30
vision creation and hands-on supervision, all of which indicate a more transformational
than transactional leadership approach.
Bass (1998) contends that the tendency of women in leadership positions is somewhat
more transformational than their male counterparts. Evidence from a New
Zealand
survey of two samples of leaders using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire(MLQ)
found that women were rated higher for transformational leadership than their male
counterparts. Other evidence gathered using the MLQ from four investigations between
1986 and 1992 supports the conclusion, according to Bass(1998:74), that “women
display more transformational and less transactional leadership” than males. Women are
also more likely to structure flat organisations and to emphasise frequent contact and
sharing of information (Bass 1998). Bass gives various explanations for the male-female
differences in transformational leadership (Bass 1998:77-8):
•
differences may be due to the tendency for women to be more nurturing
•
women tend to be more understanding of the needs of their followers and
attempt to develop them to higher levels
•
women tend to be more sensitive or ‘feeling’ – more interested in others than
their male counterparts and
more socially sensitive
•
women highlight responsibility and care when reasoning morally, whereas
men highlight rights and justice
•
women tend to be less self-serving and authoritarian than men.
In the climate of transformation in higher education management, cultures, as well as
organisational structures feminine qualities are being increasingly appreciated. Although
male values of management and leadership still dominate in organisations (Middlehurst
1997), womanly merits are growing in importance as organisations now emphasise team-
work, participation and empowerment of others. Feminine qualities “are congruent with
some of the dominant values of the academic culture” (Middlehurst 1997:9). It seems
therefore that contemporary management and leadership roles are highly suited to women
because they have family-style skills of mutual trust and
tolerance along with good
communication skills (Walton 1997:81). It looks as if a more feminine approach to
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leadership is required by today’s flatter organisational structures which emphasise female
qualities of caring and concern for others. Bass(1998:79) thinks that as “women maybe
better suited for the organisational culture of the 1990’s and beyond…we are likely to see
rising numbers reaching higher levels of leadership and command…women are achieving
parity with men in middle management positions.” Good modern management as
opposed to the “old macho management styles of the past generation” ought to be
replaced with “creativity, communication, vision, symbolism and even love” (Walton
1997:81). Helgesen (2003) sees the ideals of leadership as the traditional ‘lone hero’
being increasingly replaced by a new kind of managerialism which values a
combination
of efficiency and humaneness. Women’s leadership qualities and their propensity to be
good communicators, to have good relationship skills, to be active and analytic listeners
and negotiators define the new order. According to Helgesen (2003:33), they “will create
an environment that meets the needs of the people who work today”.
Since leadership in the academe is increasingly dependent on team work, the challenge
for those in management and leadership roles is to become an “effective team leader”. In
the words of Robbins et al (1997:255), managers “ have to learn skills
such as patience,
to share information, to trust others, to give up authority, and to understand when to
intervene”. However, many leaders are not equipped to handle the change to teams. It is
not unreasonable therefore to conclude that the age old tendency to “control” is to blame
for this inability. It might also be safe to assume that male managers are more likely
than female managers to find it difficult to relinquish the “control and command” type of
leadership in favour of the softer skills and values which are believed to be in demand in
contemporary management.
In academic organisations, the ‘command and control’
models of leadership have little or no importance as there are other more suitable models
to substitute or neutralise this model (Middlehurst 1993). Robbins et al give a summary
of the differences between male and female leadership styles:
Women tend to use a more democratic leadership style. They encourage participation,
share power and information, and attempt to enhance followers’ self-worth. They
prefer to lead through inclusion and rely on their charisma, expertise, contacts, and
interpersonal skills to influence others. Men,
on the other hand, are more likely to use
32
a directive command-and-control style. They rely on the formal authority of their
managerial position for their influence base.
In today’s organisations, flexibility, teamwork, trust and information sharing are
replacing
rigid structures, competitive individualism, control, and secrecy. The best
leaders listen, motivate, and provide support to their people. And many women seem
to do these things better than men. …The leadership styles women typically use can
make them better at negotiating… (Robbins et al 2001:254).
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