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Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, Seventh Edition: Instructor Resource
Chapter 15 – Gender and Leadership
Questions for Study
1. How do popular press authors and academic researchers differ in their reporting of gender
issues and leadership for women?
Popular press authors and academic researchers differ in their reporting by academic
researchers ignoring issues related to gender and leadership until the 1970s.The increasing
number of women in leadership positions has brought dramatic changes in American
society by fueling scholarly research in the study of leadership and gender.
2. Describe women’s representation in political and corporate leadership positions in the
1990s and early 2000s.
Women’s reputation in political and corporate leadership during this time period was first
describing the invisible barrier preventing women from ascending into elite leadership
positions was dubbed the glass ceiling and white men appearing to ride a glass elevator to
the top of leadership positions. Also in the early 2000s Eagly and Carli identified
limitations with the glass ceiling, including that it implies that everyone has equal access to
lower positions until all women hit this single, invisible, and impassable barrier.
3. Explain the organizational barriers that put women at a disadvantage for promotion,
including corporate culture and the pipeline theory.
The organizational barriers that put women at a disadvantage for promotion including
corporate culture are that women have fewer developmental opportunities at work than do
men. The pipeline theory suggests that increasing the number of women in male dominated
fields should lead to more equality in the labor market. It does not account for the
differences in the expectations of men and women within the pipeline, which may serve to
perpetuate inequities.
4. Explain the results of meta-analyses on gender and leadership style.
The results of meta-analyses are that it examines style differences between women and
men found that, contrary to stereotypic expectations, women were not found to lead in a
more interpersonally orientated and less task-orientated manner than men in organizational
studies.
5. Describe the research results of gender and transformational leadership and how these
might differ for women and men.
The research results of gender and transformational leadership is that research found that
women’s styles tend to be more transformational than men’s, and women tend to engage in
more contingent reward behavior than men. Recent findings also suggest that the
devaluation of female leaders by male subordinates has shown to extend to female
transformational leaders.
6. Explain research results on gender and leadership effectiveness.
Research results on gender and leadership effectiveness are that men and women were
found to be equally effective leaders, but there were gender differences such that women
and men were more effective in leadership roles that were congruent with their gender.
7. What reasons are offered in the chapter for men’s advantages in leadership?
Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, Seventh Edition: Instructor Resource
Reasons for men’s advantages in leadership are that are more likely to ask for what they
want, and negotiate for higher positions and opportunities.
8. Explain the value of informal networks and mentoring relationships.
The value of informal networks and mentoring relationships are that they push people to be
the best versions of themselves they can be.
9. What reasons are given in the chapter for a likely future increase in the number of women
in higher leadership roles?
Reasons for the rise of women in higher leadership roles are because organizations are
beginning to make it easier for women to reach top positions, the culture of organizations
is changing, and many organizations are valuing flexible workers and diversity.
10. What are strengths of research on gender dynamics in leadership?
Some strengths of research on gender dynamics are that understanding the research helps
promote women into upper echelons of leadership, important implications for a
comprehensive understanding of leadership, is productive to dispelling myths about the
gender gap and shining a light on aspects of the gender barriers that are difficult to see and
therefore are often overlooked, and understanding the components of the labyrinth will
give us tools to combat inequality.
11. What are criticisms of research on gender dynamics in leadership?
Some criticisms of research are that issues of gender and leadership can be submerged
under a more general topic of leadership and diversity, and much of the research
examining gender in leadership has taken place in Western contexts; research on gender
and leadership in other contexts is sparse.