Researched essay

In today’s world, feminine management styles are more

effective than masculine management styles.

Warwick Edmonds

Diana Melissa Pava Imitola

October 2020
In today’s world, feminine management styles are more effective than masculine
management styles

Currently, it is considered that the most efficient leadership style is the transformational
management style (Burke & Collins 2001). This management style, as suggested by the
name, transforms the way in which managers and subordinates achieve their goals.
Transformational leaders boost the confidence of subordinates by trusting in their abilities
and at the same time encourage them to achieve goals that are beyond of their expectation
(The wall street journal 1995 cited in Bartol et al. 2008). The transformational management
style is characterised by four aspects the influencing, inspiring, engaging and challenging
(Jones 2006 cited in Bartol et al. 2008). Three of the four important main characteristics of
transformational leadership will be discussed taking in to account the perspective of
subordinates and leaders in order to demonstrate if female leaders possess more
characteristics related to the transformational leadership than men.

One important element for workers and managers is the engaging dimension of the
transformational leadership style. According to Jones (2008) cited in Bartol et al. (2008) the
engaging dimension is when the leader teaches and guides their employees. According to
leaders and subordinates’ women excel in this as they are thoughtful, caring and
considerate with their co-worker’s (Martin 2012 and Brand & Laiho 2013). These
characteristics play an important role in the learning process as subordinates feel
comfortable, secure and accompanied. However, in a study carried on in the UK, men were
better rated by leaders in competencies such personal impact. Such competency helps
male leaders to stand as a role model for their subordinate, so trough the example they
stimulate and teach their team. Despite women and men have different way to teach and
guide, one interpersonal and other trough the example, both achieve their mission which is
to teach their employees.

Another important characteristic in transformational leadership style is the way managers

inspire their team to reach their goal. Jones (2006) cited in Bartol et al. (2008) believes that
an inspirational leader is able to find the appropriate channels to communicate their vision
and ensure that subordinates know what their role is. In the case of female leaders, workers
and manager have the perception that women do better than man as collaboration is a
feature naturally linked to woman in transformational leadership (Bailey 2014). Moreover,
employees and managers agree that women are better at planning, organising and
delegating tasks (Bartol et al. 2008 and Martin 2012). Traits usually linked to the engaging
dimension. In contrast, male managers are reported to be better in setting goals and being
confident by leaders (Brand & Laiho 2013) and according to employees ,male manager rate
better in task-oriented features (Rosen 1978 cited in Bartol et al 2008) .This characteristics
can be notice when male leaders choose their staff. As they are task oriented, they will look
for someone able to accomplish the task. Moreover, their tendency to setting goals and
show themselves confident of their procedures, help employees to feel positive and clear
about their role. To conclude, we may say that both leadership styles, pose different but
important features that are required in the performance of a transformational leadership
style.
One more significant characteristic, the Influencing dimension, is assessed by both
subordinates and managers. The managers’ aim in this aspect is to encourage employees to
perform above the expectation Jones (2006) cited in Bartol et al. (2008). In this aspect, the
subordinates agrees that female leaders are proficient in captivating and leading employees
to perform better as well as in achieving a better job satisfaction in their employees (Brandt
& Laiho 20013 and Powell 1993) cited in Bartol et al. (2008).Furthermore, leaders agree that
females stand out in teamwork (Bartol et al. 2008 and Martin 2013). These feminine
characteristics are essential as the capacity of captivating and conducting the team to excel
in their labour are key features of the influencing aspect of transformational leadership.
Meanwhile, men are thought to poses characteristics more related to transactional
leadership (Appelbaum et al. 2003 cited in Brandt & Edinger 2015). Employees consider
male leaders to be more assertive (Hoyt el al.2009 cited in Brandt & Edinger 2015) and
challenging (Brandt & Laiho 2013 cited in Brandt & Edinger 2015). In the same way, leaders
find male management to be more assertive. These two characteristics are potentialized
when male leader using its aggressive characteristics (Chesler 2001 & Simmons 2002 cited in
Brandt & Laiho 2013) manage to stimulate and push their team to go beyond the
expectations. Even dough male characteristics are better suited for a transformational
management style (Appelbaum et al., (2003) cited in Brand &Edinger (2015) both, men and
women, achieve the purpose of encouraging employees to perform better.

To conclude, from the perspective of leaders and subordinates, the three aspects that
characterise the transformational leadership style engaging, inspiring and influencing are
highly encompassed by female managers. Women display most of the characteristics that
are necessary in the exercise of a transformational leadership style. Even so male and
women inherent characteristics are correlated (Martin 2012), moreover, masculine features
are still important for a transformational leadership style. The effectiveness of new and
better methods in the managing world will depend on the willingness of leaders to forget
old habits and adopt new and better paradigms.
References

Bartol, K, Tein, T, Matthews, G & Martin, D 2008 Management: A Pacific Rim Focus, 5th edn,
North Ryde

Brandt, T, & Laiho, M 2013 ’Gender and Personality in Transformational Leadership Context’
Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp 55-77

Brandt, TM & Edinger, P 2015 ’Transformational Leadership in Teams: The Effects of Team
Leader’s Sex and Personality’ Gender in Management: An International Journal, Vol. 30,
No.1, pp.44-48.

Burke, S & Collins, KM 2001 ‘Gender Differences in Leadership Styles and Management
Skills’, Women in Management Review, Vol.16, No. 5, p.244

Martin, D, 2012 Do Men or Women Make the Best Leaders? Business Zones, viewed 2
February 2016, < http://www.businesszone.co.uk/decide/scale/do-menor-women-make-
the-best-leaders >