Topic 11Topic 11Leadership and Leadership and
DiversityDiversity
Gender and LeadershipGender and Leadership• Sex-Based Discrimination
– Implicit Theories– Stereotypes and Role Expectations
Gender and LeadershipGender and Leadership• Sex-Based Discrimination
– Other Explanations• A lack of opportunity to gain experience and
visibility in types of positions that would facilitate advancement
• Higher standards of performance for women than for men
• Exclusion of women from informal networks that aid advancement
• Lack of encouragement and opportunity for developmental activities
Gender and LeadershipGender and Leadership• Sex-Based Discrimination
– Other Explanations• Lack of opportunity for effective mentoring• Difficulties created by competing family
demands• A lack of strong action by top management
to ensure equal opportunity• Intentional efforts by some men to retain
control of the most powerful positions for themselves
Leadership and Gender Leadership and Gender • The past two decades have seen
significant increases in the number of women in business, law, and medicine– An increase in the number of
women occupying leadership positions
– Interest in the effects of sex and gender in terms of leader emergence, leadership style, uses of power, and effectiveness
Sex and Gender RoleSex and Gender Role• Two factors associated with individuals emerging
as leaders in groups are biological sex and gender role
• Past research has consistently shown that men more often emerge as leaders than women (disputed by recent research)
• Recent evidence suggests that there have been shifts in societal acceptance of women as leaders
• Changes also appear to be occurring in perceptions of the importance of stereotypically masculine and feminine characteristics
Gender Role EffectsGender Role Effects• Roles of the sexes have been blurred due to
several trends:– The women’s movement of recent decades– The mass of women in the workforce– The increasing number of women managers– Societal shifts in gender-role perceptions
• A man or woman may possess either masculine or feminine characteristics, or both (androgynous individuals)– Gender role is a better predictor of leader emergence
than sex.
Guidelines for Managing Guidelines for Managing DiversityDiversity
• Set an example in your own behavior of appreciation for diversity
• Encourage respect for individual differences
• Promote understanding of different values, beliefs, and traditions
• Explain the benefits of diversity for the team or organization
• Encourage and support others who promote tolerance of diversity
Guidelines for Managing Guidelines for Managing DiversityDiversity
• Discourage use of stereotypes to describe people
• Identify biased beliefs and role expectations for women or minorities
• Challenge people who make prejudiced comments
• Speak out to protest against unfair treatment based on prejudice
• Take disciplinary action to stop harassment of women or minorities
Work Force TrendsWork Force Trends• The average age of the work force is
increasing• White males now constitute less than
50 percent of the work force• An increasing number of new
entrants into the work force are women and people of color
Average age will be close to 40
Percentage of whites will drop from 72% in 2000 to 62%
Hispanics will grow to 18.5% outnumbering African Americans
More that 50% of the population of Hawaii, California, New Mexico, and Texas will be from minority group
U.S. Demographic U.S. Demographic Trends (by 2025)Trends (by 2025)
Non-English speaking households are
increasing
By 2050, average citizen will be non-
European
By 2050, only 60% of the new labor force
will be white
By 2050, half of the new labor force will
be female
U.S. Demographic U.S. Demographic Trends Trends (cont’d)(cont’d)
Advantages of Managing Advantages of Managing for Diversityfor Diversity
• Reduction of turnover and absenteeism costs
• Offers a marketing advantage• Advantage in recruiting and retaining
talented people• Unlocks the potential for excellence• A creativity advantage and improved
problem-solving and decision-making
Multicultural LeaderMulticultural Leader
A leader with skills and attitudes to relate effectively to and motivate people across race, gender, age, social attitudes, and lifestyles
The Multicultural The Multicultural OrganizationOrganization
Cultural Diversity InitiativesCultural Diversity Initiatives• Hold managers accountable for
achieving diversity• Establish minority recruitment,
retention, and mentoring programs• Conduct diversity training
Cultural Diversity Initiatives Cultural Diversity Initiatives (cont’d)(cont’d)
• Conduct intercultural training• Encourage the development of
employee networks• Avoid group characteristics when
hiring for person-organization fit
SummarySummary• The modern leader must be
multicultural• Managing for diversity brings a
competitive advantage to the firm• The leader must be aware of overt
and subtle cultural differences to influence, motivate, and inspire culturally diverse people
Summary Summary (cont’d)(cont’d)
• Differences in cultural values help explain differences among people
• Cultural values influence leadership style as well as the behavior of other workers
• Cultural sensitivity is essential for inspiring people from different cultures