TY - JOUR
T1 - An exploration of stereotypical beliefs about leadership styles
T2 - Is transformational leadership a route to women's promotion?
AU - Vinkenburg, Claartje J.
AU - van Engen, Marloes L.
AU - Eagly, Alice H.
AU - Johannesen-Schmidt, Mary C.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Bruce Avolio for sharing data from the norming study of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The authors thank Matthew Anderson, Andria Cress, Erica Dencer, Kelly Forys, Alys Hanzlik, Shannon Kelly, Jennifer Liebman, and Lauren Stevenson for assistance with data collection in the United States, and Celine Boumans, Eefje Demmers, Kim Kasten, Nienke Kimsma, Maaike Ligthart, Annemieke van de Ven, and Marjolein van der Werf for assistance with data collection in the Netherlands. Special thanks to Peter Dekker and Josje Dikkers for their assistance with data analyses. We also thank Paul Jansen, the colloquium group at the department of Human Resources Studies at Tilburg University, and three anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. The international collaboration on this manuscript was supported by the Dutch Science Foundation NWO (Expert meeting ISW travel grant 460-04-026 , 2004; International Visitors’ Award, 2005-06). A partial, preliminary report of the Dutch data from Study 2 appeared in a Dutch language article by Van Engen and Vinkenburg (2005) in Gedrag & Organisatie, a journal directed to Dutch practitioners and scholars in work and organizational psychology.
PY - 2011/2
Y1 - 2011/2
N2 - Two experimental studies examined whether gender stereotypes about the transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles constitute an advantage or an impediment for women's access to leadership positions in organizations. The first study investigated the accuracy of descriptive gender stereotypes about leadership styles, showing that participants accurately believe that women display more transformational and contingent reward behaviors, and fewer management-by-exception and laissez-faire behaviors than men. The second study investigated prescriptive stereotypes about the importance of leadership styles for the promotion of women and men to different levels in organizations. Inspirational motivation was perceived as more important for men than women and especially important for promotion to CEO. In contrast, individualized consideration was perceived as more important for women than men and especially important for promotion to senior management. Consistent with these stereotypical beliefs about leadership, women interested in promotion may be well advised to blend individualized consideration and inspirational motivation behaviors.
AB - Two experimental studies examined whether gender stereotypes about the transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles constitute an advantage or an impediment for women's access to leadership positions in organizations. The first study investigated the accuracy of descriptive gender stereotypes about leadership styles, showing that participants accurately believe that women display more transformational and contingent reward behaviors, and fewer management-by-exception and laissez-faire behaviors than men. The second study investigated prescriptive stereotypes about the importance of leadership styles for the promotion of women and men to different levels in organizations. Inspirational motivation was perceived as more important for men than women and especially important for promotion to CEO. In contrast, individualized consideration was perceived as more important for women than men and especially important for promotion to senior management. Consistent with these stereotypical beliefs about leadership, women interested in promotion may be well advised to blend individualized consideration and inspirational motivation behaviors.
KW - Gender roles
KW - Promotion
KW - Sex differences
KW - Stereotype accuracy
KW - Transformational leadership
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79951720590&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79951720590&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.12.003
DO - 10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.12.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79951720590
VL - 22
SP - 10
EP - 21
JO - Leadership Quarterly
JF - Leadership Quarterly
SN - 1048-9843
IS - 1
ER -