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Article
Publication date: 13 January 2021

Saadet Elif Esposito

A new phenomenon called “Glass Cliff” has formed claiming that women at the higher echelons of organizations are being placed in higher risk positions when compared to men. The…

Abstract

Purpose

A new phenomenon called “Glass Cliff” has formed claiming that women at the higher echelons of organizations are being placed in higher risk positions when compared to men. The purpose of this research study is to examine whether this phenomenon occurs at the middle to upper middle management levels for women. If so, it can possibly be one of the many underlying reasons that contribute to the grounds of why the pipeline problem exists with female leadership at the top-level management positions.

Design/methodology/approach

The design considers competing hypotheses based on the emerging, contradictory research on the Glass Cliff and the more established perspective of social norms and implicit biases. The experimental study is conducted on 202 participants to examine the likelihood of occurrence of this phenomenon at middle to upper middle management levels.

Findings

Counter to the tenets pertaining to the Glass Cliff phenomenon but consistent with the implicit leadership theories, this research study revealed that when compared to the female candidate, the male candidate was more likely to be assigned to the higher risk position.

Research limitations/implications

The subjective nature of the study can be the reason for variations of each participant and their biases since it is a specific experiment dealing with perceptions, social norms and prejudice.

Originality/value

This phenomenon is mostly studied at the executive level and can contribute to the pipeline problem for women, hence this study provides insight and examines the phenomenon at the middle to upper middle management levels to examine its likelihood.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 40 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 24 November 2015

William H. Weare

It has been widely projected in the library literature that a substantial number of librarians will retire in the near future leaving significant gaps in the workforce, especially…

Abstract

It has been widely projected in the library literature that a substantial number of librarians will retire in the near future leaving significant gaps in the workforce, especially in library leadership. Many of those concerned with organizational development in libraries have promoted succession planning as an essential tool for addressing this much-anticipated wave of retirements. The purpose of this chapter is to argue that succession planning is the wrong approach for academic libraries. This chapter provides a review of the library literature on succession planning, as well as studies analyzing position announcements in librarianship which provide evidence as to the extent to which academic librarianship has changed in recent years. In a review of the library literature, the author found no sound explanation of why succession planning is an appropriate method for filling anticipated vacancies and no substantive evidence that succession planning programs in libraries are successful. Rather than filling anticipated vacancies with librarians prepared to fill specific positions by means of a succession planning program, the author recommends that academic library leaders should focus on the continual evaluation of current library needs and future library goals, and treat each vacancy as an opportunity to create a new position that will best satisfy the strategic goals of the library. In contrast to the nearly universal support for succession planning found in the library literature, this chapter offers a different point of view.

Article
Publication date: 28 March 2023

Awinaba Amoah Adongo, Jonathan Mensah Dapaah and Francess Dufie Azumah

Women are rarely seen in positions of leadership in patriarchal societies, which is unsurprising. Following gender equity policies, few women have been able to break through the…

Abstract

Purpose

Women are rarely seen in positions of leadership in patriarchal societies, which is unsurprising. Following gender equity policies, few women have been able to break through the gender equity barrier and assume leadership positions in schools. Few research investigations have delved into the experiences and challenges that women encounter in positions of leadership in patriarchal societies in government schools in Northern Ghana. The study seeks to comprehend the experiences and challenges that women confront in positions of leadership in patriarchal societies in Northern Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The study aimed to gain a better understanding of the experiences and challenges that women encounter in educational leadership roles in patriarchal societies in Northern Ghana. To achieve the study's objectives, a quantitative research approach and a social survey design were used, as well as descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings

The findings of the study revealed that in patriarchal societies in Northern Ghana, women experience conventional gender roles that conflict with roles, cultural values, gender stereotyping, family responsibilities and cultural beliefs and perceptions of women and attitudes and low expectations of women's managerial skills discourage women from taking on leadership positions in men-dominated societies.

Research limitations/implications

There is a need to shift the gender position and question the negative cultural convictions of cultural and patriarchal societies. Equal opportunities for men and women necessitate equal access to leadership positions. It proposes that in patriarchal societies, education and community stakeholder involvement in leadership training programmes for women be considered, as policy documents alone would not be sufficient to eradicate deeply embedded cultural social practices and dispel negative notions about women in leadership positions in men-dominated societies.

Originality/value

The study established that in patriarchal societies, women experienced conventional gender roles that conflict with roles, cultural values, gender stereotyping, family responsibilities, cultural vulnerability of women and the interplay between cultural expected roles and management goals influence women from taking on leadership positions.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 43 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 August 2022

Rebeca da Rocha Grangeiro, Manoel Bastos Gomes Neto and Catherine Esnard

The purpose of this paper is to assess the adherence to the traits of the queen bee phenomenon (QBP) for women who hold leadership positions in Brazilian higher education…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the adherence to the traits of the queen bee phenomenon (QBP) for women who hold leadership positions in Brazilian higher education institutions (HEIs) and to compare their responses with those of women without leadership positions and of men on the same dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 703 academics from 88 HEIs participated in this study. The data were analyzed using a statistical package to calculate descriptive and inferential statistics. For these, 2 × 2 analysis of variance tests were performed to compare leader women vs nonleader women and leader women vs leader men.

Findings

The results indicate that leader women do not fit to all dimensions of the QBP. They report high averages to commitment, agency traits and personal sacrifices to career (Male self-description) and to meritocratic discourse. However, leader women assess their junior counterparts with higher averages to commitment and agency traits than women without leadership positions and leader men assess their junior counterparts. Women in leadership positions report superior identification with same gender colleagues and declare to be more supportive with affirmative policies for women's professional development than nonleader women and leader men.

Practical implications

This study reinforces that same gender conflict in the work environment is not a female characteristic and also promotes reflections on the influence of organizational culture, men hostility toward quotas and gender stereotypes for female progression in the academic context.

Originality/value

This study provides an empirical analysis of the QBP to academic women in Brazilian HEIs and compares its dimensions to nonleader women and leader men. The analysis of a sexist culture enabled original results, as nondistancing of the self-group, even if leader women presented some QB traits.

Details

Management Research Review, vol. 46 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8269

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 7 September 2011

Jothany Blackwood and Sharon Brown-Welty

The purpose of this study was to examine whether middle-level female administrators (particularly women of color) in the California Community College system were being mentored to…

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether middle-level female administrators (particularly women of color) in the California Community College system were being mentored to higher-level positions and whether the retention of leaders in higher-level positions was influenced by mentoring. Specifically, this study examined the mobility and retention of female administrators through a web-based survey that was completed by 156 females currently working in administrative positions at the dean's level or higher in California Community Colleges. Data were also collected through face-to-face interviews with 11 female administrators, 5 of whom were women of color, in senior-level positions from vice president to chancellor. These interviews reflected a range of demographics and were located in Northern, Central, and Southern California. The focus of this chapter is on the responses of the respondents who were women of color.

The study addressed two questions: (1) What effect did mentoring, if any, have on a person's ability to achieve higher-level leadership positions? and (2) What relationship does mentorship have on the retention of women of color in leadership? Findings reported that mentoring was having a positive and often significant influence on women of color administrators and leaders in the California Community College System.

Details

Women of Color in Higher Education: Changing Directions and New Perspectives
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-182-4

Book part
Publication date: 5 October 2018

Mary Uhl-Bien and Melissa Carsten

Through his call to “reverse the lens” in leadership, Shamir (2007) helped trigger the emergence of followership theory as a new field of study in leadership research. While…

Abstract

Through his call to “reverse the lens” in leadership, Shamir (2007) helped trigger the emergence of followership theory as a new field of study in leadership research. While followership theory brings exciting new opportunities to leadership studies, it also introduces theoretical and conceptual challenges for researchers. In this chapter we address these challenges by showing how followership can be positioned fully within the leadership construct. We extend Shamir’s (2007) call for a balanced view in leadership by showing how followership theory adds new perspectives on the ways in which we can study leadership as a dynamic, fluid, relational process. The alternative views we present (e.g., position, role, identity, constructionist, and co-creation) approach leadership study from a range of paradigmatic perspectives that allow us to more fully capture the behaviors, interactions, relational dynamics, and processes through which leadership and followership are created and constructed. We conclude by reflecting on Shamir’s legacy as a scholar, and the contributions he made through his willingness to not only open his mind, but also to constructively challenge alternative perspectives and views.

Details

Leadership Now: Reflections on the Legacy of Boas Shamir
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-200-0

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 23 August 2021

Ulrika Haake

Sweden, as a country based on extremely high secular and self-expression values, serve as an example that somewhat differ from other countries internationally, when it comes to…

Abstract

Sweden, as a country based on extremely high secular and self-expression values, serve as an example that somewhat differ from other countries internationally, when it comes to educational leadership curriculum. The chapter takes its starting point at the governmental decision for Swedish universities to gender-mainstream their organisations, something that affects the educational leadership curriculum. To be able to discuss this, I present three research studies on gendering leader identity development processes and gender equality strategies in the Swedish higher education setting. In a longitudinal study of the process of leader identity development, the main result was the emergence of a gendering process in the discourse on academic leadership. At the end of the leadership assignment period, leader identity was described in differing terms at subject positions held by women and men, respectively. In a separate study on female heads of research-heavy departments, three conflicting subject positions appeared that showed different strategies when leaders were of the female sex: (a) a gender-conscious position, (b) a gender-neutral or gender-unconscious position and (c) a position of sex discrimination experience. In a third, large national study, based on horizontal analysis of gender equality in Swedish higher education institutions (HEIs), was found that universities internally consist of different worlds when it comes to the possibility of making academic careers and in how male- and female-dominated academic disciplines explain gender inequality and strategies to handle this. Results from these studies will be discussed, in light of the striving for (gender) equal and just organisations, since gender equality is an important aspect of Swedish educational leadership curriculum.

Details

Internationalisation of Educational Administration and Leadership Curriculum
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-865-9

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 June 2023

Ummu Markwei, Esther Julia Attiogbe, Abena Asomaning Antwi and Georgina Korkor Boafo

The purpose of the study is to examine how women become leaders in the Security Services in Ghana and the challenges they face in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine how women become leaders in the Security Services in Ghana and the challenges they face in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted to explore the intentions and opinions of the participants, interpret their worlds through their lived experiences and present a clearer understanding of their stories.

Findings

The study revealed that women deliberately positioned themselves to be considered for leadership placements in their male-dominated professions. The study’s findings also suggest that although both men and women are considered equal in the service, women were faced with challenges in their daily experiences as leaders due to their gender. The gender barriers created a strenuous situation for women to rise to top leadership placements in the Security Services.

Originality/value

This research is one of the first studies that explored the experiences of women in middle and top leadership positions in the national Security Services in Ghana. It contributes to the literature by presenting how female leaders in the Security Services successfully navigate into leadership placements, the challenges and their strategies in excelling in their duties. The study is important in bridging the gender gap in leadership positions in the Security Services.

Details

Gender in Management: An International Journal , vol. 38 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2413

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2011

Guangrong Dai, King Yii Tang and Kenneth P. De Meuse

This paper aims to test the pipeline model of leadership development by investigating how the competency profile change across position levels.

5753

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to test the pipeline model of leadership development by investigating how the competency profile change across position levels.

Design/methodology/approach

The skill and importance ratings in leadership competencies were compared between four position levels. The data were from an archive 360 degree feedback (n=770). Six SMEs were also employed to rate the importance of the competencies.

Findings

The study found that the difference between two positions in terms of the relative importance of the competencies increases as the organizational hierarchical distance between the two positions increases. Comparing the skill ratings yielded similar results. Further, the correlation between the skill and importance ratings for the same position level was higher than correlations of the two types of ratings for different position levels.

Research limitations/implications

The study discusses the implications of the research findings in the context of leadership development and succession management.

Practical implications

One of the essential tasks in a succession system is to clearly define critical leadership skills at different levels of management. By defining the leadership pipeline, companies will be able to get their best people the right developmental experiences to help them transition from one position level to another.

Originality/value

The paper provides empirical support for the pipeline model of leadership skill requirement across the organizational hierarchy.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 October 2015

Aneika L. Simmons and Elizabeth E. Umphress

Individuals who are high in social dominance orientation (SDO) tend to endorse the belief that members of traditionally considered high-status groups should dominate members of…

1031

Abstract

Purpose

Individuals who are high in social dominance orientation (SDO) tend to endorse the belief that members of traditionally considered high-status groups should dominate members of traditionally considered low-status groups within society. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how SDO influences the selection of an individual who is a member of a traditionally considered low-status group for a leadership position as opposed to a non-leadership position.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology included undergraduate business students who were investigated in a laboratory setting.

Findings

Results indicate that individuals who are high in SDO are more likely to discriminate against the most qualified candidate who is a traditionally considered low-status group member when compared to those low in SDO, and job position moderated this outcome. This effect was stronger when selecting the traditionally considered low-status group member candidate for a leadership role as opposed to a non-leadership position.

Originality/value

To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first investigation to examine both leadership and selection using social dominance theory as a theoretical framework. Further, this is the first empirical analysis to determine that the influence of SDO is stronger when an individual high in SDO is selecting a traditionally considered low-status group member for a leadership position as opposed to a non-leadership position.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 34 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

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