Female Chair, noting that its presence shifts the relationship between BGD and EP from an inverted curvilinear pattern to a U-shaped one. In this context, the board requires a minimum presence of women, set at a critical mass of 13 %. However, the moderating impact of a Female CEO remains inconclusive. This research underscores the significance of investigating board diversity, specifically emphasizing female leadership in understanding the link between BGD and EP. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to explore the impact of BGD on EP by developing an integrated model based on Motivational Role Modeling Theory and Critical Mass Theory, and calculating the critical mass when a Female Chair is present on the board.

Women's Leadership Communication Style in Public Policy Implementation

Good leadership requires the ability to communicate with all elements related to being led so that all organizational goals can be achieved. The presence of women in various public sectors shows the suitability of women to take part and even hold policy-making positions. The presence of several female leaders in Indonesia who occupy leadership positions and the presence of the first female Deputy Regent of Wakatobi elected to lead the Wakatobi Regency area needs to be used as a bullet in the progress of opening up opportunities for women to move in the public space. The focus of this research objective is on what kind of communication style is applied to the female leadership of the Deputy Regent of Wakatobi when leading Wakatobi district in implementing public policy. The research uses a qualitative descriptive approach with a case study method. Data collection techniques were carried out using observation, in-depth interviews and documentation. The 6 informants were selected using purposive sampling technique. The research results show that the communication style of women's leadership in implementing existing public policies is two-way communication; structured; open to receiving suggestions; fast handling.

Gender difference in leaders framed with responsibility or authority: An experimental study

The underrepresentation of women in top leadership positions may result in a potential loss in efficiency. In this study, we examine gender differences in leadership emergence and efficiency when a leadership task is framed as authority or responsibility. In a public good game, the group leader is entitled to punish low contributors among the group members in order to increase the group welfare. The experimental design includes a basic treatment—framing the leader's task as authority or responsibility—in occasions where group leaders emerge through self-promotion or voting. We find a more pronounced framing effect among females compared to males. Although women are generally less willing and less voted to lead than men, the responsibility framing enhances female leaders' effectiveness to a larger extent than male leaders': they contribute more to the public good, and are more inclined to punish low contributors when they are voted as leaders. Therefore, when leadership tasks emphasize responsibility, female leaders could enhance social welfare in the provision of public goods.

Towards A Human Centred Leadership For 4IR: Exploring Female Leadership Within 21st Century

The changes brought on by the fourth industrial revolution call on leaders to adopt 21st-century skillsets to navigate the changing workforce landscape. While equality in the workforce has seen strides towards equal participation of men and women in the workforce, women are still documented to be underrepresented in managerial positions. This article consists of a systematic review of literature aimed at analyzing leadership styles within the modern workforce, with a specific focus on female equality and leadership. The research question from which this paper emanates is: How does the Fourth Industrial Era shape a context for female leadership ascension? Framed through Harro’s cycle of socialization and Trait theory, this paper seeks to analyze current literature to examine the barriers women face in the workplace in their subsequent influence on industry 4.0 practice.

The Impact of Women Leadership and Decision-Making on Employee Performance with Servant Leadership Style as a Moderating Variable

This study aims to examine the influence of women's leadership and decision making on employee performance, as well as the moderating impact of servant leadership style in the context of the food and beverage subsector manufacturing industry in the Greater Bekasi area. A quantitative approach was used with nonprobability sampling techniques, and data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), involving 219 respondents as research samples. The results showed that female leadership and decision making had a significant effect on employee performance. In addition, servant leadership style moderates the relationship between these variables, suggesting that the application of this leadership style can strengthen the positive impact of women's leadership and decision-making on employee performance. The practical implication of this study is the importance of women's leadership development and the application of servant leadership style in improving employee performance in the industrial sector under study

School Leaders’ Well-Being during Times of Crisis: Insights from a Quantitative Study in Kazakhstan

Amidst increasing global pressures on school leaders, particularly during crises when unforeseen situations necessitate prompt and decisive action from them, understanding the multifaceted dimensions of their well-being is essential for ensuring effective leadership and maintaining educational quality. This study examines the well-being of school leaders during crises by analysing survey responses from 1299 school leaders in Kazakhstan. Employing a well-being framework comprising dispositional, relational, and contextual dimensions, various predictors were assessed within each dimension. Gender biases (dispositional), challenges such as managing conflicts with parents (relational), and limited school autonomy and digital infrastructure (contextual) were identified as factors negatively impacting school leaders’ well-being. Notably, gender significantly influences well-being, particularly impacting female school leaders. School location and medium of instruction are not associated with well-being, implying the pervasive impact of remote schooling on school leaders’ well-being. Findings underscore the importance of integrating crisis management courses in professional development, implementing policy initiatives to handle contextual factors like equitable resource distribution and increased school autonomy, promoting self-care practices, and advocating for gender perspectives in institutional policies to bolster support for women school leaders.

Exploring Work-Family Reconciliation Strategies of Saudi Professional Women: An Applied Study on Female Leadership Professionals in the Government Sector in Riyadh

Exploring Work-Family Reconciliation Strategies of Saudi Professional Women: An Applied Study on Female Leadership Professionals in the Government Sector in Riyadh

Seeking silver lining for leaders' well-being: understanding gender differences in work-family conflict, leadership style and prioritizing coping strategy

PurposeOur study addresses the impact of COVID-19-induced work-family conflict on leaders' well-being and explores the influence of leadership style, coping strategies, and gender disparities in this context, filling a research gap on crisis-related leadership well-being.Design/methodology/approachWe used hierarchical regression analysis and SPSS's PROCESS macro to analyze a dataset of 516 paired responses, including 231 leaders and 285 subordinates, from Mongolian organizations.FindingsStrain-based work-family conflict (WFC) negatively affects leaders' workplace well-being. Servant leadership exacerbates this impact. In contrast, servant leadership positively moderates the relationship between time-based WFC and job-related well-being. Leaders who prioritize work and family responsibilities experience a stronger positive (negative) impact of time-based (strain-based) WFC on their workplace well-being. Furthermore, we observed that strain-based WFC has a more detrimental effect on female leaders' well-being, highlighting gender disparities in leadership roles.Practical implicationsOur study elucidates the intricate relationship between work-family conflict and leaders' well-being, underscoring the need to recognize gender differences and coping strategies. We advocate for organizations to proactively establish support structures tailored to various leadership styles and gender-specific challenges, especially in times of crisis.Originality/valueThis study focuses on leaders' well-being during COVID-19 and how it is influenced by work-family conflict, servant leadership, coping strategy, and gender. The study also differentiates between time-based and strain-based work-family conflict and uses dyadic data from Mongolian organizations. More importantly, we identify that gender disparity plays a crucial role in the pandemic-caused leadership challenges and leaders' coping behaviors.

Age Bias & Female Leadership: Faulty Cheat Codes

This paper explores the intersection of age bias and gender bias in relation to female leadership. “Cheat codes” is a term originally applied to computer and video games to describe a code that, when used, allows the player to access features, level skips, or capabilities not otherwise available (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). As a metaphor, the term is meant to suggest a shortcut in decision-making toward a desired conclusion or outcome. In the context of this article, “faulty cheat codes” refer to society’s use of misinformed and unfair stereotypes as specious shortcuts to judge the abilities or qualifications of individuals based on their age, leading to incorrect conclusions or inappropriate actions. This piece highlights the detrimental effects of age bias on prominent female politicians, including Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and emphasizes the need for authentic conversations about cognitive abilities. The paper challenges the use of age as a flawed measure of competence and advocates for retiring negative stereotypes about aging. It also discusses the delayed entry of women into political office and the compounding effects of age and gender biases. By promoting positive narratives about aging and addressing ageism in our political discourse, society can create a more fair and inclusive political landscape that values the capabilities of individuals of all ages. The paper concludes by urging a shift in focus toward substantive political discussions and away from shallow indicators of competence based on age.

Are female leaders hiring more female workers? Evidence from developing countries

ABSTRACT This paper investigates whether female leaders of firms in developing countries tend to hire more female workers. We develop a theoretical model in which female leaders increase the share of female workers by reducing statistical discrimination or taste-based discrimination against female workers. We then employ the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) data for 125 developing countries over the period of 2006–2023 and find that female leaders increase the share of female workers in firms. Further analyses confirm the results, including coefficient stability test, robustness of inference to replacement, 2SLS analysis, firm fixed effects model, and the double machine learning method. We find suggestive evidence of mechanisms supporting the hypothesis that female leaders can increase female employment by mitigating statistical discrimination. However, we find no evidence supporting the hypothesis that female leaders promote female employment by alleviating taste-based discrimination.