Читать книгу Gender and Leadership - Gary N. Powell - Страница 19

The linkage between gender and leader stereotypes emphasizing masculinity has significant implications, especially for people who aspire to or already hold leadership positions. It places women at a disadvantage compared to men with equivalent credentials and experience, because the perceived incongruity or lack of fit between the leader role and women's gender role fosters their legitimacy as leaders being questioned (Eagly & Karau, 2002; Heilman, 1983, 2012; Perry et al., 1994). As a result, women are less likely to perceive themselves as good leaders than men do (Powell & Butterfield, 2015a), which may make them less likely than men to develop their managerial skills, pursue careers in the managerial ranks, or pursue careers in the top managerial ranks (Heilman, 2012).

When women assume leader roles, leader stereotypes act as constraints on their behavior. Many organizations exert strong pressure on their members to conform to standards of behavior dictated by those in positions of power and authority. As long as men remain in the majority in top management ranks and increases in women's status in the 21st century remain stalled (Powell, 2019; Powell & Butterfield, 2015a), the masculine leader stereotype is likely to prevail, and female leaders will be expected to behave as male leaders. In this way, a leader stereotype emphasizing masculinity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (Eden, 2003).

However, leader stereotypes do not necessarily apply to the actual practice of management. As noted earlier, stereotypes of all kinds tend to be durable and may not reflect current realities. Stereotypes of leaders as possessing predominantly masculine traits may not reflect what actually makes for effective leaders. Instead, these stereotypes may reflect only that most managers have been men and that most men have been expected to conform to a norm of masculinity.

Further, leader stereotypes may be dependent on the racial and ethnic composition of the management ranks. The vast majority of both female and male managers, especially at top management levels, are whites, with women of color being the most underrepresented group (Piazza, 2016). Leader stereotypes may largely reflect beliefs about the characteristics of leaders from the dominant racial and ethnic group in the managerial ranks and ignore the characteristics of leaders from other groups (Parker & ogilvie, 1996; Sanchez-Hucles & Davis, 2010).

In conclusion, I expect that the linkage between gender and leader stereotypes is likely to continue to emphasize masculinity, even if there are gradual declines in this emphasis. I see the emphasis on masculinity in leader stereotypes as unlikely to go away entirely, at least anytime soon, because the forces that maintain it are so strong. Further, it is likely to be reinforced by the continued predominance of men in top management positions, which leads us to the next chapter.