The Seeds of Leadership: Experiences of Malaysian Women in Senior Leadership

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-45
Author(s):  
Chee Lean Imm ◽  
Nabsiah Abdul Wahid
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Senior Leadership ◽  
Leader Identity ◽  
Hermeneutical Phenomenology ◽  
Leadership Experiences ◽  
Barriers And Challenges ◽  
Almost All

The scarcity of women in top leadership is a global gender equity issue. Men dominate senior leadership positions in almost all industries. As such, countries are not leveraging on the business case for diversity in top leadership. This gap is problematic in Asia and Malaysia, as well. The 2020 WEF Global Gender Gap Report shows that only 20.4 % of women held senior roles in Malaysia as compared to men at 79.6 %. Though numerous global studies have investigated the barriers and challenges of women leaders, few studies have investigated the lived experiences of women business leaders who have successfully navigated to the top. These elites are not only scarce but challenging to reach. Keywords: leader identity construction, leadership development, hermeneutical phenomenology, women in senior leadership.

Enabling and empowering women in leadership in South African universities – Assessing needs and designing a response

2021 ◽  
pp. 089202062098195
Author(s):  
Oliver Seale ◽  
Patrick Fish ◽  
Birgit Schreiber
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Senior Leadership ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Development ◽  
Management Positions

Gender equity and women’s access to senior leadership and management positions in universities are a major challenge not only in South Africa but on the African continent, too. For women to take up senior leadership roles more potently, it is essential that they not only cope with and compete in patriarchal systems but more so, are equipped to change patriarchal hegemony and shift the management discourse and culture to a pluralistic leadership culture where transformational leadership becomes the norm and praxis. This paper examines a needs analysis for leadership and professional development competencies of women in senior leadership positions in South African higher education and presents the discussion on these findings, based on the data collected from 74 participants. The conclusion reveals the participants’ enthusiasm for personal leadership development as well as their readiness for impacting their leadership contexts. These findings, in turn, shape the content development of the Women in Leadership programme, designed by Higher Education Leadership and Management under the auspices of Universities South Africa.

scholarly journals A survey to explore new markers of achievement to assess and monitor gender equity in an NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: A two-factor model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna R Henderson ◽  
Syed Ghulam Sarwar Shah ◽  
Pavel V Ovseiko ◽  
Rinita Dam ◽  
Alastair M Buchan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Senior Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Factor Analyses ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe underrepresentation of women in academic medicine at senior level and in leadership positions is well documented. In the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) announced that eligibility for funding for Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) required at least Silver award status of the Athena SWAN Charter. However, the evidence base for monitoring gender equity (GE) in BRCs is underdeveloped.MethodsAn exploratory online survey distributed to an entire population of NIHR Oxford BRC affiliates (N=683) who ranked the importance of 13 markers of GE on a five point Likert scale. Data were summarised using frequencies and descriptive statistics. Interrelationships between the markers and underlying latent dimensions (factors) were determined by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Thematic analysis was used to analyse open-ended comments.ResultsThe response rate was 36% (243 respondents). Respondents were more frequently female (55%, n=133), aged 41-50 years (33%, n=81), investigators (33%, n=81) and had been affiliated with the BRC for 2-7 years (39.5%, n=96). Participants ranked BRC senior leadership roles and organisational policies on gender equity, as very important, 58% (n=141) and 57% (n=139) respectively. The top two markers ranked as very important by female participants were organisational policies (64.7%, n=86/133) and recruitment and retention (60.9%, n=81/133), whereas male participants ranked leadership development (52.1%, n=50/96) and BRC senior leadership roles (50%, n=48/96) as being very important. The factor analyses showed two distinct latent dimensions: organisational markers and individual markers of GE in BRCs. Open ended comments suggested three key areas of actions: monitoring and benchmarking, organisational support for those with childcare responsibilities, and leadership and Institutional support for GE.ConclusionsThe findings suggest a two-factor model of markers of achievement for GE with organisational and individual dimensions. Implementation and sustainability of gender equity requires commitment at senior leadership and organisational policy level.

scholarly journals Longitudinal analyses of gender differences in first authorship publications related to COVID-19

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e045176
Author(s):  
Carolin Lerchenmüller ◽  
Leo Schmallenbach ◽  
Anupam B Jena ◽  
Marc J Lerchenmueller
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Early Career ◽  
First Year ◽  
Longitudinal Analyses ◽  
Gender Distribution ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Over Time

ObjectiveConcerns have been raised that the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted research productivity to the disadvantage of women in academia, particularly in early career stages. In this study, we aimed to assess the pandemic’s effect on women’s COVID-19-related publishing over the first year of the pandemic.Methods and resultsWe compared the gender distribution of first authorships for 42 898 publications on COVID-19 from 1 February 2020 to 31 January 2021 to 483 232 publications appearing in the same journals during the same period the year prior. We found that the gender gap—the percentage of articles on which men versus women were first authors—widened by 14 percentage points during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite many pertinent research fields showing near equal proportions of men and women first authors publishing in the same fields before the pandemic. Longitudinal analyses revealed that the significant initial expansions of the gender gap began to trend backwards to expected values over time in many fields. As women may have been differentially affected depending on their geography, we also assessed the gender distribution of first authorships grouped by countries and geographical areas. While we observed a significant reduction of the shares of women first authors in almost all countries, longitudinal analyses confirmed a resolving trend over time.ConclusionThe reduction in women’s COVID-19-related research output appears particularly concerning as many disciplines informing the response to the pandemic had near equal gender shares of first authorship in the year prior to the pandemic. The acute productivity drain with the onset of the pandemic magnifies deep-rooted obstacles on the way to gender equity in scientific contribution.

What’s the fuss? Gender and academic leadership

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 779-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Wong ◽  
Colleen McKey ◽  
Pamela Baxter
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Leadership Development Programs ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leadership Potential

PurposeWomen continue to be disproportionately represented in top leadership positions. Leadership development programs typically focus on skills attainment. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions and experiences of academic leaders in order to inform how leadership development programs may more effectively address the gender gap in leadership.Design/methodology/approachA sequential mixed methods study design was used. Participants completed the Leadership Practice Inventory ®(LPI) survey followed by individual interviews of a subset of participants. The survey results were analyzed and compared by gender using thet-test. Thematic analysis was used to compare themes across and between genders. Quantitative and qualitative findings were integrated in the final analysis.FindingsIn total, 65 leaders (38 women; 27 men) (37.7 percent response rate) participated in the survey. There were no significant demographic or statistical differences between women and men on any of the LPI® components. Five women and five men were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed common leadership aspirations and values. Gender differences were noted in leadership attainment, mentorship and the influence of gender on leadership. While the male narratives reflected cognitive awareness of gender inequities, the female narratives also included lived experiences. Male participants focused on the importance of meritocracy whereas the female participants emphasized the gendered social and structural influences on leadership attainment.Practical implicationsLeadership development programs need go beyond generic “skills-building” in order to conceptualize leadership within a gendered social context. This framework will enable critical awareness and tools for developing both women and men’s fullest leadership potential.Originality/valueThis study was conducted in order to better understand how academic health leaders experience the intersection of gender and leadership. The findings contribute to the current literature by providing insight into perceptual gaps that exist at the level of practice between women and men leaders. In doing so, the authors discuss how leadership development programs may play a more effective role in addressing gender equity in leadership.

scholarly journals Covid-19 and The Gender Gap in Employment Among Parents of Young Children in Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 089124322110012
Author(s):  
Sylvia Fuller ◽  
Yue Qian
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Work Hours ◽  
Labour Force Survey ◽  
Educational Inequalities ◽  
Class Inequality ◽  
Employment Barriers ◽  
Employment Gap ◽  
Structural Shifts

Economic and social disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic have important implications for gender and class inequality. Drawing on Statistics Canada’s monthly Labour Force Survey, we document trends in gender gaps in employment and work hours over the pandemic (February–October 2020). Our findings highlight the importance of care provisions for gender equity, with gaps larger among parents than people without children, and most pronounced when care and employment were more difficult to reconcile. When employment barriers eased, so did the gender–employment gap. The pandemic could not undo longer-standing cultural and structural shifts motivating contemporary mothers’ employment. The pandemic also exacerbated educational inequalities among women, highlighting the importance of assessing gendered impacts through an intersectional lens.

A phenomenological inquiry into the influence of crucible experiences on the leadership development of Black women in higher education senior leadership

2021 ◽  
pp. 174114322110194
Author(s):  
Nuchelle L Chance
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Black People ◽  
Senior Leadership ◽  
Women In Higher Education ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Phenomenological Inquiry ◽  
Adverse Experiences ◽  
Verbal Assault

Supported by the Crucibles of Leadership theory, this article explores how adverse experiences influence the leadership development of Black women in higher education senior leadership. I use phenomenology to explore how these leaders’ adverse lived experiences manifested as transformative crucible experiences with resilience, thus promoting leadership development. Black people have been continuously subject to adversity, while Black women have overcome the compounded adversities resulting from their intersectional identities. Reported lived adversities included physical, sexual, and verbal assault and abuse, adverse childhood experiences such as growing up in poverty, being raised by single parents, being subject to bullying, losing loved ones, discrimination, and health issues. Black women are resilient, and education has proven to be a lifeline regarding adversity, thus promoting leadership capabilities. They use adversity as fuel to overcome adverse crucible experiences, thus developing the necessary skills to prepare them for leadership. The results further reveal that Black women in higher education senior leadership experienced significant adverse experiences that manifested as crucible experiences by overcoming adversity. The findings reveal an association between their ability to develop the necessary leadership skills to advance their career and their lived adverse experiences.

Holistic Leader(ship) Development: An Integrative Process Model of Leader and Leadership Development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Michael Schwartz ◽  
Pooja Khatija ◽  
Diana Bilimoria
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Leader Development ◽  
Leadership Capacity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Leader Identity ◽  
Capital Development

The question of how to efficiently, holistically, and successfully develop leaders has been the focus of scholars and practitioners for several decades. Embedding the process of leader development in organizational contexts allows participants to develop and apply leadership knowledge, skills, and identity awareness. Embeddedness facilitates the holistic integration of the interactive processes of leader development (which focuses on increasing the leadership capacity of an individual) and leadership development (which focuses on increasing the leadership capacity of an organization), which is referred to in this article as leader(ship) development (LD). Two sub-processes involved in LD (i.e., general and situational identity development and knowledge/skill/social capital development) and four mechanisms of embeddedness that facilitate holistic LD (i.e., leader identity integration, opportunities to learn and develop in the organization, organizational support and feedback, and helping relationships) will be described. A discussion on the ways by which management education pedagogy can integrate and facilitate embeddedness and provide guidance for future research will follow.

Social Change Model of Leadership Development: A 4-Year Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-147
Author(s):  
Deirdre P. Dixon ◽  
Ana Maia Wales ◽  
Julia R. Pennington ◽  
Shannon Calega
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Change Model ◽  
Leadership Program ◽  
Social Change Model ◽  
The Social ◽  
Leadership Experiences ◽  
20Th Anniversary ◽  
Personal Level

The social change model (SCM) of leadership development defines all students as potential leaders. Service acts as a powerful means for developing leadership skills within our students. After the 20th anniversary celebration by the International Leadership Association of the SCM, the authors wanted to illustrate how practice can inform research as they applied the model to a 4-year leadership program. The President’s Leadership Fellows is a 4-year program where all students have an opportunity to develop into leaders through classroom and cocurricular leadership experiences. Students actively participate in individual and group activities designed to experience social change and leadership theory on a practical, personal level. The students can then identify with the key elements of the SCM framework. This article outlines this leadership program and how it can help inform further research from practice.

scholarly journals The Gender Gap in Secondary School Mathematics at High Achievement Levels: Evidence from the American Mathematics Competitions

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn Ellison ◽  
Ashley Swanson
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Unobserved Heterogeneity ◽  
High Achievement ◽  
School Students ◽  
Standard Data ◽  
Small Set ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Achievement Levels

This paper uses a new data source, American Mathematics Competitions, to examine the gender gap among high school students at very high achievement levels. The data bring out several new facts. There is a large gender gap that widens dramatically at percentiles above those that can be examined using standard data sources. An analysis of unobserved heterogeneity indicates that there is only moderate variation in the gender gap across schools. The highest achieving girls in the U.S. are concentrated in a very small set of elite schools, suggesting that almost all girls with the ability to reach high math achievement levels are not doing so.

Introduction

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Rachel F. Seidman
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Feminist Activism ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Barriers And Challenges ◽  
Oral History Interviews ◽  
Feminist Work

Seidman describes the origins of the social media called Who Needs Feminism and how that led her to undertake oral history interviews with feminist activists around the United States. She explains that her focus is on people who came of age during and after the anti-feminist backlash of the 1980s. Her interviews are all people who earn their living or center their major activist commitments and actions in feminist work, and include non-profit leaders, writers, journalists, philanthropists, labor unionists¬¬, budding politicians, media professionals, and students. They share a fundamental belief that women still face barriers and challenges based on their gender, and that laws, policies, attitudes and behaviors need to change in order to reach the goal of gender equity. She discusses narrators general rejection of the construct different “waves” of feminism; how the rise of social media as has reshaped feminist activism in both positive and negative ways, with special attention to Twitter and tensions within the movement that arise there; feminists’ goals and strategies; and how these interviews reveal the different ways that feminism has unfolded across the life arc of her interviewees. Seidman argues these interviews help explain the rise of the Women’s March on Washington and the #MeToo movement.

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