Individuals' implicit theories of leadership, or common-sense notions about leadership, were examined by asking subjects to indicate what traits and behaviors an effective leader should possess. Men and women differed in traits, but not behaviors used to describe an effective leader. Males mentioned more instrumental traits, while females preferred expressive traits. Both men and women endorsed structuring and consideration-oriented behaviors.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BartolK. M.The sex structuring of organizations: a search for possible causes. Academy of Management Review, 1978, 3, 805–815.
2.
CalderB. J.An attribution theory of leadership. In StawB.SalancikG. (Eds.), New directions in organizational behavior. Chicago: St. Clair Press, 1977. Pp. 179–204.
3.
Employment and Training Report of the President. Washington: Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, 1980.
4.
FiedlerF. E.A theory of leader effectiveness. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967.
5.
PowellG. N.ButterfieldD. A.The “good manager:” masculine or androgynous?Academy of Management Journal, 1979, 22, 395–403.
6.
StogdillR. M.Handbook of leadership. New York: Free Press, 1974.
