Gender differences in leadership styles and the impact within corporate boards

This paper aims to provide an overview of the gender differences in leadership and business using decision science principles, set in the context of the Commonwealth. Current findings from the ‘science of decision making’ reveal key gender distinctions in the behaviours between women and men, and how these behavioural differences influence and shape decisions as well as the outcomes of leadership styles employed. This paper will inform Ministers at the Tenth Women’s Affairs Ministerial Meeting (10WAMM), on how to create an enabling environment as policy makers, to understand the requisite traits and strategies that have successfully sustained women in leadership positions and in the boardrooms. Improving gender equality and the empowerment of women is one of the principles of the Commonwealth and detailed in the Commonwealth’s Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005- 2015. This report was commissioned following the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and builds on the Commonwealth’s project ‘Delivering Gender Mandates: Strategies for Women’s Affairs Ministers’ to present unique insights offered by decision sciences and international research on women in or aspiring for leadership positions. The paper firstly sets out the business background so that female leadership is viewed in the context of demographics and discusses the key challenges faced by women in a global and personal setting. The report then discusses key decision science theories, a thorough overview of gender differences in the personal and professional sphere, an overview of the causes of these gender differences, a discussion of existing solutions, and a list of recommendations for women, board members and policy makers. The focus will be towards women in organisations, discussed in a sphere that is hopefully valid across commonwealth countries. The writers acknowledge that each Commonwealth country faces its unique challenges and opportunities, meriting a separate discussion per region. Due to the limitations of this research, a global general approach is used. Moreover, the writers have attempted to offer recommendations that go beyond the apparent, over cited ones, and offer more specific, action oriented advice. About the

Publisher: Commonwealth Secretariat
Year of Publication: 2013
Download : 19748_genderdifferencesinleadershipstyles2013.pdf