Social values:
According to expert advice given to working women there are several key ways in which society respond differently to women and men who are leaders. These differences definitely affect women’s capabilities to be a leader. Recently, in the United States of America election had been conducted. Numerous thought were emerged towards electing first women president. However, still in some position like military, presidency, there is male dominance even in the United States of America.
In this society, power for women and men leaders “operated differently as a social structure which is totally based on a cultural system of dominance” (Lips H, 2009). Basically, the practices which encompasses “power system includes patterns of discourage, shared understanding and participation in a set of values, expectations, norms and roles” (Lips H, 2009). Additionally, “Responses given to women and men in leadership role are also based on social structure dominated by men”(Lips H, 2009). There are almost similar leadership traits and behaviors posed by men and women leaders, however, “women leaders are shown a different reaction than male leaders because of learned expectations, shaped and supported by the surrounding social structure that invalidate and undercut women’s ability to be effective, influential and powerful leaders” (Lips H, 2009).
People think ‘male’ when they think leaders. Because of this perceived incompatibility between the requirement of femininity and those of leadership, women are often required to soften their leadership style to gain the approval of their task. Women who lead with an autocratic style are the targets of more disapproval than those who enact a more democratic style. In the same condition men may choose autocratic style. Thoughts and opinion of women are not listened and often discouraged; their comment and suggestions are ignored, even if they are very useful and that the same comments or suggestions from men have more impact. (Lips H, 2009).
In a family, there are several roles which can only be performed by women. Such unavoidable role creates difficulties for women to be effective leaders. For example, giving birth to baby, care giver in the family. Because of these roles, women cannot contribute their sole effort on work and hence decrease the performance and capabilities to be effective leaders. Furthermore, leadership position requires working at least full time and become flexible in term of work load but, women cannot be as flexible as men because of their primary role in a family.
How to solve it:
Social values and family roles for women and men are prevailing in the society from the last many decades so; it is really hard to eliminate those differences or the dominances between men and women. In this society, there is exist of the differences between rich and poor, eastern people and western people and black and white, and it will last for coming more decades in some way; similarly there is the difference between men and women leaders and will not be eliminated totally until the dominance for women exist in this society. Furthermore, we can expect that these differences between men and women will be totally eliminated one day and there will be similar opportunities for women leader and women in every position. However, some role for women in the family is solely for women and cannot perform by male, for example, giving birth to a baby and role of care giver. Due to these role women cannot utilize their effort on work and hence decrease their capabilities at work. Therefore, the solution for this problem is that in every business organization even in the government organization, there should be some quota for women in the managerial position. Quota means some specified number of position saved for women as managerial positions and there should be women on that specified position.
References:
Lips, H. (2009, April 02). Women and Leadership: Delicate Balancing Act [Online
Women Leaders: collective and compassionate- women in Higher Education [Online
Hakim, C. (2004). Key issues in women’s work. Key issues in women’s work: female
diversity and the polarization of women’s employment. Rouledge Cavendish publisher.
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