Female leaders often experience ‘identity conflict’, the sense that their identities as women and their professional identities diverge or are incompatible. The problem can be explained by gender stereotypes. Characteristics and behaviours typically expected of women differ dramatically from those typically expected of leaders. Gender role stereotypes tend to ascribe communal behaviours and qualities such as […]
Read More… from Identity Crises: Occupational Hazards for Female Leaders?
The concept of negotiation as a ‘battle of the sexes’ is not new; in fact, in the 1990s, MBA students on a negotiation course were asked who they thought had the advantage in negotiations, and the overwhelming reply was ‘men’. This perception has little changed today. But according to this Idea, women have higher ethical […]
Read More… from Ethical Lapses in Negotiations – A Male Tendency
Have you heard of the ‘pink elephant in the room?’ If you are a woman in the US, you might be one of up to 70% of women that have experienced this: women bullying women (WBW) at work. Although it is unlikely that most women who bully other women consciously decide do so to destroy […]
Read More… from Stopping Women Bullying Women in the Workplace
"The answer is moral leadership, or, more specifically, respectful leadership." One of the goals of leaders is to motivate employees to perform well, work in the collective interest and define themselves in terms of ‘we’ rather than ‘me’. (See Idea Number 164, ‘Instilling Morality In Organizations’.) In this, leaders who are demographically different from followers are […]
Read More… from Fostering Diversity and Inclusion with Respectful Leadership
In 2010, the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) changed its reporting requirements, calling for listed companies to detail their progress against voluntary gender diversity targets. This move on the part of the ASX is demonstrative of the increased global awareness of utilizing female employees, and how costly it can be for nations as well as organizations […]
In January 2011, a football commentator found himself unceremoniously fired after he made a remark about the appearance of a female match official, and questioned whether another was capable of understanding the ‘offside rule.’ Many called his comments sexist and ‘prehistoric.’ However, there were also some people that suggested the commentator’s termination was a result […]
Read More… from Political Correctness Helps Expression in Mixed-Sex Teams
To an extent, all negotiations involve a certain level of deception; participants almost always withhold information as a self-protective strategy. After all, revealing all of your cards may leave you vulnerable if your opponent takes advantage of your honesty. But are there any differences in the way male and female negotiators hold back information? Does […]
Read More… from Gender and the Use of Deception in Negotiation
What is your view of yourself as a leader, and how does it compare to what those around you think? Recent research shows that when examining their competence as leaders in four key areas (self-confidence, self-management, interpersonal understanding, and behavioural flexibility) both sexes initially rate themselves higher than their peers do. Over time, however, peer […]
Read More… from Mars Vs Venus: Gender and Self-Image in the Workplace
The importance and value of corporate sustainability has been acknowledged for quite some time now. More and more organizations are striving to introduce ‘green’ and policies into their strategic plans. Now, new research suggests that the secret to better sustainability performance lies in having more women on the board. In a study sponsored by KPMG […]
Read More… from Female Directors Create Corporate Sustainability
Following the economic and financial crises that began in 2008, corporate governance has been more of a management concern than ever before. Boards of directors and their compositions have gained particular focus. Though they have been traditionally dominated by males, many reports have stressed the need for and benefits associated with having more female representation […]
