Attributions About Male and Female Leaders in Organizations

Publication Date: January 1995

Publisher: Jewish Communal Service Association of North America

Author(s): Iris Cohen-Kaner

Research Area: Business; Population and demographics

Keywords: Management; Feminism; Leadership

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

The leadership effectiveness of managers depends on whether their subordinates attribute leader-like qualities to them, which in tum depends on the sex-role stereotypes held by the subordinates and the mount of information that they know about the managers. This study found that, although men in general view female managers as less effective than male managers, when presented with information about the managers, they evaluate them on the basis of their personal characteristics and performance, not their gender.