View from the top – in women’s own words

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-27
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
The Body ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Leadership Identity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Gendered Leadership ◽  
The Media

Purpose This review is based on “Gender, authentic leadership and identity: analysis of women leaders’ autobiographies” by Kapasi et al. (2016). Given the under-representation of women in leadership positions, attempts to uncover reasons why remain of interest. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. This paper uses the autobiographies of four high-profile women leaders to understand how they construct a gendered leadership identity, with particular reference to authentic leadership. Findings The paper reviewed found that analyses reveal that these women construct gender and leadership along familiar normative lines; for example, the emphasis on personal and familial values. However, their stories differ in that the normative extends to include close examination of the body and a sense of responsibility to other women. Overall, media representations of these “authentic” leaders conform to social constructions of gender. Thus, in the case of authentic leadership, a theory presented as gender neutral, the authenticity of leadership has to some extent been crafted by the media rather than the leader. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

scholarly journals Gender, authentic leadership and identity: analysis of women leaders’ autobiographies

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 339-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isla Kapasi ◽  
Katherine J.C. Sang ◽  
Rafal Sitko
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
The Body ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Gender And Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Gendered Leadership

Purpose Leadership theories have moved from viewing leadership as an innate trait, towards models that recognise leadership as a social construction. Alongside this theorisation, gender and leadership remain of considerable interest, particularly given the under-representation of women in leadership positions. Methodological approaches to understanding leadership have begun to embrace innovative methods, such as historical analyses. This paper aims to understand how high profile women leaders construct a gendered leadership identity, with particular reference to authentic leadership. Design/methodology/approach Thematic analysis of autobiographies, a form of identity work, of four women leaders from business and politics: Sheryl Sandberg, Karren Brady, Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard. Findings Analyses reveal that these women construct gender and leadership along familiar normative lines; for example, the emphasis on personal and familial values. However, their stories differ in that the normative extends to include close examination of the body and a sense of responsibility to other women. Overall, media representations of these “authentic” leaders conform to social constructions of gender. Thus, in the case of authentic leadership, a theory presented as gender neutral, the authenticity of leadership has to some extent been crafted by the media rather than the leader. Originality/value The study reveals that despite attempts to “craft” and control the image of the authentic self for consumption by followers, gendered media representations of individuals and leadership remain. Thus, alternative approaches to crafting an authentic leadership self which extend beyond (mainstream) media is suggested.

She’s homely, beautiful and then, hardworking!

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 396-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganiyat Tijani-Adenle
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Women Leaders ◽  
African Country ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Feminist Research ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
The Status ◽  
Sub Saharan

Purpose There are assumptions in gender-related media research that increased female status would be accompanied by more and better representation of women. There are also expectations that an increase in the number of women working in the news media will increase the positive representation of women. The aim of this paper is to critique the representation of women leaders and managers in the Nigerian press to assess the extent to which these factors have influenced the representation of women in the West African country. Design/methodology/approach Using two methods, qualitative content analysis and interview, this chapter critiques the representation of women leaders and managers in Nigerian Guardian Life and Vanguard Allure (over a period of six months – the last half of 2014) to determine the way women in leadership and management are constructed by checking for frames on stereotypes, gender roles and trivialisation themes. The editors of the two publications are then interviewed to consider the philosophies behind the coverage patterns and assess their knowledge and awareness of the implications of the coverage patterns on the status of women in the sub-Saharan African country. Findings It was discovered that the Nigerian press are focusing on re-enforcing traditional gender roles and norms rather than challenging them, and women in leadership and management in the country do not apply sufficient agency in challenging the status quo. Research limitations/implications Even though information derived from this study cannot be said to represent the realities in all of Africa, it surely provides a good context within which issues about media representation of women in leadership and management in Africa can be better understood to assess how the cultures on the continent’s various countries affect the realities of the lives of women. Originality/value The bulk of feminist research is situated in the North. Not much feminist research is being done in the South, and there appears to be an inadequate engagement with the available few in the literature. This chapter bridges the gap by presenting much needed information about gender, media and organisation in Nigeria; a highly populous multi-ethnic and multi-cultural sub-Saharan African country. Even though information derived from this study cannot be said to represent the realities in all of Africa, it will surely provide a good context within which issues about media, gender and organisation in Africa can be better appreciated.

Home truths for women leaders

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 10-12 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Women Leaders ◽  
African Country ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Feminist Research ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
The Status ◽  
Sub Saharan

Purpose There are assumptions in gender-related media research that increased female status would be accompanied by more and better representation of women. There are also expectations that an increase in the number of women working in the news media will increase the positive representation of women. The purpose of this paper is to critique the representation of women leaders and managers in the Nigerian press to assess the extent to which these factors have influenced the representation of women in the West African country. Design/methodology/approach Using two methods, qualitative content analysis and interview, this chapter critiques the representation of women leaders and managers in Nigerian Guardian Life and Vanguard Allure (over a period of six months – the last half of 2014) to determine the way women in leadership and management are constructed by checking for frames on stereotypes, gender roles and trivialization themes. The editors of the two publications are then interviewed to consider the philosophies behind the coverage patterns and assess their knowledge and awareness of the implications of the coverage patterns on the status of women in the sub-Saharan African country. Findings It was discovered that the Nigerian press are focusing on re-enforcing traditional gender roles and norms rather than challenging them, and women in leadership and management in the country do not apply sufficient agency in challenging the status quo. Originality/value The bulk of feminist research is situated in the North. Not much feminist research is being done in the South, and there appears to be an inadequate engagement with the available few in the literature. This chapter bridges the gap by presenting much-needed information about gender, media and organization in Nigeria, a highly populous multi-ethnic and multi-cultural sub-Saharan African country. Even though information derived from this study cannot be said to represent the realities in all of Africa, it will surely provide a good context within which issues about media, gender and organization in Africa can be better appreciated.

African American women leadership across contexts

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-376
Author(s):  
Shannon Sales ◽  
Monica Galloway Burke ◽  
Colin Cannonier
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Women Leaders ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
American Women ◽  
History Of ◽  
Perceptions Of Leadership

Purpose This paper aims to examine women leaders from diverse career backgrounds and ethnicities to discover their perspectives of their leadership roles and empowerment to determine similarities and differences among them, focusing on the perspectives of African American women. Design/methodology/approach The review process began with a comprehensive review of African American women in history in the context of leadership and empowerment. Next, a Q-sort methodology was used as a semi-qualitative approach for women leaders to rank words of empowerment and facilitate discussions among these women. The Q methodology is known for exploring issues that are correlated with individuals who are influenced with personal feelings and opinions. Findings The paper concludes that perceptions of leadership roles differ among the African American women leaders when compared to other ethnicities. The results support the idea that women from diverse ethnic backgrounds have different experiences in the workplace, and these experiences influence how they identify factors they perceive as beneficial to them in terms of their perspectives on leadership and empowerment. Several themes emerged for African American women leaders including being overlooked, marginalized, undervalued and unappreciated in their professions as leaders due to their dual minority status. As it is now as it was in the past, such barriers can deter or stop progression for African American women leaders. Originality/value The history of African American women in leadership roles is scantily recognized or not recognized at all. This paper highlights leadership roles and barriers for African American women currently in leadership roles in contrast to other women. The issues they face are still similar to those faced by African American women in earlier decades in spite of increased career mobility. A relatively understudied topic in leadership and management history in general, this paper provides a unique lens from which to build awareness about the leadership roles and empowerment of African American women and to effect needed change.

Women leaders' views on demand-side strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyson Byrne ◽  
Ingrid C. Chadwick ◽  
Amanda J. Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Career Stage ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Demand Side ◽  
Engaged Scholarship ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine female leaders' attitudes toward demand-side strategies to close the gender-leadership gap and discuss implications for organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis article describes the process of knowledge co-creation that took place using an engaged scholarship epistemology over 23 interviews with North American women in senior leadership roles.FindingsFive key themes related to women leaders' attitudes toward demand-side strategies are discussed. Some felt uncertain or opposed toward these strategies, whereas others supported them. Support for these strategies was dependent on perceptions of backlash regarding the implementation of these strategies and the participants' career stage. Finally, participants acknowledged that demand-side strategies are insufficient in isolation and require additional organizational supports.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings enhance our understanding and provide theoretical refinement of the mechanisms that drive female leaders' reactions to demand-side strategies to close the gender-leadership gap.Practical implicationsParticipants advocated for certain practices to be considered when organizations contemplate the adoption of demand-side strategies. Importantly, participants advocated that the implementation of demand-side strategies would be insufficient unless organizations encourage greater dialogue regarding the gender-leadership gap, that top management support more gender inclusive leadership, and that male colleagues act as allies for women in leadership.Originality/valueThis article extends past research and theory by integrating the pragmatic perspectives of successful female leaders with previous empirical evidence to illustrate different reactions to demand-side strategies and ways for organizations to manage those in their efforts to close the gender-leadership gap.

Success and agency: localizing women’s leadership in Oman

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 606-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maia Hallward ◽  
Hania Bekdash-Muellers
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Women's Agency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Agency ◽  
Hired Labor ◽  
High Level ◽  
Domestic Support

Purpose This study aims to examine women’s leadership in Oman, seeking to empirically determine whether and how local perceptions of “success” and lifestyle preferences are related to women’s agency and propensity for leadership. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the literature, this paper qualitatively analyzes 32 semi-structured interviews of diverse Omani women leaders, identifying their conceptions of success as predominantly subjective or objective. At the same time, the study uses Hakim’s (2006) lifestyle preference model to explore women's agency. Findings Contrary to the literature on the central importance of domestic responsibilities for Arab Muslim women, more women in leadership positions are identified as career-centered (14/32, 44%); those who did identify as family-centered (6/32, 19%) did not cite Islam to justify that preference, and success is envisioned more subjectively (19/32, 59%). Research limitations/implications The sample has an urban bias and does not claim to be representative of all Omani women. Interviews were conducted in English; most women leaders in Oman are required to speak English. Practical implications By analyzing work-life balance preferences as a proxy for agency and interrogating Omani women's own conceptions of success, the study may lead to more robust and culturally aware policies to support women’s leadership. Social implications Defining in subjective terms suggests that success is not necessarily equated with achieving a high level position for Omani women. Further, only 6/32 were identified as home-centered, thus indicating the critical importance of domestic support from hired labor or family members. Originality/value This study contributes new empirical findings on women leaders in Oman that illustrates the role of personal agency and lifestyle preference in contrast to many studies that treat culture as a constant.

Language and citizenship

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommaso M. Milani
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Language Testing ◽  
The Body ◽  
Main Argument ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Semiotic Resources ◽  
The Media

The main argument advanced in this article that frames this special issue is that citizenship is not just a highly polysemic word employed by the media and other political institutions; it is also a set of norms and (linguistic) behaviours that individuals are socialised into, as well as a series of practices that social actors perform through an array of semiotic means including multilingualism, multivoicedness, the body, and affect. In light of this, it is proposed that the linguistic/discursive study of citizenship should be expanded beyond a rather narrow emphasis on political proposals about language testing to include the diverse, more or less mundane, ways in which citizenship is enacted via an array of multivocal, material, and affective semiotic resources.

‘Some viewers may find the following images disturbing’: Visual representations of refugee deaths at border crossings

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Lenette ◽  
Natasa Miskovic
Keyword(s):  
Visual Representations ◽  
Emotional Reaction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Border Crossings ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Human Vulnerability ◽  
The Media ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
The Impact

The emotional reaction and outrage following the publication of photographs of Alan Kurdi who drowned while crossing borders in September 2015 highlighted the major impact visual representations of refugee deaths at border crossings can have on public opinions and political will. The impact of these photographs also shows that depictions of deaths as a result of border crossings are relatively rare in the media; analyses of such representations and their potential impact on policy are also neglected in the literature. This article offers a commentary on the key themes linked to visual representations of refugee deaths at border crossings by considering three recent examples, and argues for further interdisciplinary discussions on such images. It focuses on two points: that depicting refugees alone has a greater impact on viewers and is more likely to trigger sympathy or outrage; concurrently, that anonymity can reduce viewers’ ability to connect with the tragedy. This discussion adds to the body of literature on the links between media representations and policymaking, and on the mediation of human vulnerability through visual means. The themes outlined here have much currency in contemporary discussions on refugee deaths at border crossings.

scholarly journals Women managers, leaders and the media gaze

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 314-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Anne Mavin ◽  
Carole Elliott ◽  
Valerie Stead ◽  
Jannine Williams
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
News Media ◽  
Women Managers ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Constructions ◽  
The Media ◽  
Representations Of Women

Purpose The purpose of this special issue is to extend the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (ESRC)-funded UK seminar series–Challenging Gendered Media (Mis)Representations of Women Professionals and Leaders; and to highlight research into the gendered media constructions of women managers and leaders and outline effective methods and methodologies into diverse media. Design/methodology/approach Gendered analysis of television, autobiographies (of Sheryl Sandberg, Karren Brady, Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard), broadcast news media and media press through critical discourse analysis, thematic analysis, metaphor and computer-aided text analysis software following the format of the Gender Media Monitoring Project (2015) and [critical] ecological framework for advancing social change. Findings The papers surface the gendered nature of media constructions of women managers and leaders and offer methods and methodologies for others to follow to interrogate gendered media. Further, the papers discuss – how women’s leadership is glamourized, fetishized and sexualized; the embodiment of leadership for women; how popular culture can subvert the dominant gaze; how women use agency and how powerful gendered norms shape perceptions, discourses and norms and how these are resisted, repudiated and represented. Practical implications The papers focus upon how the media constructs women managers and leaders and offer implications of how media influences and is influenced by practice. There are recommendations provided as to how the media could itself be organized differently to reflect diverse audiences, and what can be done to challenge gendered media. Social implications Challenging gendered media representations of women managers and leaders is critical to social justice and equality for women in management and leadership. Originality/value This is an invited Special Issue comprising inaugural collection of research through which we get to “see” women and leaders and the gendered media gaze and to learn from research into popular culture through analysis of television, autobiographies and media press.

Discursive constructions of women managers in German mass media in the gender quota debate 2011-2013

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 359-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rainhart Lang ◽  
Irma Rybnikova
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Women Managers ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Political Debate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Gender Quota ◽  
Representations Of Women ◽  
German Newspapers

Purpose This study aims to explore the main discursive images of women managers as reproduced by selected German newspapers at the time of the political debate surrounding gender quota on management boards between 2011 and 2013. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on critical discourse analysis according to Wodak (2001), an empirical analysis of media articles on women managers in two German newspapers, Welt and Bild, has been conducted. Findings The results of the study show that despite the diversity of images fabricated by the media in reference to women managers, the debate surrounding the issue of establishing a gender quota in management boards is dominated by dualistic categories and reductionist identity ascriptions, like women managers as being “over-feminine” or “over-masculine”, “exclusive” or “outsiders”. Research limitations/implications As the empirical focus of the study lays on two right-wing newspapers in Germany, the results do not allow for generalizations regarding the German media landscape. Social implications Public dispute surrounding gender quota in German companies tends to reproduce stereotypical discursive figures regarding women managers instead of challenging them. A fundamental change in the media reports on women managers is needed. Originality/value The research contributes to the analysis of media representations of women managers, by providing context-sensitive results from the current political debate in Germany. The findings reveal the stability of discursive structures over time, particularly gendered bias in the case of media representations of women managers, notwithstanding political aspirations to change established practices.

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