...Social Science Leadership Style and Perception of Effectiveness: Enlightening Malaysian Managers Sharmila Jayasingam (Corresponding author) Faculty of Business and Accounting Universiti Malaya 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: 03-7967-3833 E-mail: sharmila@um.edu.my Moey Yoke Cheng KDU College Sdn. Bhd 32, Jalan Anson 10400 Penang E-mail: ycmoey12@yahoo.com Abstract In the past, the leadership style of Malaysian managers has been different from our Western counterparts due to strong cultural differences. However, with the advent of knowledge economy and the transformation of workforce, leadership style of Malaysian managers is said to be altered. This research explored the current state of leadership style among Malaysian managers and its effect on the perception of effectiveness. A survey method was employed and the data was drawn from subordinates who were working in private and public sectors in the Klang Valley area. When compared to past literature, the results imply that a shift has taken place primarily with regards to autocratic leadership. Respondents attributed leadership effectiveness to the use of participative and nurturant-task leader behavior. Gender differences were not significantly evident. Keywords: Malaysian managers, Leadership, Gender 1. Introduction Reading most Management textbooks would readily reveal that leadership is one of the four management function that needs to be assumed by any manager. Although numerous studies of effective leadership style for...
Words: 6853 - Pages: 28
...over the last 30 years, specifically as it relates to whether gender impacts leadership effectiveness, has been broad and multi-faceted. Although, women represent fiftyone (51%) percent of the population and forty-six (46.5%) of the work force, they hold less than three (3%) of executive level positions in large Fortune 500 companies (Wan Ismail, 2012). Unfortunately, these percentages have not changed significantly in the last 10 years. While there is a general consensus among researchers that women encounter more barriers than their male counterparts when trying to climb the corporate ladder, there is much less consensus around men versus women’s behavioral and/or social patterns once they attain leadership positions within a company (Mohr, 2008). The question this literature review attempts to answer is how leadership styles are different between men and women and is one more effective than the other. The title of one research study says it all - Women “Take Care,” Men “Take Charge” (Prime, 2009). Historically, women have served in caregiver type roles (e.g. Teacher, Nurse, Fashion Designer) while men traditionally held more “take charge” roles (CEO, President, Armed Services). As women have expanded to other non-traditional roles, it has been difficult for them to overcome the stereotype that women are more effective at leadership roles that focus on nurturing behaviors while men are more effective at leadership roles that involve action-oriented behaviors. This perception...
Words: 1389 - Pages: 6
...contribution to cross-culture management research. Analyze the impact that culture exerts on recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation, and task distribution. Determine whether or not there are leadership behaviors, attributes, and organizational practices that are generally accepted and effective across cultures. o * *From the e-Activity, compare the two (2) cross-cultural management theories that you researched to Hofstede’s cross-cultural theory. Determine two (2) fundamental differences and similarities between each theory. The impact the Hofstede’s study had on the cultural context of HRM practices are as follows: Recruitment and selection: In cultures low on “in-group” collectivism such as the U.S., and the UK, individual accomplishments are important selection criteria, and societies high on “in-group collectivism” such as China and Spain put more importance on team-related skills than on individual capabilities. Training and development: While no country has perfect gender equality, societies high on the gender social equality scale have more women in positions of power and similar levels of education as men, such as the U.S, women usually have the same chances for a straight up career progression as men and societies which score low on gender social equality such as Afghanistan and Liberia do not have nearly the same chances. Compensation: In societies high on uncertainty avoidance employees tend to be rather risk adverse and prefer fixed compensation...
Words: 738 - Pages: 3
...Effective Managers and Leaders Gary Martin Argosy University Introduction In this paper I will identify the characteristics of what I think are an effective leader. It will compare and contrast the differences between male and female leaders. I will evaluate based on gender the degree with which each gender possesses the leadership characteristics I will identify. Four characteristics of an effective leader One of the keys to being an effective leader is integrity, as the leader you must adhere to moral and ethical principles. The ability to influence and lead subordinates is directly tied to their belief in you and your soundness of moral character. People will not give their best efforts if they perceive a lack of integrity in the leader. Honesty is a must in a leader, people need to believe that you will be honest with them on all levels. Honesty goes a long way in building respect and a mutually beneficial working relationship. If the honesty of the leader is ever in question this will result in a fragmented and thus ineffective team. The work ethic of the leader must be above reproach. The leader has to lead by example you can’t expect people to work harder than you do. If you are in charge but you leave the office early everyday your nonverbal communication is clear, I have more important things to do than to be here working with the group. As the leader it is paramount...
Words: 800 - Pages: 4
...Abstract This paper defines leadership. This paper defines leadership from a perspective, my perspective. This paper defines leadership from the perspective of a master’s student, a jail manager, a correction professional, a mother, a wife, a leader, and a woman. This paper states a person cannot remove perspective, personality, gender, experiences, beliefs, or traits out of the equation when developing or administering the essential responsibilities of a leader. Just the same, a follower will have expectations of a leader based on those same factors. Leadership is defined based on each individual’s filters and each person’s filter is different. Leadership Defined The Definition of Leadership Leadership is the act of guiding, molding, and moving an individual, a team, or an entire population. A leader provides guidance to a particular pathway, and has most likely chosen that pathway because of her experiences. A leader defines what shape a person or an organization will take on the future, and molds the organization based on what shapes have appealed to or been successful for her in the past. A leader moves, encourages, supports, and has vision for change, movement, and growth because of the growth they’ve already walked through. A leader is a product of their environment, experiences, culture, gender, education, traits, ethics, and beliefs and therefore as a result, the act of leadership is an implementation of the intrinsic likes and dislikes, observations...
Words: 1799 - Pages: 8
...Final Paper Introduction In this paper we will be exploring and analyzing the disciplines of business communication and organizational leadership. In regards to these disciplines we will be looking at their history, three bachelor’s degree programs, 3 masters programs, hot topics in these fields and also be looking at peer reviewed articles in these fields. We will also use these disciplines to investigate the real-world challenge of the gender pay gap by using existing peer-reviewed literature of Business Communication and Organizational Leadership. “Some scholars see business communication as a hybrid discipline with broad theoretical traditions in rhetorical theory, communication theory and management theory making business communication the intersect of such (Shaw, 1993: Smeltzer, Glab & Golden, 1983); while other argue that to identify the field of business communication the conceptual problematic underlying its intellectual inquiry should be examined, rather than by its instructional practices or vocabulary (Murphy, 1988). It seems that research on this subject started in 1993 with Dulek, R.E. 1993). Models of development: Business school and business communication, there are also text book themes that have emerged from 1910 to 1974. Familiar items that have emerged are: human relations and consumer behavior” In order to get a business communication degree from ASU a person must take an array of different courses. Someone must take communications courses, managements...
Words: 5249 - Pages: 21
...Governance and leadership in general is a process by which people determine their destiny, on the other hand good governance or leadership lays emphasis on accountability, efficiency and responsiveness to the needs of the direct environment of the organization being governed. This involves identification of leaders to guide those being governed to fulfill their vision and mission while guarding against mismanagement of the same. The identification does not lay preference on any gender but over the years, the issue of gender diversity in business organizations and public administration has received increasing attention in both the academic literature and the popular press. The question has been whether greater participation of women in boards, top management and even in the political arena can be directly associated to better financial performance in an organization and on a macro level that participation at all levels impact positively on the economy. The mandate to coordinate policy formulation and integration in Kenya in regards to gender has been given to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development. Various policy documents have been prepared towards finding a lasting solution to the issue of gender disparities in the work place. The National Commission on Gender and Development (NCGD) has been operational since 2004 and was formulated to enable the Ministry to carry out its mandate. Its mandate includes legal reform, advocacy, providing advice on gender issues to...
Words: 3235 - Pages: 13
...1. Ethical leadership Ethical leadership is leadership that is directed by respect for ethical beliefs and values and for the dignity and rights of others it is thus related to concepts such as trust, honesty, consideration, charisma and fairness. Ethical leadership as the process of influencing people through principles, values and beliefs that embrace what we have defined as right behavior. Example: tom is the director of an organization that provides services to people who are homeless. One day several boxes of stylish new sweaters are donated to the organization from a popular clothing store. The staff is very excited and starts sorting through the clothes and trying on different sweaters. An unethical leader will allow her and the staff to select what they want from the boxes before making them available to clients. An ethical leader reminds everyone, including her, that the donations were intended for clients and makes the sweaters immediately available to the people they serve. 2. Leadership training program Training programs are widely used to improve leadership in organizations. Mostly large organizations have their own management training programs to trained managers. The training is usually designed for middle level managers for top management, and there is usually more emphasis on skills needed by managers in their current position than on skills needed to prepare for promotion to higher promotion. Training programs depends on how well they are designed some...
Words: 557 - Pages: 3
...This paper will explain how male and female leadership styles are different from each other. Different types of leadership styles exist in workplaces. Advantages and disadvantages exist inside of every leadership styles. The way of life and objectives of an organization figures out which leadership style fits the firm best. According to writer and consultant Peter Drucker, "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." The evidence for sex differences in leadership behaviour is still mixed, yet it is clear that these sex differences have not vanished. It is argued that sex differences in leadership styles are largely consequences of the context in which male and female leaders work. Introduction: Leadership is the process though which an individual guides and motivates a group towards achieving a common goal. Gender difference in leadership styles have been the most seriously considered subjects in the field of leadership. Are there intrinsic contrasts in the way men and women function as leaders and, if so this is the case, are these differences gender orientation connected? This question has told consideration since researchers have been attempting to give a clarification regarding why there have been so couple of women leaders. The accommodation of different leadership styles is an increasingly important issue in today’s organizations. It is also argued that sex differences in leadership styles are largely consequences of the context...
Words: 1544 - Pages: 7
...Attitudes towards Gender and Leadership Effectiveness By: Claire Duthil Attitudes towards Gender and Leadership Effectiveness Abstract This paper seeks to review and discuss the roles of gender in leadership and how they are effective. As shown from previous overviews, the evidence for sex differences in leadership behavior is still mixed, yet it is clear that these sex differences have not vanished. Although we are in the 21st century, women face hardship every day in the workplace as leaders. It is argued that sex differences in leadership styles is one of the main reasons in which male and female leaders work with different styles. Organizational factors like sex-composition of the immediate working context and hierarchical level are important moderators of leadership styles. For example, women are more likely than men to lead in a style that is effective under contemporary conditions (Eagly, Carli, 2003). To contrast these claims, Veccho claims that "women have some disadvantages in typical leadership style but suffer some disadvantages from prejudicial evaluations of their competence as leaders, especially in masculine organizational contexts" (Veccho, 2002). All in all women are rising into leadership roles at all levels. Problem Statement The society has always been in a need of effective management and efficient leaders on top. The roles of leaders determine the course and successfulness of the processes in all walks of life. In times...
Words: 3105 - Pages: 13
...A Review of the Role of Gender in Conflict Resolution and Leadership The value of effective conflict resolution and leadership skills cannot be understated. As more and more women are moving into decision-making positions, the issue of whether there are gender differences in the ability to manage conflict and to lead effectively has become an important concern. This literature review examines 14 studies that address the role of gender in conflict resolution and leadership. Studies from areas of conflict resolution, negotiation, and leadership are included. Evidence is provided that while women and men are, in fact different from one another, neither outperforms the other in all situations. In fact, while some researchers claim a male advantage in a male-oriented world, others assert a feminine advantage for 21st century leaders. Implications for women leaders are included. Conventional wisdom says that conflict management skills are important if individuals are to function effectively at any level within an organization. They are a particularly important part of effective leadership. As more and more women are moving into decision-making positions, the issue of whether there are gender differences in the ability to use conflict management skills to lead effectively has become an important concern. In fact, some researchers have expressed skepticism about women’s abilities to fit in to the masculine managerial world. As far back as 1979, Powell and Butterfield found that...
Words: 4709 - Pages: 19
...ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This thesis has been conducted at the department of the Graduate School of Business at University of Tun Abdul Razak. During the time period of my writing my thesis, I have gained knowledge from the down and up parts. This journey has been giving me some good experiences and I hope that this thesis will contribute to other students in the subject of Women in Management later. Throughout the writing of the thesis, I would like to thank several people that have been essential for conducting to my work. First and foremost, I would like to thank my beloved supervisor, Associate Professor Dr. Khairudin Damhoeri for being supportive and for his valuable advices. Secondly, I would like to send a special gratitude to my respondent Puan Nor Rubaiha Mohamed Nor, CEO of Yayasan UEM, UEM Group Berhad. Last but not least, a special thanks goes to my husband, family and friends for putting a smile on my face every single day. ABSTRACT The topic of the thesis is Women in Leadership and Management. This essay concerns the subject of thesis work is to make research of women leadership attributes and management styles. In order to get clearer details about that, I have made some investigations or researches on women leadership starting from definition of it, followed by the data collection in order to strengthen the research topic. Data shows that women continue to increase their share of managerial positions but unfortunately the rate of progress is slow and uneven...
Words: 19291 - Pages: 78
...women’s 8 percent rate is highest. It has ever been since records were kept in 1948. Ever since the issue regarding the capabilities of men and women have commenced, stereotypical assumptions brought a huge impact on gender hiring and biases in the business workplace that particularly affect the status of women. Despite the continuing issues of women getting pregnant, being abused and emotional, women have preferable qualities in communication skills, leadership activities and cognitive functions as contrasted to men. Background: The issue of gender employment started since equality has been the common issue to the business organizations. This involves male and female functions in the workplace. The controversies regarding gender differences during the past decades show that women who are employed at lesser trained jobs have lower pay as compared to men although the circumstances may change. Because of the widespread stereotypes in organizations, these have affected the hiring of employees in companies which prefer to favor men. Demographic diversity describes about circumstances regarding acts and ways of thinking or feeling of the employees. Its key factors generally involve gender, generational, age and ethnicity differences. These contribute to the society’s way of understanding on male and female roles. This paper talks about the gender hiring preferences in business organizations across different countries as of today. Accordingly, gender stratification happens when there...
Words: 3213 - Pages: 13
...ANNOTATED BIBLIOGERAPHY Introduction The differences brought by gender in work have caused more and more people’s attention, which has been a hot topic for a long time. With the change of society, an increasing number of women have engaged in work and their roles as leaders in work have also caused people’s attention. The purpose of this bibliography is to find the changes of gender in leadership. With the development of society, the number of female leaders is increasing in recent years (Michelle and Elaine, 2008). According to (Stewart, 2009), there are more difficulties facing female leaders than male leaders, which makes it difficult to involve more females in the leading positions. A research (Hilary, 2009) indicated that although the number of female leaders is increasing, the ratio of female leaders in leadership is not balanced and more females should be involved in management positions. According to Kaycee (2010), the changes of gender in leadership have been in the process, which can be proved by the changes of people’s attitudes to female leaders. Reference | Michelle M & Elaine Y(2008), The trend of female leaders in organisations, Journal of Management, 23, 7, pp 105-124 | Type of Article | Literature review | Aim\purpose | The purpose of this article is to find out the changes of female leaders in the past decade and explain the reasons of the changes and then predict the trend of changes. | Approach | This paper reviews previous theories...
Words: 3235 - Pages: 13
...Difference between Male and Female Leadership Styles Abstract Leadership styles differences in men and women have been attributed to upbringing, gender, environment, and development. Women were determined to have faster brain development than men. Societal norms suggested being raised differently because of gender caused differences in leadership styles. Some studies concluded innate traits cause males to be more aggressive versus a female’s nurturing nature. Still, others claim environmental factors, more specifically a male dominated workplace, are responsible for the difference in how male and females’ leader. The issue is many women are not reaching the upper levels of management based on the perceived notions mentioned above. Is there one specific reason that causes the difference between male and female leadership styles? Is there one determining (controlled) factor to bring the two leadership styles to conformity? During the research process the causes of leadership style differences were explored in detail by the use of questionnaires, surveys, and interviews to ascertain what workers, at all levels, in the business community perceived to be the determining factor. Overall, these findings propose psychological or physiological differences in males and females as the cause of different styles when using uncontrolled factors. My choice of a methodological perspective as a qualitative research method, to include the use of surveys, questionnaires, and a group...
Words: 3699 - Pages: 15
