Feminist futures in gender-in-leadership research: self-reflexive approximations to intersectional situatedness
ISSN: 1754-2413
Article publication date: 22 September 2022
Issue publication date: 22 March 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This paper introduces intersectional situatedness to develop inclusive analyses of leadership. Intersectional situatedness recognises the contextual and situated nature of experiences and their interaction with socially constructed categories of difference.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on memory work by three feminist academics who situate their understandings and experiences of leadership as part of socio-historical contexts.
Findings
Understandings and experiences of leadership are multifaceted and benefit from being examined in their intersectional situatedness. This way, the simultaneity of visible and invisible disadvantage and privilege, which accumulate, shift and get reconfigured across the life course and are based on particular intersectional identity invocations, can be integrated into narratives about leadership.
Research limitations/implications
Interrogating gender-in-leadership adopting an intersectional situatedness helps to advance the field by embedding the recognition, problematisation and theorisation of situated difference as critical to understand leadership, its meaning and its practice in management and organisations.
Practical implications
In embedding intersectional situatedness in the analysis of leadership, more inclusive understandings of leadership are qualified that recognise differences positively and support changing the narratives around the meaning of “leader” and “good leadership”.
Social implications
Intersectional situatedness helps to identify tangible ways to see how inequalities impact women’s career progression to leadership and enable more nuanced conversations about privilege and disadvantage to advance feminist social justice agendas.
Originality/value
The paper reveals the narrow and restricted understandings of leadership and how this influences who is regarded as a legitimate leader. In addition, it adopts a methodology that is not commonly used in gender-in-leadership research.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Professor Sharon Mavin as well as two anonymous reviewers for their constructive engagement with the ideas discussed in this paper.
Citation
Rodriguez, J.K., Guenther, E.A. and Faiz, R. (2023), "Feminist futures in gender-in-leadership research: self-reflexive approximations to intersectional situatedness", Gender in Management, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 230-247. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-07-2022-0253
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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