Female Leaders Research Articles

Female educational leadership in the Arab world: a systematic review of published research literature

ABSTRACT The present systematic literature review is undertaken within the context of concerted efforts aimed at diversifying the knowledge base of female leadership in the educational context. Much of the research in the field has been done in Anglo-American and European contexts. To this effect, the study conducts a systematic literature review to identify published research on female leadership in the Arab world written in English between 2000 and 2022. The findings of the review show a dominance of empirical studies with the majority being qualitative in nature and having a limited level of conceptualization, which poses a challenge to understanding female leadership as a contextual intersubjective phenomenon. This review highlights the importance of the sociocultural factors as a pivotal theme connecting with and affecting the three other themes of the review, the challenges and enablers of female leadership in the Arab world, and leadership perception and persona that women leaders develop. The review concludes with insights for researchers, policymakers and practitioners in the region.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Female School Leadership in the Tshwane South District in South Africa

Female school leaders in South Africa experienced challenges during the pandemic because of gender stereotypes. This study aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on female school leadership. Qualitative methods were used to interpret female leaders’ attitudes, experiences, and understanding of specific circumstances. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews supported by analysis of school documents. Findings revealed that female school leaders relied on their self-confidence, networking, and use of COVID-19 policy to overcome challenges. This study presented that the use of different leadership styles also made a positive impact on female school leaders. They experienced challenges such as failure to execute their leadership positions due to gender stereotypes and lack of community and district support. There is a need for the government to develop approaches that would address the impact of COVID-19 across sectors. Future studies should examine support for school leaders.

Identifying an educational praxis of culturally relevant female school leadership in urban Pakistani schools

ABSTRACT Using a culturally relevant leadership lens, this phenomenological study looks at the lived experiences of two female urban school leaders in Pakistani private schools. It highlights the structural enablements and barriers they faced across two different periods – the 1990s and the 2020s providing reflectively-nuanced insight into female school leadership in a Pakistani context. The findings from this small-scale study recommend further enhancing and developing female school leaders’ skills through targeted leadership development programmes and mentoring experiences that assist in developing their strong educational praxis as they create their own practice architectures. The findings contribute towards current educational leadership literature through a feminist approach to understanding how Pakistani female school teachers and leaders can exercise educational praxis within their school systems. It is anticipated that this approach will contribute towards the discourse on improving the working conditions for female teachers and school leaders working within this developing world context.

The Effects of Workplace Discrimination on Women in Education Leadership: A Case of Waterberg District in Limpopo Province

This study investigates the effect of employment discrimination on female leaders in the educational sector, with a particular emphasis on South Africa's Limpopo Province. The goal was to investigate the impact of such prejudice at the stages of recruiting, selection, and progression to higher positions. The study included 100 female participants and used a convergent parallel research technique that included quantitative and qualitative methodologies. All participants filled out a structured questionnaire, and a group of ten was chosen for a focus group interview. Audio recording was used to aid with data collecting. This study's theoretical foundation is built on Feminist Theory, which holds that workplace discrimination against women in educational leadership arises from a gender power differential. For the questionnaire data, statistical techniques were used, and theme analysis was used for the interview data. The findings show that, although women are given interim leadership positions within the Limpopo Department of Education, their possibilities decline dramatically throughout official appointment procedures. As a result, the research argues for strict monitoring of workplace discrimination against women in educational leadership posts, as well as the implementation of applicable laws throughout the recruiting, selection, and appointment processes.

Current situation and barriers to women’s leadership in health care education in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe aims of the current study were to explore the true representation of female academic staff who have advanced to leadership positions in Saudi health academic institutions and to determine the possible barriers to women’s advancement to leadership positions in academia. MethodologyThis was a cross-sectional study conducted between August 2022 and August 2023 using an adapted self-reported online questionnaire via Google form. Data was analyzed descriptively and comparatively by presenting frequencies with percentages besides means with standard deviations across various background categories and comparing them using student t test. ResultsA total of 115 educators in health care professions participated in the study, three fifths of them were Saudi and female, with the majority being married and employed by government organizations. The most impactful structural challenges for female leadership included the centralization of decision-making within the institution, unclear organizational bylaws for leadership qualifications and appointment processes, and the existence of a wide range of administrative units. The prevailing belief that men possess superior capacity and management skills compared to women in leadership roles and the reluctance to accept women’s authority by their subordinates were identified as the most influential culture challenges for female leadership. Most influential personality-related challenges included difficulty of balancing professional responsibilities with family obligations, stress and tension arising from reconciling the needs of subordinates with organizational goals and the complexity of traveling for work. ConclusionsThe study identified the most influential structural, culture, and personality-related barriers and other potential perceived challenges faced by female leadership. A collective effort involving academic institutions, leadership, and relevant stakeholders is critical to address these barriers. Academic institutions must eliminate these challenges to utilize female leaders’ talent fully, as they contribute unique perspectives and skills to their institutions.

Gender Bias at Workplace: A Study of the Unspoken Bias Towards Female Leaders Competencies in A Male Dominated Work Environment

The aim of the study was to explore the existence of stereotypical gender bias in relation to gender preference and the perceived leadership behaviors and competencies that female leaders would need in order to be successful in a male dominated industry using the oil and gas industry as a case study. To achieve this objective, a research questions was asked, “Does a negative perception of female leaders’ competences and stereo typical bias still persist in the male dominated environment like the oil and gas industry”.To appropriately answer this question and meet the objectives of the study, a quantitative positivism research design was adopted as the methodology. Survey questionnaire with 88 scaled questions and 1 open-ended questions was used as data collection method. 134 respondents comprising of 54 females and 80 males participated in the study. The data was analyzed using the IBM SPSS software. The role congruity theory of prejudice towards female leaders, the ‘Think manager – Think Male’ notion, the double bind concept and the competency framework were used as a theoretical concept to drive the study.Key findings from the study includes the role of factors like organizational, culture, and gender bias as an unspoken barrier for female leaders to succeed in the oil and gas industry. Other findings include a unified bias in which both male and female favorably rated a female leader they have worked with satisfactorily; the female leaders in the oil and gas industry are not disliked for being professional or assertive rather they earn the same respect as with the males from their subordinates. Evidence suggests that the leadership styles that was found to be mostly associated with female leaders in the oil and gas industry is the participative and relation-oriented style of leadership and this in human resources management is the recommended best practice and more effective approach.

The impact mechanism of carbon emission reduction performance on financial performance based on carbon neutral targets: Evidence from Chinese energy enterprises

Purpose: Low-carbon and green technologies are crucial for achieving industrial structure upgrades and significant leaps forward in the development of energy enterprises. Therefore, this paper examines the correlation between carbon emission reduction and financial performance in energy firms.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: A two-way fixed-effects model is developed using data from 33 Chinese energy-listed companies between 2015 and 2020.
 Findings: The benchmark regression results show that improving a company's carbon emission reduction performance leads to better financial performance. Moreover, assuming corporate responsibility for reducing emissions can boost companies' reputations and foster better relationships with stakeholders. The trustworthiness of the standard regression outcome is validated through alternative independent variables, reducing time frames, and incorporating previously omitted factors. The results of heterogeneity analyses show that reducing carbon emissions has the same effect on financial performance across all regional characteristics and equity subgroups. Furthermore, the internal transmission mechanism analysis reveals that female leadership positively moderates the effect, while financing constraints negatively moderate the relationship between carbon emission reduction performance and financial performance.
 Conclusion: Under the national green development strategy of achieving carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, the carbon information disclosure system should be improved by the government; enterprises should implement innovative methods for low-carbon economic management and operation; and regulators should establish effective green regulations, incentives, and constraints. This paper offers a comprehensive guide for energy companies and their stakeholders to reduce carbon emissions, thereby achieving sustainability.

Exploring Female Muslim Educational Leadership in a Multicultural Canadian Context

This study explores the stories and experiences of female Muslim leaders in K-12 Islamic schools in Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada. Using the Islamic Leadership theory and practice framework, visible minority leaders from K-12 Islamic Schools were empowered to share their leadership narratives reflecting on their own identities as females and Muslim leaders in a multicultural context. Based on interviews with five school leaders, this study unveils that female Muslim leaders in K-12 schools prioritize personalized leadership, compassionate treatment of individuals, adaptive leadership, a strong emphasis on faith-based identity, and a theocentric worldview in their practice of educational leadership. Ultimately, this study sheds light on female Muslim educational leaders’ diverse and profound perspectives, showcasing their roles as initiators, role models, and facilitators of positive change in their communities. Their narratives reveal the significance of faith, compassion, and inclusivity in leadership, serving as valuable insights for enhancing leadership practices in Canadian K-12 Islamic education.

Board chair gender, glass ceiling, and IPO underpricing: Evidence from China

This paper explores the relationship between board chair gender and IPO underpricing from the perspective of glass ceiling. By employing a large sample of IPOs in China, we find firms with female board chairs (FBCs) have less underpricing than those with male board chairs (MBCs), indicating that investors interpret FBC as a positive signal of IPO. This relationship holds after addressing potential endogeneity concerns by instrumental variable regressions and by propensity score matched sample tests. Further studies show this relationship is more pronounced for firms with more internal gender discrimination, more risk-taking, and CEO-chair duality. In addition, we find firms led by FBCs have better operating performance in post-IPO period, but there is no evidence that firms with FBCs are more conservative in financial reporting or risk-taking. The results suggest that the glass ceiling may create more competent female leaders and investors who bid on firms led by FBCs can benefit from post-IPO operating performance. This paper extends research on underlying factors of IPO underpricing and the impact of gender discrimination in corporate leadership, and has implications for gender structure optimization of top management and IPO pricing efficiency.

Does leadership gender representativeness improve policy outcomes? Evidence from local governments in China

AbstractNumerous studies have delved into the intricate dynamics of representative bureaucracy in public service provision, yet a significant gap exists in our understanding of the distinctions between top leaders and members of the top management team (TMT). Using the panel data of 317 subdistricts in Beijing, this research revealed that top female leaders have stronger influences on public service delivery than female TMT members. Top female leaders handle citizens' complaints better than their male counterparts, while the effect of TMT gender representation is nonsignificant. This research underscores the imperative need to differentiate between the representative roles of top leaders and TMT members, thereby revealing nuanced effects in the realm of gender representation.

Supporting Female Leaders in Higher Education through an Understanding of Psychological Type

Supporting Female Leaders in Higher Education through an Understanding of Psychological Type

What Strategy to Develop Female Leadership to Support a Company’s Sustainability in State Owned Enterprises (SOES)?

What Strategy to Develop Female Leadership to Support a Company’s Sustainability in State Owned Enterprises (SOES)?

‘Finding their voice’: exploring female adolescents’ perspectives and experiences of a youth leadership programme

Abstract In order to increase women’s participation in leadership roles, an understanding of what barriers exist to inhibit female leadership development and what best practices can foster leadership in young women is needed. This qualitative study explored the leadership perspectives and experiences of eight young women (aged 14–16 years) who participated in a community-based youth leadership programme in Australia. Findings indicated that participants distinguished between believing they had the potential and skills to lead and having the confidence to say they are leaders. Gender socialization and implicit leadership beliefs influenced their understandings and perspectives of leadership and their willingness to pursue leadership. They identified the importance of female youth ‘finding their voice’ and not ‘holding back’. This study has significant potential organizational and community applications. Education and participation in community leadership programmes can be used as an opportunity to confront gendered assumptions, and better prepare young women for different types of leadership roles and foster their ability to be agents of social change.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ОРГАНІЗАТОРСЬКИХ ЗДІБНОСТЕЙ ЖІНКИ-УПРАВЛІНЦЯ

The individual task is devoted to the development of managerial abilities of a female manager in a modern environment. The research study examines an important aspect of modern management aimed at understanding the unique characteristics and success of women in leadership and management roles. The study is aimed at determining the key aspects of the organizational abilities of women managers, which can affect the effectiveness of their activities in the business environment. The program focuses on improving leadership, communication and strategic decision-making skills. The study aims to support women in developing their management skills for successful leadership. It is based on the study of psychological aspects of leadership, communication strategies, conflict management skills and developing emotional intelligence. The program also includes elements of mentoring and practical exercises to improve management skills and create an enabling environment for female leadership in today's business. Within the framework of the study, the individual features of women's leadership style are analyzed, in particular, their ability to communicate, solve problems, motivate the team, and think strategically. The impact of gender stereotypes and prejudices on decision-making processes and opportunities for women managers is considered. The study also looks at practical aspects, such as successful case studies of female managers in various industries and their strategies for overcoming difficulties associated with stereotypes and limitations. The possibilities of ways to support and develop the organizational abilities of women in the conditions of a competitive business environment are highlighted. This study is an important step towards achieving the development of better management strategies in the modern business environment. The main task of the article is to understand the peculiarities of the behavior of women managers and their significant impact on organizational dynamics.

Female Leadership Roles: Subjectivity and Self-Representation

Abstract This article delves into the impact of digital activism on the leadership style of female-led non-governmental organisations operating under restricted access to opportunities. The focus is on Muslim sisterhood activism, examining the shift from offline to online activism led by the younger generation. The article analyses the barriers that have historically prevented Muslim sisterhood activists from playing leadership roles within the Muslim Brotherhood group and compares offline and online leadership roles using the case study of the Revolutionary Coalition for Egyptian Women from 2014 to 2023, with a focus on 2014. The study reveals that the younger generation of Muslim women has adopted a language that prioritises self-representation and body politics over religious discourse, indicating a heightened awareness of gender politics during the period between 2014 and 2023. To overcome state-imposed restrictions, the younger generation of the Muslim sisterhood has contradicted their well-established values on women’s roles and focused their political agendas on regaining popularity in Egyptian society. By exploring the impact of different political opportunities on women’s leadership roles through the political process paradigm, this article bridges a gap in the literature on resistant politics, feminism, leadership, and digital activism. The study shows that the younger generation of Muslim women is spearheading a strategic change in the resistant activist discourse, utilising the new digital space for activism to promote their cause.

Effective and Professional Management of Village Tourism Objects Through BUMDes

This study aims to analyze and describe the role of Village Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) in managing tourism objects in Sidokepung Village. The research is a qualitative study that focuses on the role of female village heads in empowering women. Data was collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using the data reduction, data presentation, and data verification proposed by Miles and Huberman. The results indicate that the motivator dimension in tourism management was not successful, the facilitator dimension was not optimal, and the Dynamisator was not implemented properly. The implications of these findings suggest that there is a need for improvement in the management of tourism objects in Sidokepung Village, particularly in the areas of motivation, facilitation, and dynamization. Highlight : Limited success: BUMDes management of tourism in Sidokepung fell short in motivating, facilitating, and dynamizing the sector. Female leadership focus: Research explored the specific role of female village heads in empowering women through tourism initiatives. Areas for improvement: Findings highlight the need for enhanced strategies in motivation, facilitation, and dynamization to boost tourism success Keywords: BUMDes, Sidokepung village, tourism, female leadership, women empowerment

Gender stereotypes may not influence the choice of female leaders: Experimental evidence from a crisis framed as social or economic during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractThis research examined whether female (vs. male) leaders are preferred during a pandemic when stereotypically feminine leadership is deemed useful. We hypothesized that citizens prefer female (vs. male) politicians when the crisis is framed as a social (vs. economic) crisis because they believe it requires feminine (vs. masculine) leadership. In a pilot study and three online experiments with US residents (Ntotal = 1675), we manipulated crisis type or a leadership candidate's gender for a task force. While participants indicated that a crisis framed as social (vs. economic) required more feminine leadership, they did not appoint a woman more or rated her as more suitable for the social crisis (vs. economic crisis or a no‐crisis situation). Furthermore, the female (vs. male) candidate was not perceived to possess more feminine leadership traits. Overall, participants did not rely on gender stereotypes when explicitly evaluating politicians. We discuss potential explanations for these unexpected results.

Building Pathways for Female Leaders’ Economic Empowerment

Building Pathways for Female Leaders’ Economic Empowerment

Female Leadership Development: From a Non-Western Perspective

Female Leadership Development: From a Non-Western Perspective

The role of female leadership in times of financial crisis – an analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic

In 2020 the new COVID-19-virus brought an external shock to the stock markets. In this situation effective leadership was essential to bring companies through the crisis.
 Political observation showed that countries led by women managed the pandemic situation more effectively than those led by men. Therefore, the research objective of this article is to examine whether female leaders were also more successful to guide companies through the pandemic. Success in this study is defined as financial performance based on stock prices.
 To find out whether female managers showed a better financial performance during this crisis, this study examined all companies listed on the German Stock Exchange, which have at least 50 % women in the board. To compare this female managed companies to firms managed mainly by male managers, a market value weighted index for the female managed companies was conducted and compared to the German Stock Index DAX by looking at several financial key figures.
 The analysis of these key figures shows that female managed companies outperformed male managed companies in terms of return as well as risk in the year of the COVID-pandemic but were not able to keep their overperformance in the subsequent years. This may be an indicator that women are superior in leading a company through a crisis but suffer in terms of performance when times have calmed down.