REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and
motivating people. These styles practiced by leaders may vary according to decision making, relationship
of the leader to its members and participation of the members in the group. There are large number of
studies about gender-based leadership styles, these studies reveals the differences and/or similarities of
both genders regarding with effective strategies that leaders employ.

A series of tests was conducted in North Carolina by Miranda, S. R. (2014) in her quantitative
study about “Leadership Styles by Gender in Mental Health Organization” in order to determine the
extent of differences in the leadership styles of men and women shown by leaders in Mental Health
Organizations (MHOs). Women scored slightly higher in the transformational leadership attribute
compared to men, but findings revealed that there were no significant gender differences in leadership
styles of MHO leaders. Moreover, without considering gender, the characteristics of transformational
leadership got a higher score from the respondents when compared to transactional and laissez-faire
styles. In the same way, Walker, K. M. (2015) learned from his book that a leader’s style and gender can
affect the motivation of employees but they did not provide enough evidences. Walker’s purpose of
doing the study was to observe the effects of leadership style and a leader’s gender on employees’
performances. The results showed that leadership styles and genders have no significant impact on the
motivation of the employees. Furthermore, the laissez-faire leadership positively influences the
performances of the workers more, compared to transformational or transactional leadership style. The
book also concluded that what is important is that, effective leadership is not about which gender leads
best, but about making use of leadership skills that will contribute to the success of the employees.
Resembling to Walker’s conclusion, Hickerman and Solenson (2014) believed that both men women
were represented equally. Through various analyses, it was revealed that sex has no correlation in
response to the seven sub scales of invisible leadership this means that similar commitment,
participation, and achievement can be seen regardless or when it comes to invisible leadership.
Therefore, it is more plausible that the organization focuses on the general objective of the company
thus undermining cultural differences such as gender roles and other nonessential factors.

As stated by Profitoiu, A.G. (2016) in their study, leaders perform various attributes in managing
to achieve goals such as transformational and transactional styles. The study also found out that
leadership style is not influenced by gender rather, it is influenced by other factors. In addition to that
according to the study of Daft, R. (2015), men and women depict different leadership style as said by
social science research. Women portray leadership style that is more on compassion and kindness or
also called as communal quantities while men are associated more an assertiveness and competiveness
or also called as agentic quantities.

The leadership styles of both gender may have similarities or differences, from the book of
Pierce, J. L. and Newstrom, J. W. (2008) entitled Leaders & Leadership Process discussed the study of
Kent and Moss (1994) about the impact of sex and gender role on leadership. Findings showed that
women are somewhat more probable to appear as leaders than men. However, the stronger impact to
becoming a leader were formed through the gender role than biologically-based sex which explains that
those who have androgynous and/or masculine characteristics were more likely to emerge as leaders
than those who possess the attributes of females. With regards to gender equity in management, role
congruity theory has been used to elaborate the scarcity of women in leadership roles through
exploration of gender stereotyping and inadequacy of deserving for leadership positions (Borland, et. al,
2015). Dubrin (2013) also made observations on male-female differences in leadership style. Women are
inclined with relationship-oriented leadership while men are inclined with command and control.
Instead of distinguishing the best leadership style, leaders are informed to scrutinize the situation and
then decide for the necessary leadership style that corresponds.

People show a significance on similarities between gender role stereotypes and leadership
stereotypes as suggested in role congruity theory where women have the possibility to be unjustly
treated upon for traditional/autocratic leadership role and men can be unfairly treated upon
democratic/participative leadership role according to Mcbellan (2014). In line with congruity theory
Chua & Murray, (2014) discovers how generational theory can enlighten gender role congruity by
determining that through generations, a measured congruent gender role differs. The researchers aim
to distinguish if diversity in the motivations-to-lead and leadership styles exercised by leaders of variety
of genders and generations (Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y/Millennial) can be clarified with
the help of generation theory that has a conceptual capability to be applied as a framework. Another
study evaluates male and female leaders concerning their demonstration of being relational
(Interpersonal/ democratic) or errand arranged (task- oriented/ autocratic) leader is based form
Northouse (2010), as referred to by Alhourani (2013), the study emphasized that female leaders center
the relational style in comparison to men. Along with these, the research also stated that female leaders
practice transformational administration than men to be a powerful and effective leader. Whereas men
hone their leadership style on being transaction or value-based.

Transformational leaders focus on being an effective and efficient team. The leader make use or
proper communication to finish a talk at hand, all the while motivating her subordinates. This also
creates a healthy relationship between co-workers , opening windows for new ideas and innovation to
meet the company's objectives. On the other hand, transactional leaders often finish projects alone and
only interact with the co-workers when needed. In this case, he treats his subordinates only as
followers. Unlike transactional leaders who use proper communication techniques, Transactional
leaders use power to assert control over his followers and use this to train and improve his
subordinates.

As cited in the book of Zenger, J. (2012) from the conducted research of Harvard Business
Review in 2012 that women are signified as more effective on capableness. This lead to many
critizations such as senior leaders as mentors were male, but the goal of the study is to justify that
leadership skills are needed especially when people are encouraged to achieve or wanted to be guided
and not to show that women are dominant than men.

A study by Kaines and D' Ilio (1989, 1990), as cited by Phillipson and Phillipson (2014), mode use
or the High School Personality Questionnaire, an instrument used to test character profiles. The result
showed better overall performance of females in terms of emotional stability, dominance, and
independence as compared with males. Females also responded with equity, saying that leadership is
suitable for either gender while males were inclined to more stereotypical answers such as males being
better in leading. Talking about pre-requisites, females believe that good grades, popularity, and/or
wealth do not necessarily equate to good and effective leadership. Giber et. al. (2009) also agreed in his
book entitled “Best Practices in Leadership Development Handbook: Second Edition”, with the
knowledge that women are more knowledgeable in balancing their time, they are considered as
individuals who are opt to be more efficient than men. Knowing that men are go-getter, women are
encouraged to be part of the senior management committee which proves that women are ambitious in
a participatory way.

Gatbonton, Mallari, & Janairo (2016) also extended that females tend to be more dependent
that males. This study is mounted to the claims of Verma (2013) which says that because of the right and
left hemispheres of women’s brain, they become imminently emotional. Females are open to the
opinions of the others which proves their dependency is high this explains why they are good in terms of
communication and accomplishing social task very well. They are also unconscious when it comes to
decision-making therefore explaining the reason why they are certain with their decisions. This kind of
decision-making skill is pivotal in leading a community for one inaccurate decision would impact the
entirely of it. Furthermore, the leadership style that is mostly performed in diverse organization is
transformational leadership style along with transactional contingent reward behaviors. The said
leadership style is much more exhibited by female leaders compare to male leaders according to the
study of Tran, T. (2015)

Kuchynková, L. (2015) made a study entitled “Differences between Women’s and Men’s
Leadership Style” which has a hypothesis saying that "the gender of a manager affects his/her style of
leadership". The hypothesis was rejected corresponding to the studies of Anderson, Murphy, and Mann
Hyung about the non-existence of significant differences in the leadership styles of men and women.
However, it was concluded that women are more successful than men in efficiency leadership style
compared to men, which confirmed Bartosová's conclusion that companies with a higher number of
women in managerial positions perform more effectively.

According to a study conducted by Arong (2012), male officials outdo female officials. As the
culture presupposes in terms of managing organizations and villages, settling disputes, making decisions
and even delivering public speeches. In a family hierarchy, the father holds the final decision for his
words are unyielding and executory.

Consider the amount it is more compelling if women’s noticeable positive qualities on leading
are coordinated men's strengths on leadership. As a matter of fact, the distinctions of both genders on
their point of view on leadership are correlative. Their leadership styles are as of now continued to
expand to incorporate practices we have already portrayed them. If various institutions will employ this
integrative approach, it will eventually lead to a success. (Hadary & Henderson, 2013)