Core Concepts and Principles
A significant amount of research on the topic of women leadership in higher education has targeted salient features using the interrelated concepts of roles of women in senior leadership positions, gender gap, âfeminineâ leadership styles, types of leadership approaches, and cultural influences. Although evidence shows that there are not significant differences in leadership ability among women and men in higher education, women leaders are still largely absent from leadership and senior management positions. This co-edited book provides recommendations for improving womenâs presence in higher education senior leadership roles, particularly in providing an understanding of where we are at the present time and providing a roadmap for future research opportunities to assist with understanding and improving women leader positions in the higher education community.
Many researchers have claimed that gender determines leadership styles; that is, men and women lead and manage differently (Eagly et al., 2014). Since the masculine style of leadership is still perceived by many as ideal, women have had difficulties in gaining and keeping leadership positions because they have to contend with the pressure to fit their leadership styles into accepted models instead of being allowed to develop their own styles (Diehl & Dzubinski, 2016). However, the changing trend in leadership theory to more collaborative models has coincided with the increased numbers of women in leadership positions (Eagly et al., 2014). Women have brought a new style of leadership that is more relational than hierarchical to organizations (Eagly et al., 2014). Gender is part of what informs female leadersâ values and priorities while also encompassing womenâs different backgrounds and commitments are what have made a fundamental difference in leadership style used in executive positions (Morley, 2014).
More recently, men and womenâs leadership style differences have been categorized as transformational and transactional leadership (Antonaros, 2010). Women tend to lean more toward transformational leadership while men are more prone to transactional leadership. Women have been seen to have a more communal leadership style showing a more caring side of being a leader. Female leaders are being more collaborative, community-oriented, and seek to empower others, whereas men have shown more assertiveness and control through aggressive leadership. Despite the controversy about gender and leadership, research on how women lead is growing.
Leadership trait and style is subtle, but extremely important. Leadership traits describe the characteristics and personality traits that are associated with someone in the leadership position. The traits that are specific to most females and their leadership style can impede their rise into and within administrative ranks. In contrast, leadership style refers to the methods and theories to solve problems and make decisions ( Jackson & OâCallaghan, 2011). In addition, higher education has traditionally been a hierarchical and patriarchal system that makes it more difficult for women to advance into administrative positions. The style approach to leadership emphasizes the behaviors of the leader rather than the personality characteristics of the leader as previously discussed or the capabilities of the leader which is the âskillsâ approach. The style approach focuses on what leaders do and how they act (Northouse, 2013). Styles can be broken down into two kinds of behaviors: task and relationship. Task behaviors focus on goal accomplishment while relationship is directed toward enhancing the subordinateâs feelings toward themselves, their peers, and with the situation (Northouse, 2013). The style approach to understanding leadership through the behaviors of leaders has both strengths and weaknesses. This approach broadened the conversation to include not just traits or skills but behaviors. It also theorized the main functions of leadership as being task-relationship oriented, a very influential idea in the arena of leadership research. However, little research has definitively demonstrated the relationship between leadership style and outcomes.
Critical Theory, Intersectionality, Feminist Theory
Critical Theory, though a specific theory, may also be used as a term employed to describe all theories which hold democratization and freedom from oppression as their focus. Critical theories may include Intersectionality and Feminist Theory (Turner et al., 2013). For any theory to be considered critical, it must accomplish three objectives: it must explain the issues with the current society, identify the parties responsible and those who may act to change it, and offer models for criticism and a concrete path toward the appropriate revolution (Turner et al., 2013).
While the goal of most traditional theories of a societal organization seeks to explain society as it currently exists and has existed, Critical Theory differs in that it aims toward critiquing and ultimately altering society on a macro level (Turner et al., 2013). In essence, a theory is critical whenever it holds as its goal the emancipation and liberation of people.
Utilizing Critical Theory in order to gain a fuller picture, researcher Odhiambo (2011) observed that improving womenâs participation in leadership roles in higher education is a crucial part of the struggle for freedom and rights of women everywhere as institutions of higher education are where much of the thought and culture of a society germinate and grow (Odhiambo, 2011). Odhiambo suggested that policies at the national and local levels be developed which would encourage womenâs participation in higher education leadership. He called for a change of the culture of higher education toward one which recruits, promotes, and enhances womenâs research capacity (Odhiambo, 2011).
To further examine women in leadership positions in higher education, Intersectionality, a subset of Critical Theory will be explored to examine the interlocking identities of women. Parent (2013) asserted, âthe intersectionality perspective maintains that multiple identities construct novel experiences that are distinctive and not necessarily divisible into their component identities or experiencesâ (p. 640).
According to Warner and Shields (2013), the origins of the Intersectionality framework grew out of feminist and womanist scholars of color pressing the position that most feminis...
