Gender stereotypes and the attribution of leadership traits: a cross-cultural comparison
Szczesny, Sabine, Bosak, JanineORCID: 0000-0001-5701-6538, Neff, Daniel and Schyns, Birgit
(2004)
Gender stereotypes and the attribution of leadership traits: a cross-cultural comparison.
Sex Roles, 51
(11-12).
pp. 631-645.
ISSN 1573-2762
In the present study we analyzed cultural variations of managerial gender typing, i.e., that managers are perceived as possessing traits that are part of the masculine stereotype. Management students of both sexes from three different countries—Australia, Germany, and India—estimated the percentage to which one of three stimulus groups, i.e., executives-in-general (no gender specification), male executives, or female executives, possesses person-oriented and task-oriented leadership traits. Participants also rated the importance of these characteristics for the respective group. Furthermore, another group of participants described themselves regarding the two types of traits and their importance for themselves. Altogether, the results indicate a less traditional view of leadership compared to previous findings, which is very similar in all three countries. Nevertheless, there exists an interculturally shared view of a female-specific leadership competence according to which women possess a higher person orientation than men. The self-descriptions of the female and male management students regarding person- and task-oriented traits were found to be very similar.
Item Type:
Article (Published)
Refereed:
Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:
Leadership; Self Perception; Sex Role Attitudes; Stereotyped Attitudes; Cross Cultural Psychology