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The Effects of Rater and Leader Gender on Ratings of Leader Effectiveness and Attributes in a Business Environment

Hura, Geraldine M.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1134568571

Abstract Details

2005, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Secondary Education.
Male leaders are viewed as more effective than female leaders as reported in the vast majority of research studies (Eagly & Johnson, 1990; Thompson, 2000; Vecchio, 2002). Research also supports the concept that supervisors of male and female leaders, if all else is equal, rate them equally effective (Eagly & Johnson, 1990; Powell, Butterfield, & Parent, 2002). With over 800 million (Schneider, 2001) spent on leadership development, training, and education in colleges, universities, and corporations the need and importance of quality and gender neutral curricula is increasingly important. The dollars spent on education and the disparity of perceptions of leader effectiveness precipitates the need to continue to examine the bases of these perceptions. The results of these examinations assist in the development of targeted leadership training and development. This study looked at both leader effectiveness and leader attributes of male and female leaders as perceived by male and female observers (peers and direct reports) and male and female supervisors. Using the Leader Effectiveness Index (LEI) and the Leader Attributes Inventory (LAI), this study examined the effectiveness and attributes of leaders in business and industry. Each leader in this study had a matching pair of male and female observers who provided their perceptions of leader effectiveness and attributes to determine the presence of gender bias. The study found that female leaders were viewed as more effective leaders than male leaders by both male and female observers while male and female supervisors found male and female leaders equally effective. Female leaders were perceived at having higher ratings on 17 out of 37 attributes and female observers and female supervisors rated both male and female leaders higher on selected attributes. Finally this study found that except for nine attributers where female leaders were rated higher, male and female supervisors rated male and female leaders equally on the remaining 28 attributes. The results of this study indicate that there may be a shifting of perceptions of effectiveness of male and female leaders. Leadership development programs and educational initiatives need to align the content of the curricula to foster gender-neutral perceptions of leadership effectiveness.
Qetler Jensrud (Advisor)
217 p.
Leadership; Gender Bias; Leadership Assessments; Leadership Effectiveness; Leader Attributes; Leadership Training; Leadership Education; Leadership Differences; Male and female leadership differences; Leader Attributes Inventory (LAI)

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hura, G. M. (2005). The Effects of Rater and Leader Gender on Ratings of Leader Effectiveness and Attributes in a Business Environment [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1134568571

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hura, Geraldine. The Effects of Rater and Leader Gender on Ratings of Leader Effectiveness and Attributes in a Business Environment. 2005. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1134568571.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hura, Geraldine. "The Effects of Rater and Leader Gender on Ratings of Leader Effectiveness and Attributes in a Business Environment." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1134568571

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1134568571
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© 2005, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.