In the United States, women are increasingly praised for having excellent skills for leadership and, in fact, women, more than men, manifest leadership styles associated with effective performance as leaders. Nevertheless, more people prefer male than female bosses, and it is more difficult for women than men to become leaders and to succeed in…

In Kolb's study, 123 students completed Bem's Sex Role Inventory before and a leadership scale after participating in mixed-gender groups. Attitudes toward leadership and leadership experience were stronger predictors of leader emergence than masculine gender role was. Karau and Eagly's reaction places the study in a theoretical context. (SK)

Reviews 50 studies comparing the leadership styles of public school principals, finding some evidence for differences between the sexes. Female principals scored higher than males on task-oriented style measures but about the same on interpersonally oriented style measures. Females generally adopted a more democratic or participative style,…

In an examination of aspirations for leadership in the United States and Spain, male and female students envisioned themselves as a chief executive officer, vice president, or mid-level manager in an industry with a feminine image (clothing manufacturing) or a masculine image (auto manufacturing). Although men and women perceived these roles as…