African Women in Leadership

This chapter considers African women's participation in leadership and their views on effective leadership. The literature suggests that African women remain underrepresented in leadership roles, although participation rates are increasing. African women are well represented as entrepreneurs, in the less profitable informal sector, and are increasingly found in political spheres. The LEAD research shows men and women holding similar views regarding effective leadership. Preliminary results suggest that traditional views about leadership, which held women back, may be changing. This is a positive development, as society will benefit from the leadership skills of women. Efforts by African governments to mandate percentages of women in leadership positions may have an effect on government as well as business. Africa, however, is a large continent with parts of its population residing in rural areas where traditions continue. Consequently, more research is needed to understand developments regarding the involvement of women in leadership to inform policy and influence practice.

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

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1994.75.3.1307 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 75 (3) ◽

pp. 1307-1312 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

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.

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Stereotyping and women's roles in leadership positions

Industrial and Commercial Training ◽

10.1108/ict-04-2014-0020 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 46 (6) ◽

pp. 332-337 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Cortney Baker

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Leadership Skills ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

Leadership Traits ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Leadership Performance ◽

Content Type ◽

Current Trends ◽

And Gender

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review of current trends with regard to women in leadership positions. Women are increasingly reported as having excellent leadership skills. In fact, women, more than men, are praised for having traits and styles that are associated with effective leadership performance. Design/methodology/approach – The design of this paper was a literature review of current research on gender differences in men and women in top leadership roles. Findings – Despite the evidence that women are capable of being top performers, women are still not attaining top-level leadership positions in comparison to their male peers. This paper will consider some of the reasons that women have difficulty in climbing the corporate ladder as well as discuss stereotyping and gender as it relates to leadership traits. Social implications – As a result of this paper, employers are encouraged to hire and promote women into their corporations top leadership positions. Originality/value – This paper further contributes to the discussion of women in leadership and the disparity that continues in having women employed in the upper echelons of corporations. The value of this paper is to provide employers further evidence that women comprise skillsets that necessary for company advancement.

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The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Enhancing Women’s Leadership Competencies

International Journal of Business and Management ◽

10.5539/ijbm.v16n11p105 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. 105

Author(s):

Samira Shabani ◽

Fadil T. Citaku ◽

Hetem Ramadani ◽

Max S. Mano ◽

Paul Barach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Effective Leadership ◽

Leadership Competencies ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

Leadership Traits ◽

Female Leaders ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Men And Women ◽

Key Factor ◽

The Impact

The percentage of women in leadership positions is increasing and advancing towards gender parity. However, the number of female leaders is still low when compared to male leaders. We endeavored to examine by means of a literature review the impact of Emotional Intelligence (EI) on women´s leadership since we found that EI is a key factor in predicting effective leadership traits. We also found there is a social perception that women tend to be seen as more emotional and empathic than men. We review the definitions of leadership and EI and explore the link between EI, leadership and women. Several leadership scholars and psychologists argue that EI is an important foundation for leadership effectiveness. We review the literature about how men and women compare in their EI attributes. When it comes to learning EI, men and women have the same opportunities to acquire a greater EI through reflection and experience. However, we highlight the necessity for increasing the number of women in leadership positions by enhancing and supporting women’s leadership competencies. Moreover, we emphasize the importance of building EI in order to achieve effective leadership.

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Mentoring, Sponsorship, and Gender

Social Justice and Putting Theory Into Practice in Schools and Communities - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-9434-5.ch013 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 198-207

Author(s):

Karen P. Burke ◽

Lori E. Ciccomascolo

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

Professional Lives ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

College And University ◽

Education Careers ◽

The Status ◽

And Gender

The lack of women in leadership roles is a systemic problem in the United States and is not unique to the field of education; however, it is important to continue to challenge the status quo and provide a path for women to achieve equality and equity in the workplace. The following chapter will identify and discuss the importance of mentoring and sponsorship so that women pursuing education careers, novice women teachers, and women college, and university faculty and staff can actively and better position themselves to move into leadership positions and/or ensure a “seat at the table” in situations where decisions are made that affect their personal and professional lives.

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Interim Management Strategy as a Way of Empowering Women Leadership

Handbook of Research on New Dimensions of Gender Mainstreaming and Women Empowerment - Advances in Religious and Cultural Studies ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-2819-8.ch018 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 328-345

Author(s):

Nermin Kişi

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Gender Gap ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Women Leadership ◽

Representation Of Women ◽

Interim Management ◽

Decision Making Processes

Although major steps have been taken to increase inclusive representation of women in the workforce, there is a significant gender gap in achieving leadership roles in both developed and developing regions. In particular, many women around the world face serious challenges that prevent them from moving to leadership positions. Women's empowerment approaches are needed in order to have equal access to resources, to participate in decision-making processes, and to support career advancement. Within this context, interim management strategies can be considered as one of the empowering opportunities for women leadership. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the role of interim management on women leaders' empowerment. This is the first attempt that evaluates the notion of interim management as part of empowerment of women's leadership. It is expected to add value to literature on women in leadership positions and corporate decision-making.

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Gender Relations in the Black Church

Research Anthology on Challenges for Women in Leadership Roles ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-8592-4.ch025 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 438-461

Author(s):

Cynthia B. Bragg

Keyword(s):

Black Church ◽

Gender Relations ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Church Leadership ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

Church Of God ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Experiences Of Women ◽

The Church

This chapter examines the lived experiences of women in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) and presents a model for partnership in leadership with clerics and churchwomen. The model is based on the premise of the visionary founder and “Chief Apostle” of this denomination. Histories of churchwomen in this organization portray them as staunch supporters of ministries in the church. Women in leadership roles were defined by the founder as overseers—a term suggesting honorary prestige to women that was equal to clerical positions in the church. Following the death of the founder, however, churchwomen encountered barriers to leadership positions which lowered their status and authority thus impacting their inclusion, agency, and voice in matters of church leadership and governance.

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Interim Management Strategy as a Way of Empowering Women Leadership

Research Anthology on Challenges for Women in Leadership Roles ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-8592-4.ch035 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 640-657

Author(s):

Nermin Kişi

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Gender Gap ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Women Leadership ◽

Representation Of Women ◽

Interim Management ◽

Decision Making Processes

Although major steps have been taken to increase inclusive representation of women in the workforce, there is a significant gender gap in achieving leadership roles in both developed and developing regions. In particular, many women around the world face serious challenges that prevent them from moving to leadership positions. Women's empowerment approaches are needed in order to have equal access to resources, to participate in decision-making processes, and to support career advancement. Within this context, interim management strategies can be considered as one of the empowering opportunities for women leadership. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the role of interim management on women leaders' empowerment. This is the first attempt that evaluates the notion of interim management as part of empowerment of women's leadership. It is expected to add value to literature on women in leadership positions and corporate decision-making.

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Are women better leaders than men?

Human Resource Management International Digest ◽

10.1108/hrmid-07-2015-0122 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (7) ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sharon De Mascia

Keyword(s):

Role Models ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Leadership Skills ◽

Women In Leadership ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Positive Role ◽

Content Type ◽

Women In Management ◽

Practical Implications ◽

Management Thinking

Purpose – Examines some of the reasons women remain under-represented at the top of organizations, despite developments in management thinking that appear to reward areas where women traditionally excel. Design/methodology/approach – Looks at some of the research into leadership skills and draws conclusions regarding the paucity of women in management. Findings – Considers some of the obstacles to women becoming managers to be: the attitudes of male managers, the lack of suitable role models for women, women’s reticence to network, and lack of confidence. Practical implications – Urges organizations to work harder to reduce the significance of these obstacles. Social implications – Shows how organizations – and through them society as a whole – would benefit from having more women in top jobs. Originality/value – Argues that having more women in leadership positions – that is, more positive role models – would help to give women more confidence in their ability to be great leaders and would encourage more women to push themselves forward for leadership opportunities.

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Towards a Fairer Future

Girlhood Studies ◽

10.3167/ghs.2020.130206 ◽

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.

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