Power Distance Orientation, Gender, and Evaluation of Transformational and Transactional Leaders
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POWER DISTANCE ORIENTATION, GENDER, AND EVALUATION OF TRANSFORMATIONAL AND TRANSACTIONAL LEADERS A thesis submitted for the degree of doctor of philosophy By Suzan Naser Brunel Business School Brunel University 2015 Suzan Naser Power Distance Orientation, Gender, and Evaluation of Transformational i and Transactional Leaders i ABSTRACT Women all over the world are still having difficulties in occupying leadership positions. People perceive males as being highly qualified and likely to be considered as leaders. Females are less likely to be perceived as leaders and to be less effective in carrying it out. There are different leadership theories but the most studied and popular one nowadays is the transformational and transactional model. Female leaders are said to use a leadership behavior based on interpersonal relationships and sharing of power and information, the behavior which is usually associated with the style of leadership known as transformational. Male leaders have been found to influence performance by using rewards and punishment, the behavior mainly associated with the style of leaders known as transactional. The individuals, who work for leaders, are called followers. How followers view the magnitude of difference in power between themselves and their leaders is called a power distance orientation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate transformational and transactional leadership with a gendered and culturally appropriate lens, particularly, to extend the research on gender, leadership and culture area in an Arab Middle East context where little research has been done. This study was guided by two research questions; the first one examining the interaction effect of the participant’s power distance orientation and the leader’s gender on the participant’s perception of the transformational leader; the second one examining the interaction effect of the participant’s power distance orientation and the leader’s gender on the participant’s perception of the transactional leader. This research adopted the quantitative method; the use of vignettes and a questionnaire. 437 employees in an organization in Syria returned a complete and usable questionnaire. Data analyzed using ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression revealed a significant interaction effect of the gender of the Suzan Naser Page i Power Distance Orientation, Gender, and Evaluation of Transformational ii and Transactional Leaders ii leader and the participant’s power distance orientation on evaluation of a transformational leader on three out of the five dimensions of transformational leadership. Also, results revealed no significant interaction effect of the gender of the leader and the participant’s power distance orientation on evaluation of a transactional leader on the three dimensions. This research makes an important contribution to theoretical understanding of gender by showing gender-role stereotyping may change over time and place. This study offers insight into the culture leadership research that means evaluation of performance for transformational leaders is influenced by the cultural value of a follower’s power distance orientation. Suzan Naser Page ii Power Distance Orientation, Gender, and Evaluation of Transformational iii and Transactional Leaders iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my parents for their love, endless support and encouragement. To my loving husband for his love, support, tolerance, and assistance. To my daughter and my son for their existing in my life. Suzan Naser Page iii Power Distance Orientation, Gender, and Evaluation of Transformational iv and Transactional Leaders iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My sincere thanks go to all who made this study possible. It gives me a great pleasure in acknowledging the support, help, encouragement and advice of my first supervisor, Dr Lynne Baldwin. I cannot find words to express my gratitude to her. I have been extremely lucky to have such a supervisor who cared so much about my work. My deepest thanks go to my second supervisor, Dr Maged Ali, for his help and encouragement. In particular I would also like to thank Dr Kristina Potocnik for her valuable advice. Also, I would like to thank Dr Chris Evans for his important support. I must express my gratitude to my husband, Sameer, for his continued encouragement and support. I would like to thank my daughter, Sarah, and my son, Yusuf, who have always dealt with all of my absence with a smile. Thank you very much kids. Finally, thanks to all my family who always encourage me. Suzan Naser Page iv Power Distance Orientation, Gender, and Evaluation of Transformational v and Transactional Leaders v DECLARATION I declare that all the materials contained in this thesis have not been previously submitted for a degree in this or any other university. I further declare that this thesis is completely my own work. I also declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. Suzan Naser Page v Power Distance Orientation, Gender, and Evaluation of Transformational vi and Transactional Leaders vi PUBLICATIONS Naser, S, Baldwin, L, and Ali, M. (2012) ‘Culture, gender, and transformational leadership’, British Academy of Management Conference, www.bam.ac.uk/bam 2012. Baldwin, L, and Naser, S. (2014) ‘Power distance orientation and evaluation of transformational leaders: A Middle Eastern perspective’, Gender in Management: An International Journal, (accepted, subject to amendments being made). Suzan Naser Page vi Power Distance Orientation, Gender, and Evaluation of Transformational vii and Transactional Leaders vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................. i DEDICATION .............................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................. iv DECLARATION ............................................................................................ v PUBLICATIONS .......................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................. vii LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................. xii LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................... xiii LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 1 1.1 RESEARCH BACKGROUND .............................................................. 1 1.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ......................................................... 4 1.3 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES ................................................................ 7 1.4 RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES ................................................. 9 1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................................... 10 1.6 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS .......................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO: LEADERSHIP, GENDER IN LEADERSHIP ............... 13 2.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 13 2.2 LEADERSHIP ...................................................................................... 13 2.2.1 Leadership: An Overview ..................................................................... 13 2.2.2 Early Leadership Theories ................................................................... 15 2.2.3 Transformational and Transactional Leadership Theory ................ 17 2.2.4 Criticisms of Transformational and Transactional Leadership Theory ............................................................................................................. 26 2.2.5 Summary of the Literature on Leadership Theory and Leadership Styles ............................................................................................................... 29 2.3 GENDER AND GENDER ROLE STEREOTYPING ........................... 30 2.3.1 Sex versus Gender ............................................................................... 30 2.3.2 The Social Construction of Gender .................................................... 32 2.3.3 Gender-Role Stereotyping ................................................................... 34 2.4 GENDER-ROLE STEREOTYPING AND MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP ................................................................. 38 2.4.1 Women in Leadership Theories .......................................................... 41 Suzan Naser Page vii Power Distance Orientation, Gender, and Evaluation of Transformational viii and Transactional Leaders viii 2.4.2 The Links between Leadership Theory and Gender-Role Stereotypes ..................................................................................................... 44 2.4.3 Gender Theories and the Evaluation/Rating of Leaders’ by Followers ......................................................................................................... 45 2.5 PERCEPTION OF GENDER DIFFERENCES IN LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR AND EFFECTIVENESS ........................................................ 55 2.5.1 Behavioral Stereotypes ........................................................................ 56 2.5.2 Perception Barriers .............................................................................