oa Transformationeel leiderschap en carrière maken: sekseverschillen in consequenties van effectief leiderschap

Transformational leadership and career making: sex differences in consequences of effective leadership

Marloes L. van Engen & Claartje J. Vinkenburg, Gedrag & Organisatie, Volume 18, April 2005, nr. 2, pp. 103-121

Despite indications that women, when compared to men, make more use of the effective leadership styles (i.e. transformational leadership) and less use of ineffective leadership styles (transactional and laissez-faire leadership), women in top level leadership positions remain scarce. In this study the relationship between leadership styles and career making is examined. Respondents indicated the degree to which leadership behaviors, measured by 36 items of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, were likely to lead to the promotion of male and female managers to middle, higher and top management positions. The results show that transformational leadership, especially 'inspirational motivation', contributes to a larger extent to getting promoted than transactional and laissez-faire leadership. 'Individualized consideration' was found to be more important for the promotion of female managers than for the promotion of male managers. Meanwhile, 'individualized consideration' and 'contingent reward' were seen as particularly important for promotions to middle and higher management levels, and less so for promotions to top management levels. Thus, female managers may be confronted with the paradox that the style that is seen as most suitable for them is not the style that helps them to get promoted to the top level of organizations.