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Leadership Differences Between Men and Women

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Submitted By UMALI
Words 6374
Pages 26
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-7739.htm LODJ
32,5

At the end of the road?
On differences between women and men in leadership behaviour

428

Jon Aarum Andersen

Received May 2010
Revised October 2010
Accepted November 2010

Faculty of Social Sciences, Lillehammer University College, Lillehammer,
Norway, and

Per H. Hansson
Department of Education, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to explore behavioural differences between women and men in managerial positions and suggest explanations for differences and similarities.
Design/methodology/approach – In order to eliminate any effects of organizational differences on leadership behaviour, this study had public managers responding to questionnaires that measured their leadership style, decision-making style, and motivation profile.
Findings – Statistical analyses of data from three groups of Swedish public managers (n ¼ 385) revealed virtually no significant differences in behaviour between female and male managers.
Regardless of whether there is a female or male majority of employees or a female or male majority of managers, no effect on leadership behaviour occurs.
Originality/value – A number of studies indicate that managers’ behaviour is different in different types of organizations. This study suggests, therefore, that, independent of gender, organizational and demographic characteristics modify leadership behaviours, thus explaining similarities in leadership behaviour. Keywords Women, Men, Gender, Leadership behaviour, Public sector organizations, Sweden
Paper type Research paper

Leadership & Organization
Development Journal
Vol. 32 No. 5, 2011 pp. 428-441 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0143-7739
DOI 10.1108/01437731111146550

Introduction
Researchers have

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