Supervisor Gender, Leadership Style and Perceived Job Design

Employees tend to look for role models fairly early in their careers, and it is important to remember that they may be, consciously or unconsciously, adapting their management and leadership styles to mirror those of supervisors. The different leadership styles employed by men and women may make a difference in employees' preferred work behaviors.

The number of women in organizations has grown significantly over the past decade, and their representation is expected to increase well into the new century. Already, women hold nearly one-third of all federal white-collar supervisory jobs; their performance in the sales and hospitality industries is exemplary, and their ascent into top management positions in large companies has increased nearly 60 percent over the last decade. In both the UK and Ireland, women represent more than 45 percent of the workforce.

Women's leadership behaviors have drawn much attention. Much of women's success is prompted by their keen ability to problem-solve and to think analytically, by their ability to effectively communicate, and by their tendency to value professional relationships. In general, women are found to be more socially oriented, egalitarian, equality-based, self-aware, and nurturing than men, and they tend to use democratic and transformational leadership practices more often than men do. Women are also found to be less competitive in conflict management situations than men, and they communicate with co-workers to satisfy needs for affection while men communicate to satisfy needs for control. These qualities have enabled women to become effective mentors because they tend to support their employees both professionally and psychologically. Female leadership values are also considered valuable components of a strong corporate culture. Women must unfortunately face socially prompted stereotypes about masculinity and femininity that undermine their credibility as organizational leaders. The gender-centered model, which highlights such masculine and feminine tendencies, claims that there are psychological differences between men and women that lead them to favor specific leadership styles and behaviors at work. According to the model, effective female supervisors are more likely to emphasize consideration and personal relations while men are more likely to prefer more task-oriented leader behaviors.

Some of the negative preconceptions about workingwomen unfortunately affect how they are accepted and appraised at work, and many scholars believe that such stereotypes are the basis of the glass ceiling.

Like men leaders, women want the best for themselves and for their families. They want their company to succeed. And, most surprisingly, they have a drive to succeed.

However, subordinates tend to prefer male leadership, and they are more likely to blame female supervisors when negative outcomes are experienced at work. Also, men tend to receive more favorable evaluations from subordinates than do women.

A number of studies support the notion that men and women value different leader characteristics. While women mentioned enthusiasm, determination, interpersonal skills, sense of humor and ambitiousness, men more often reported integrity and loyalty as key factors. Men believed successful managers more often had masculine qualities, outlooks and nature, while women felt that successful managers had both masculine and feminine leadership traits.