Leadership and women: The space between us. Narrating the stories of senior female educational leaders in Malta

2020 ◽  
pp. 174114322092903
Author(s):  
Robert Vella
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Doctoral Study ◽  
Training Programmes

The main objective of this research is to investigate the perceptions and experiences of senior female educational leaders in Malta, where senior leaders are considered as those leaders from the Minister of Education to leaders at directorial level. Although Malta’s laws relating to gender equity are in line with those of the European Union, traditional beliefs and values, including those shaped by the Catholic Church, mean that in many areas of social life, women and girls continue to be perceived as inferior. The study is framed within a constructivist and interpretivist paradigm and takes a narrative approach. Throughout 2017 to 2018, in-depth interview data was collected from eight senior female leaders in the Maltese education department. Data used from an ongoing doctoral study was analysed manually using a hybrid method in order to establish the relevant themes. The findings from the study demonstrated that women in educational leadership roles in Malta have to face challenges specific to their being female. The study recommends, among other things, real family friendly measures by organisations, organised professional development programmes for women in leadership and for those aspiring to be leaders, and training programmes focused on how to build healthy collegial relationships.

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.

scholarly journals Women in veterinary leadership positions: their motivations and enablers

2019 ◽  
Vol 186 (5) ◽  
pp. 155-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Tindell ◽  
Renate Weller ◽  
Tierney Kinnison
Keyword(s):  
Role Models ◽  
Future Generation ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Female Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Veterinary Profession ◽  
Veterinary Surgeons

BackgroundDespite now having higher numbers of women than men within the veterinary profession, there are substantially less women in leadership roles. Research, primarily in other professions, has focussed on barriers to leadership and sometimes overlooked facilitators and motivators. This study aimed to explore the motivating factors for female veterinary surgeons to become leaders, to identify potential strategies to increase female leadership.MethodsSixteen female leaders from academia, professional bodies, industry and clinical practice took part in semistructured interviews. Interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.ResultsTwo themes were developed: ‘Potential for positive influence’ and ‘Requirement of external enablers’. Participants wanted to influence change for themselves, including work-life balance and developing their role, and for others through a position of influence. They wanted to inspire and mentor the future generation of leaders. External enablers allowed this transition to occur, including formal mentors and informal support systems, opportunities for growth and increased responsibility, and leadership training.ConclusionPotential strategies to increase female leaders include the promotion of female role models, increasing awareness of training and increasing work flexibility. The profession could improve its support of the next generation of leaders and celebrate the successful female leaders we already possess.

Attributions for Success and Failure of Men and Women in Leadership Positions

1994 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 1307-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth S. Shultz
Keyword(s):  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Leader ◽  
Performance Ability ◽  
Male Leader

Attributions for the success and failure of men and women in leadership positions were examined as a function of the subjects' attitudes towards women in leadership roles (as measured by the Women As Managers Scale of Peters, Terborg, and Taynor. 80 men and 80 women were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which a leader's performance was described, i.e., male leader—success, male leader—failure, female leader—success, female leader—failure. Subjects then rated the importance they believed each of four factors had in determining the leader's performance (ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck). A general reluctance of subjects to make external attributions and to distinguish between male and female leaders was found.

The Barriers, Facilitators, and Solutions for Women in Educational Leadership Roles in a Chinese University

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-24
Author(s):  
Xintong Lu
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Research University ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Facilitating Factors ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women

Abstract Although women are considered to be dominant contributors in the field of education, underrepresentation of women in educational leadership is still a pervasive issue. The situation may be more critical in the Asian Chinese context, wherein the male-dominated tradition of the feudal system has been prevalent for thousands of years. This article examines the barriers faced by women in educational leadership roles in a Chinese university, and the facilitators of female educational leadership. The case study was conducted using qualitative methods, involving interviews with both male and female leaders. The findings present a range of barriers that women in the research university are now facing, facilitating factors, and ways to solve the issue. Addressing the importance of recognising the underrepresentation of women in Chinese universities also has the aim of promoting gender equity in educational leadership.

Towards a Fairer Future

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-68
Author(s):  
Courtney Cook
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
White Women ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Black Girls ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Black And White

In the study on which this article is based, I examine the correlation between the number of Black girls in leadership programs and the number of Black female leaders in nonprofit organizations. I carried out research on Black girl leadership to understand the shortcomings of programs meant to teach Black girls appropriate leadership skills and I conducted interviews with female leaders to determine the hurdles faced by Black women trying to obtain leadership roles in the nonprofit sector. My findings show that there is a disconnect between Black and white women in leadership roles and that impediments for Black women affect leadership prospects for Black girls. This article is a call to create an activist model that supports the professional trajectories of Black girls.

Voice Dispossession and Attributional Accommodation for Career Persistence

2022 ◽  
pp. 39-54
Author(s):  
Tricia J. Stewart ◽  
Robin Throne ◽  
Lesley Anne Evans
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Education Leadership ◽  
Higher Education Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Women In Higher Education ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Gender Parity

This chapter presents the results of a systematic review to analyze the current research since 2019 for voice dispossession as attributional accommodation among women in higher education leadership. The authors sought to quantify and categorize these attributes to better identify the verbal and nonverbal accommodations made by women in higher education leadership to extend prior critical review of gender parity and equity for these leaders. Study findings may inform higher educational leadership to better understand voice dispossession among female leaders and the resulting attributional accommodations made to improve gender equity and parity for leadership roles in higher education.

scholarly journals Swimming against the current: Negotiating leadership challenges for women in Iran

Leadership ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 174271502110471
Author(s):  
Parisa Gilani ◽  
Caroline Rook ◽  
Yasamin Razeghi ◽  
Melissa Carr
Keyword(s):  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Leadership Challenges ◽  
Global Issue ◽  
Contextual Understanding ◽  
Western Perspective

The representation and progression of women in leadership roles is a global issue, but research insights on the enactment of leadership by women stem from a predominantly Western perspective. As leadership is inherently context-dependent, we focus on a specific ‘place’ of leadership enactment and provide a more situated and contextual understanding of the challenges women in Iran face in entering and enacting leadership roles. This study contributes to the understanding of leadership and place by considering the dynamics of place as occurring at multiple levels – societal norms (including religion), organisational and physical (including geographical). For this in-depth inductive study 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Through the intersection of different spheres of place particular challenges for women arise. The women within our study had to negotiate the complex dynamics of doing gender well and being seen to act in line with the normative conceptions of femininity with dominant masculine expectations of what leadership and how it should be done. While also women Western contexts are constrained and / or supported by cultural (national, societal and organisation) factors as well as place in a physical and geographical sense, the specific nuances in national and societal cultural norms and the ‘harsh’ physical environment in our study provide additional challenges for women to negotiate. This study affords female leaders in Iran a voice and extends previous work on the lived experiences of women in the Middle East and North Africa Region in the under-researched context of Iran.

scholarly journals Gender equity and norms in health programs: learnings from a drowning reduction program in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Medhavi Gupta ◽  
Aminur Rahman ◽  
Notan Chandra Dutta ◽  
Md. Shafkat Hossain ◽  
Devaki Nambiar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Cultural Perceptions ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Reduction Program ◽  
Part Time

Abstract Background: Community-based health programs implemented in low-and middle-income countries have additional health impacts beyond their targeted outcomes, such as on gender norms, roles and relationships, partly due to their engagement of local human resources. We conducted a gender analysis on a drowning reduction program in rural Bangladesh providing survival swimming classes to children to identify unexpected consequences.Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative program monitoring data was analysed to assess gender differences in program staff recruitment, participation and engagement. A qualitative approach using interviews, focus group discussions and observations aimed to find explanations for quantitative findings and additional experiences of the program. The analysis was conducted using Family Health International 360’s Gender Integration Framework.Results: Women were not hired in leadership roles in the implementing organisation due to constraints on transport access and perceptions on women’s ability to conduct labour-intensive activities. However, the program influenced communities to become more accepting of local women’s mobility and involvement in employed work due to their engagement in the program as swim instructors. Women swim instructors were also more satisfied with the pay and part-time nature of the work as men were able to earn more elsewhere, and so women were recruited in higher numbers by the implementing organisation. Fewer girls participated in the swimming classes than boys due to cultural perceptions on appropriate activities for girls and their greater involvement in domestic work.Conclusions: Within the implementing organisation, changes to attitudes and the formulation of gender-specific strategies will support women in leadership roles, ensuring that women-specific issues are considered in program delivery. The implementing organisation may also consider strategies to combat perceptions that lower-paying part time work is more suitable for women than men. Systematised strategies are required to ensure equal participation of girls and boys in swim classes and enable equitable drowning outcomes. Addressing these issues would have positive implications for the health and equity of both men and women in these rural communities.

scholarly journals In the silence of her friends: a case study of the intersection of gender, race, age, and leadership in the dismissal of a public school superintendent

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Barbara Morrow Williams
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Urban District ◽  
American Women ◽  
School Superintendent

Research interests in social conditions of women in leadership roles underlie this case study which explores the scarcely published voices of African American women in the superintendency of public education. This case study of the career of Dr. Charlie Mae Knight and her experiences in an urban district in California may contribute to the knowledge and literature of the superintendent's social capital and her ability to exercise political power equally with primary stakeholders in her district and in her community. Interpreting Dr. Knight's experiences may increase knowledge about the challenges faced by African American women, and by women generally as they balance competing roles as educational leaders and as political leaders in urban communities undergoing ecological succession.

My Fair Lady? Inferring Organizational Trust From the Mere Presence of Women in Leadership Roles

2021 ◽  
pp. 014616722110359
Author(s):  
Mansi P. Joshi ◽  
Amanda B. Diekman
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Trust ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Organizational Hierarchy ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mere Presence ◽  
Male Leader ◽  
Different Levels

The history of male dominance in organizational hierarchy can leave a residue of mistrust in which women in particular do not expect fair treatment. The mere presence of a female leader relative to a male leader led perceivers to anticipate fairer treatment in that organization (Study 1) and greater projected salary and status (Study 2). This mere presence effect occurred uniquely through communal and not agentic affordances; these patterns emerged especially or only for women. Female leaders cued organizational trust in both male- and female-dominated industries (Study 3) and when they occupied different levels of the organizational hierarchy (Study 4). When information about organizational communal affordances is directly communicated, both female and male leaders signal trust (Study 5). The processes and practices of male-dominated organizational culture can leave a residue of mistrust, but viewing women in leadership is one beacon illuminating paths forward and upward.

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