Interpersonal Influences and Major Nontraditionality as Predictors of Women's Leadership Aspirations

In this study, we examined the degree to which two forms of perceived interpersonal influence relate to college women’s plans to become leaders in their career fields. We also tested whether those associations vary as a function of the nontraditionality of the women’s majors (as indexed by the percentage of male students in their majors). The responses of 673 female undergraduate students to an online survey revealed that perceived support/guidance for career decision-making and perceived inspiration from career role models both had unique and positive associations with leadership aspirations, but those associations did not differ based on major nontraditionality. We discuss implications for career interventions designed to facilitate college women’s leadership aspirations and identify future research directions.

Download Full-text

Gender and Willingness to Lead: Does the Gender Composition of Teams Matter?

Review of Economics and Statistics ◽

10.1162/rest_a_00955 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-46

Author(s):

Andreas Born ◽

Eva Ranehill ◽

Anna Sandberg

Keyword(s):

Women's Leadership ◽

Gender Composition ◽

Large Share ◽

Team Members ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Leadership Aspirations ◽

Pooled Sample

We explore how team gender composition affects willingness to lead by randomly assigning participants in an experiment to male- or female-majority teams. Irrespective of team gender composition, men are substantially more willing than women to lead their team. The pooled sample, and women separately, are more willing to lead female- than male-majority teams. An analysis of mechanisms reveals that a large share of the negative effect of male-majority teams on women's leadership aspirations is accounted for by a negative effect on women's confidence, influence, and expected support from team members.

Download Full-text

To be leader or not to be leader? Correlation between men’s negative presumption toward women leaders and women’s leadership aspirations

Diversity in Unity: Perspectives from Psychology and Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.1201/9781315225302-55 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 445-450

Author(s):

N.I. Muthi’ah ◽

E.K. Poerwandari ◽

I. Primasari

Keyword(s):

Women Leaders ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Leadership Aspirations

Download Full-text

Women's Leadership Aspirations and Career Paths in Higher Education

Research Anthology on Challenges for Women in Leadership Roles ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-8592-4.ch044 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 799-821

Author(s):

Lilian H. Hill ◽

Celeste A. Wheat ◽

Tanyaradzwa C. Mandishona ◽

Andrea E. Blake

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Vice President ◽

Women's Leadership ◽

Feminist Perspective ◽

Geographic Mobility ◽

Administrative Positions ◽

Partner Influence ◽

Leadership Aspirations ◽

Life Roles ◽

Insight Into

The purpose of this chapter is to provide insight into the ways in which personal life roles such as mother, daughter, and/or spouse/partner influence the leadership aspirations of women holding senior university administrative positions (e.g., academic dean, vice president, provost). The chapter is informed by a postmodern feminist perspective and reviews literature related to pathways to the presidency, family considerations, gender roles, and geographic mobility. Findings from the literature are integrated with those of the dissertation of the second author. In keeping with a postmodern feminist perspective, the chapter concludes with recommendations for change in recruiting diverse women for higher education leadership.

Download Full-text