Underrepresentation Of Women In Leadership Research Articles

The problematic persistence of gender reflexivity in women's leadership development

PurposeResearch on women's leadership development over the past two decades has seen a move away from feminist theory that embeds action at a structural level as the objective of consciousness raising realised during the programme. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of the stalling of collective action needed to challenge the continued under-representation of women in leadership roles.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is conceptual. Gender reflexivity – as the basis for claims within women's leadership development programmes (WLDPs) that are based on identity work to enable wider transformation of organisations in respect of structural barriers – is examined and critiqued.FindingsWomen's leadership development is unlikely to be able to used as a vehicle for structural change whilst it remains focused on self-acceptance, self-management and self-development of the individual participants. Gender reflexivity, as the warrant for change and transformation, is not used in a way that can deliver organisational change. Part of this is the way in which it is misapplied within human resource development and part of this is the continued lack of framing WLDP as a historical practice in support of the current logic of leadership.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the development of a critical approach to women's leadership development from a feminist theory perspective.

Breaking Through Barriers: Factors That Influence Behavior Change Toward Leadership for Women in Academic Medicine.

Under-representation of women in leadership at Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) is a known challenge such that, in 2021, women made up only 28% of department chairs. AMCs are addressing the dearth of women leaders through targeted programming to create leadership pipelines of qualified women. The FLEX Leadership Development Program at the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine prepares women faculty for increased leadership opportunities. FLEX includes the opportunity to leverage executive coaching to accomplish individual goals. The FLEX program has the explicit goal of increasing the number of women in visible leadership positions in academic medicine and health sciences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 graduates from seven FLEX cohorts (2012–2018). Participants reflected diversity in academic rank, terminal degree, racial/ethnic background, years of employment, and institutional affiliation. Interviews consisted of eight questions with additional probes to elicit lived experiences. Analysis consisted of two-stage open- and axial-coding of interview transcripts to understand: What factors facilitated behavior change following FLEX training? The analysis revealed five overarching themes: (1) Communication skills; (2) Self-Efficacy; (3) Networking; (4) Situational Awareness; and (5) Visioning. FLEX graduates reported achieving both personal and professional growth by drawing upon peer networks to proactively seek new leadership opportunities. These results suggest that the enduring benefits of the FLEX Program include improved communication skills, expanded situational awareness and relational capacity, greater self-efficacy and self-confidence, improved networking with an understanding of the value of networking. All these factors led FLEX graduates to have greater visibility and to engage with their colleagues more effectively. Similarly, FLEX graduates could better advocate for themselves and for others as well as paying it forward to mentor and train the next generation of faculty. Finally, participants learned to re-evaluate their goals and their career vision to be able to envision themselves in greater leadership roles. The five factors that strongly influenced behavior change provide valuable constructs for other programs to examine following leadership development training. Ongoing studies include examining successful leadership position attainment, personal goal attainment, and measuring changes in leadership self-efficacy.

Trends in utilization of metabolic and bariatric surgery procedures by race-ethnicity: A state-wide analysis

The under-representation of women in leadership in scientific fields presents a serious problem. Gender diversity is integral to innovation and productivity, and inequality leads to loss of gender talent in science including epidemiology. This policy brief summarizes some of the key dimensions and determinants contributing to gender-equity gaps in epidemiology and other scientific fields, relevant to developed countries where there is more published evidence. Women in scientific fields hold fewer positions on editorial boards, lack equal representation in speaking engagements at conferences, and are less likely to publish or receive top tier grant funding. Reasons for these inequities range from unconscious bias, biased promotion systems, and traditional norms in the division of family life and labor in our society leading to the attrition of women in academia. Addressing the problem of gender inequity, as a component of gender inequality, will provide an ethical basis to advance innovation. Data on gender equity in the field of epidemiology are sparse. We call on academic institutions, professional societies and associations, and editorial boards relevant to epidemiology (as well as other academic disciplines more broadly) to take meaningful action to build an evidence base as to the extent of gender inequities in epidemiologic research, teaching, policy, and practice. We outline some of the necessary steps required to achieve gender equity, such as career development and mentoring programs, institutional support, and programs to address bias.

Critical Evaluation of Gender Discrimination and Glass Ceiling Effect in the Indian and International Universities in UAE

The obstacles that lead to the under-representation of women in leadership and upper level management positions are commonly described in scholarly works and the media as glass ceilings (Barreto et al., 2009; McLeod, 2008; Weyer, 2007). The term glass ceiling was used basically in corporate field as the Wall Street Journal promoted this issue in March 1986. It described conflict that arose when qualified women were denied higher positions in corporate ladder and did not get equally paid for similar types of work. There is a strong need for ongoing investigations into the causes and consequences of glass ceilings. Women around the world have been moving steadily into occupations, professions and managerial jobs previously reserved for men. Their access to education and training continues to improve, providing many with the necessary qualifications to aspire to jobs in senior management. The present study is concerned with critical evaluation of gender discrimination and glass ceiling effect. The purpose of the present study is to identify the variables which play a vital role in glass ceiling effect based on gender. The study primarily focuses on gender difference/glass ceiling effect in case of Universities with special reference to Indian vs International Universities in Dubai.

Gender equity in epidemiology: a policy brief

The under-representation of women in leadership in scientific fields presents a serious problem. Gender diversity is integral to innovation and productivity, and inequality leads to loss of gender talent in science including epidemiology. This policy brief summarizes some of the key dimensions and determinants contributing to gender-equity gaps in epidemiology and other scientific fields, relevant to developed countries where there is more published evidence. Women in scientific fields hold fewer positions on editorial boards, lack equal representation in speaking engagements at conferences, and are less likely to publish or receive top tier grant funding. Reasons for these inequities range from unconscious bias, biased promotion systems, and traditional norms in the division of family life and labor in our society leading to the attrition of women in academia. Addressing the problem of gender inequity, as a component of gender inequality, will provide an ethical basis to advance innovation. Data on gender equity in the field of epidemiology are sparse. We call on academic institutions, professional societies and associations, and editorial boards relevant to epidemiology (as well as other academic disciplines more broadly) to take meaningful action to build an evidence base as to the extent of gender inequities in epidemiologic research, teaching, policy, and practice. We outline some of the necessary steps required to achieve gender equity, such as career development and mentoring programs, institutional support, and programs to address bias.

The ripple effect: why promoting female leadership in global health matters

Leadership positions in global health are greatly skewed toward men; the imbalance is more pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The under-representation of women in leadership is a threat to gender equality, and also impacts the improvement of women's health outcomes globally. In this perspectives piece, we assert that the promotion and retention of women in global health leadership has a ripple effect that can achieve improvement in global health outcomes. We present pragmatic, actionable solutions to promote and retain female global health leaders in this field.

A feminist critical perspective on educational leadership

Since the 1980s, there has been a burgeoning literature on women and educational leadership. The focus has primarily been on the underrepresentation of women in leadership informed by a feminist critique of the mainstream literature. Over time, key feminist theories and research have been appropriated in education policy and are now embedded in the mainstream literature, with little recognition of their provenance or political intent. This article identifies the discursive moves that have domesticated feminist research by depoliticizing and decontextualizing leadership and argues for refocusing the feminist gaze away from numerical representation of women in leadership to the social relations of gender and power locally, nationally and internationally. A feminist critical sociological perspective treats leadership as a conceptual lens through which to problematize the nature, purpose and capacities of educational systems and organizations to reform and indeed re-think their practices in more socially just ways. Feminist understandings provide substantive and normative alternatives to how we theorize and practice leadership.

Techniques of Power in Physical Education and the Underrepresentation of Women in Leadership

In a research project investigating the underrepresentation of women in leadership in physical education within the context of workplace cultures and teachers’ lives and careers, subtle effects of power were found to be influential. This article outlines the analytical framework that was used for the discourse analysis of interviews from this research based on the work of Gore (1998), Wright (2000), and Foucault. Seventeen teachers (7 male and 10 female) were interviewed and the data analyzed through discourse analysis using eight techniques of power described by Gore that are pertinent to educational and physical education settings. These techniques explained the colonization of space by dominant masculinities, the male gaze on female bodies, gendered expectations of behavior and appearance, dominant discourses of male leadership, and exclusion from male-dominated networks that all contributed toward the underrepresentation of women in leadership in physical education.