Gender Differences in Management: Male vs. Female Leaders in New York Public Firms Thesis

Abstract

In modern management, the proportion of men and women in managerial positions is shifting rapidly. An increasing number of females are involved in administrative activities. Accordingly, the active integration of female and male models of behavior in business forms the prerequisite for studying the gender specifics of individual behavior in managerial activities. Hence, the primary objectives of the study are to establish whether men and women managers follow the same traditional approaches to management.

Simultaneously, the research addresses the question of whether rules exist that can systematize the management styles of women and men in the United States. Accordingly, information on management styles was collected among employees at various levels of public firms in New York. Thus, 75 females and males who occupy managerial positions of different levels participated in a pilot survey conducted with the help of Zinklar Online Surveys. Afterward, an open-ended mail questionnaire was compiled and executed based on the answers received in the pilot survey.

Thus, the findings of managers’ responses were analyzed using statistical methods of generalization and grouping of statistical observation materials. Accordingly, the research and data analysis that were conducted confirmed the hypotheses. First, the management style in the United States varies by gender. Moreover, the study found that men use more formal and structured methods of personnel management.

Meanwhile, females preferred to create a comfortable environment for employees and used a cooperative management style. Additionally, most respondents confirmed the need for a unified leadership strategy for managers. Consequently, women and men who occupy leadership positions should unify their management style to perform their functions more effectively.

Introduction

Specification of the Problem

Management style is a relatively stable system of approaches, methods, actions, and forms of practical activity that managers employ to interact with employees and achieve the set objectives. The management style is described in several scientific theories, the founders of which were Frederick Taylor, Ralph Stogdill, Warren Bennis, and Rensis Likert (Abalkhail, 2019). The theories share similarities, so we can highlight their primary goal, which is to enhance the efficiency and productivity of managers. According to these theories, it is argued that managers choose different leadership styles. Yet, no established opinion on how management styles will change when gender is considered.

However, this issue consistently draws attention, especially in developed countries where women hold high-level positions in management (Wu & Zhang, 2019). Accordingly, the stereotypical opinion that men have better abilities and management styles is changing. Thus, with the development of society, the significance, scale, and importance of the problem of not establishing the advantages of female and male leadership are becoming increasingly important.

In first-world countries, women managers often hold high positions but are sometimes subject to discrimination. This is because there is still a stereotype that women cannot conduct effective and strong policies, and their leadership style is much softer than that of men. Moreover, it is worth noting that 40 years ago, Xerox conducted a large-scale study on sales effectiveness, and the results surprised many people (Abalkhail, 2019). At that time, they were quite unexpected; women sold more and better than their male colleagues. Since then, the attitude towards females in managerial positions has become more favorable.

Nevertheless, the gender issue remains a concern for the business community. Scientists continue to study the differences in men’s and women’s professional activities and share new findings yearly. Over the past few decades, it has been observed that men and women managers share similar leadership traits, especially in developed countries. According to studies by Liu & Zhao (2019) and Wood (2020), men tend to lead by command and control, while women are more willing to cooperate and conciliate. However, these authors further argued that the dynamic nature of structural employment often blurs managerial disparities by gender, necessitating ongoing research in this area.

Furthermore, the relevance of this study is stipulated by the fact that there is a shortage of scientifically based research. Therefore, there are only a few empirical studies that have concluded that differences in leadership styles exist between men and women. Moreover, these studies were conducted with consideration for the changes in the modern world and the development of gender equality reforms in the first states.

Accordingly, the main findings were that male managers chose more directive methods. However, the sample of available studies does not prove these conclusions, as there is also evidence that there are no differences between the management styles used by male and female managers. Accordingly, the thesis aims to overcome the above research gaps.

Consequently, this study aims to determine whether male and female managers adhere to the same conservative management approaches. To reach the research objective, the following two questions need to be answered during this study:

1. How do the management styles of male and female managers in the United States of America differ?
2. Can policies be formulated to standardize the management styles used by male and female leaders?

The literature reviewed in the section on innovation research supports the need to address the above questions within this topic. On the other hand, the objectives of this study are summarized below:

• To determine the difference in leadership styles of male and female leaders in the United States of America.
• To examine the effect of changes in socialization and structural employment patterns on the leadership styles used by men and women leaders.

Literature Review

Saudi Arabia

It is significant to note that Abalkhail (2019) studied the management style in such a highly developed state as Saudi Arabia because this state has traditional and religious features that cause a gender gap. Meanwhile, the author noted that in recent years, women have become increasingly involved in all spheres of work, but they still have a low level of representation in managerial positions. Although this problem has been raised at the state level, and reform has been introduced, according to which there will be a significant expansion of opportunities for women, including in the labor sphere.

A survey was conducted to identify the obstacles to women’s advancement to leadership positions in higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia, aiming to effectively combat discrimination through legislative regulation. Accordingly, Abalkhail (2019) analyzes the conclusions that can be drawn from these surveys. The author argues that organizational, cultural, and personal barriers are the main challenges. The author suggests that changing stereotypes and these barriers will facilitate greater female participation in leadership positions.

New Zealand

Instead, Judy (2020) describes women’s management experience in New Zealand. The author also concludes that the number of women in senior positions in New Zealand has grown in recent years. Still, these changes are unstable and vary across different sectors. For example, women managers have a significant representation in the corporate sector, but their involvement is still ineffective in the public sector.

The previous author, Judy (2020), considers the reasons preventing females from building successful careers. Therefore, the author finds that there is a need for more legislation on equal employment opportunities in New Zealand, as well as a lack of political will. Meanwhile, the article notes that the issue of women’s underrepresentation in governance compared to men is also highlighted in the New Zealand Human Rights Commission’s submission to the Universal Periodic Review conducted by the UN Human Rights Council. Accordingly, the author believes this will ensure women can fully exercise their labor rights.

China

In addition, Liu & Zhao (2019) explore the research methods on the status of women’s labor rights in China. They found that Chinese scholars primarily focus on women’s leadership and finance, but there are limited sources to support their findings. Most Chinese scientific literature with verified evidence focuses on women’s educational achievements. Additionally, it was found that the trend in research on Chinese women’s entrepreneurship follows the global trend. Furthermore, Liu & Zhao (2019) point out that after 2008, Chinese scholars began to use the concept of gender more frequently and to study trends in the management field, considering that females can also hold leadership positions.

The UK

Wilson (2019) reached a radically different conclusion than all other researchers when investigating the freedom of women in management positions in the UK. Accordingly, the author argues that the representation of females in senior positions has increased, and the share of women among managers in the UK is 34.8 percent. However, this high figure does not mean that equality between men and women has been achieved in the UK in terms of employment.

The author highlights the need for more women in senior management positions. As evidence of this, Wilson (2019) cites statistics showing that white non-disabled men mostly occupy the highest positions, and women hold less than one-third of the most influential positions in the UK. The author also examines the involvement of women in management by sector, respectively; in the armed forces, only 1.3 percent of females hold senior positions, while in the judiciary, the figure is 13.2 percent. The author explains this gap in various sectors, citing the main problems of not involving women as equal pay and stereotypical attitudes towards women in leadership positions.

Australia

It is worth noting that the study was conducted by Wood (2020) in Australia. The author analyzed data from Australian companies to assess the involvement of women and their roles within these companies. Accordingly, as a consequence of the research, it was found that 10 percent of women hold senior positions in leading companies in Australia.

In contrast, Wood’s 2020 analysis, unlike that of other authors, revealed a decline in the involvement of women in leadership positions, which was 12.0 percent in 2006. Similarly, Judy (2020) identified that in Australia, the under-involvement of women is most evident in the parliamentary sectors, as in New Zealand. Wood (2020) attributes the decline in women’s involvement in senior positions to the precise segmentation of the workforce by gender, which divides professions into male and female roles, thereby limiting opportunities for women.

Worldwide

Wu & Zhang (2019) conducted a comprehensive study to establish the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in the first countries. In addition, the study by these authors combines all the findings on the factors that prevent women from obtaining leadership positions identified by the authors above. Accordingly, Wu & Zhang (2019) identified four main barriers that affect the emergence of gender inequality: maternity, entrepreneurial knowledge, norms, and finance.

After conducting comprehensive research on the topic, the authors note that women’s limited entrepreneurial knowledge, combined with high initial financing requirements, constitute significant barriers to female entrepreneurship, resulting in a low level of female entrepreneurship. At the same time, in contrast to all previous authors, Wu & Zhang (2019) provide four causal channels for achieving high levels of female entrepreneurship. Hence, this study presents an opportunity to apply the unique knowledge of female entrepreneurs and their leadership styles to the success of companies.

The obstacles that females face in employment and career advancement in various organizations are important from the perspective of reviewing the scientific work of scientists. Alqahtani (2020) argues that women have limited opportunities to achieve high positions in the company; therefore, historically, the domestic sphere has been the only sphere open to them. Accordingly, men were engaged in public affairs, while women were responsible for raising children at home. Hence, nowadays, women’s leadership and professional abilities are often underestimated, which deepens the gender gap in the workplace.

On the contrary, Biletta et al. (2018) note that highly developed countries have legislation in place that mandates balanced gender equality between women and men in the workplace. Therefore, women often work in different companies and receive decent salaries, but it is more complicated for them to be promoted. Accordingly, there are twice as many men in leadership positions as women.

Like all previous authors, Biletta et al. (2018) indicate that societal barriers will continue to hinder women’s career advancement. Although the author emphasizes that females themselves may refrain from becoming managers if they consider that it will hurt their work and personal life. This affects their ability to perform quality work, devote more time to critical tasks, and combine it with their personal life.

Female Leadership and Environmental Responsibility

The article by Burkhardt et al. (2020) emphasizes that the involvement of women in leadership positions leads to environmental efficiency. The research conducted by the authors found that firms with female executives are successfully developing in the industry. Furthermore, the involvement of women demonstrates greater innovation in companies, which is characterized by their management ceiling, and attracts more investment. Studies have demonstrated that companies with a majority of women in senior management also tend to oppose the unreasonable use of resources and prioritize the future of the planet (Burkhardt et al., 2020).

In this way, they participate in programs that promote the responsible use of natural resources. For example, the authors demonstrate the impact of women directors on a firm’s environmental performance (Burkhardt et al., 2020). The results generally confirm the gender socialization theory, which posits that women are associated with environmental care and nurturing. Furthermore, firms with more female managers tend to have a well-developed system of corporate ethics.

Moreover, the study by Burkhardt et al. (2020) confirms the social roles theory, as women managers have less influence in fast-growing firms, which prioritize rapid development and focus their efforts accordingly. However, when these companies become successful, they start to pay more attention to their environmental history (Burkhardt et al., 2020). Nevertheless, another conclusion of the authors is that women managers are associated not only with environmental performance, but also with the material expression of their characteristics.

Gender Aspect of the UK Hospitality Management

The paper by Calinaud et al. (2021) offers significant insights, as it focuses on the UK, a developed country, and the hospitality sector. The authors note that in the hospitality sector, gender is a significant factor in determining career advancement. Although there have been recent changes, this is why women are increasingly becoming managers of large hotels or complexes in the UK. The authors have obtained data on how to ensure the career development of female employees and exploit the vital source of creativity, innovation, and competitive advantage that women offer (Calinaud et al., 2021).

Therefore, they have made a particularly significant contribution to the hospitality and human resource management literature by providing information on key affirmative action strategies that will enable females to reach leadership positions and achieve gender diversity and equality. Carmona et al. (2018) investigate the widespread hypothesis in the literature that women managers are perceived as secondary staff members compared to men. Accordingly, the authors found that female business owners tend to make riskier decisions and implement formal management systems using a male-dominated approach.

The article written by Elias (2018) is interesting because the author has decades of experience in leadership positions in governmental and non-governmental organizations. The relevant purpose of the article is to provide recommendations for women to obtain high positions and conduct effective company management (Elias, 2018). As a result, the author notes that studying basic leadership concepts and management lessons by women will enable them to obtain high positions and prevent the new generation of women from experiencing labor discrimination.

Leadership Differences in Developed and Developing Countries

Faizan et al. (2018) investigate leadership styles in four countries that differ in economic status. Thus, the authors establish the effectiveness of female and male leadership styles on the contrasting IT sectors of India, Canada, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. The authors conducted the study among 248 respondents using a semi-structured 5-point questionnaire.

The conclusion indicated that female leadership style has a significant positive impact on employees regardless of gender. In addition, in developing countries, female leadership is more prevalent, whereas in developed economies such as Canada and the UK, male leadership is more commonly preferred (Faizan et al., 2018). However, male employees generally do not prefer a masculine leadership style, while females prefer both masculine and feminine leadership styles.

Impact of Gender Diversity on Performance

Meanwhile, Fernando et al. (2020) explore the role of managerial capabilities in the relationship between gender diversity and firm performance. The authors utilize theories of diversity, gender, and top leadership to establish the differences between men’s and women’s management during crises. Accordingly, the authors conclude that women’s managerial abilities are effective during crises and periods of firm growth. Furthermore, the authors suggest that organizational abilities mediate the relationship between gender diversity and performance (Fernando et al., 2020). This suggests that feminine traits and transformational leadership styles are more effective in the modern leadership context.

Gender Diversity in Hospitality

Huang et al. (2019) conducted research similar to Calinaud et al. (2021) on gender equality in the hospitality industry in the UK and Ireland. The difference is that Huang et al. (2019) conducted a quantitative study focusing on females with the potential to hold a senior management position. In addition, Huang et al. (2019) recommend that hospitality businesses adopt affirmative practices, such as flexible working hours and talent development programs, to enhance gender equality.

The United States

It is worth noting the study by Lyness et al. (2018), which is the primary study analyzing the attraction of women to high positions in the United States. This article shows that the level of women’s representation in leadership positions in the United States is positive. At the same time, as most authors in this field point out, Lyness et al. (2018) note that men continue to dominate leadership positions in the US. To explain this phenomenon, the author developed and synthesized a multi-level organizational model of barriers and facilitators to the empowerment of women leaders, called the BAFFLE model of women’s leadership.

Mirza & Jabeen (2020) also note that the role of women is increasing significantly worldwide, particularly in the United States. For example, 15% of government ministers are women in all 192 countries worldwide, compared to 11.7% in 1997. The authors also analyze the consideration of this topic at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where it is stated that the absence of females in leadership positions in organizations results in a loss of productivity at both the individual and organizational levels.

Pakistan

Additionally, the authors conducted a study in Pakistan’s banking sector to determine the impact of gender stereotypes on the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. Since gender stereotypes are one of the most cited reasons for holding women back in career advancement, they concluded that existing stereotypes about both genders are detrimental to women’s career advancement, especially in management. Therefore, the fair representation of women in organizations is a crucial issue in human resource management.

Instead, Mamadou (2019) focused on women’s management style rather than their level of involvement. Therefore, the author argues that women manage differently from men because they have de facto management, while men apply management by law. Furthermore, the author points out that women’s management style, namely participatory, is distinct from men’s management styles, which are authoritarian, directive, and laissez-faire. Although the author also suggests that women, if necessary, can adopt the leadership style typically associated with men.

Gender-Diverse Management and Culture

However, a study by Turesky & Warner (2020) examines the influence of gender, management, and organizational characteristics on planners’ perceptions of workplace culture and benefits. To achieve this aim, the authors conducted a survey to assess whether planners’ attitude toward workplace culture and benefits differ according to gender and the organizational characteristics of the planning office. Accordingly, the qualitative analysis revealed that issues with exclusive communication and equal opportunities are linked to management characteristics.

To test this, five regression models were created, related to gender respect, exclusive communication, work-life balance, perception of flexibility, and equal opportunities. According to the results, there is no difference with respect to gender and work-life preferences. However, women are less likely to feel neglected in their workplace (exclusive communication) or have equal opportunities. Therefore, most valid and verified genders ensure the recognition of women managers in high positions. Meanwhile, they start barriers that make it impossible for women to receive the same positions as men in highly developed countries.

Gender Factor of Leadership Styles

However, few empirical studies have contrasted the leadership styles and performance of men and women. This research includes the study by Abalhail (2019), which concluded that while female managers were new to transformational management models that depend on interpersonal abilities, male managers prefer more directive approaches.

Nevertheless, the study by Mireu & Grau (2019) found no significant differences between the management styles chosen by male and female managers. Thus, the available studies are insufficient to determine differences between male and female leadership styles in the US. It is because they were conducted in a more geographical context and did not investigate this issue. Therefore, it is essential to highlight the existing research gaps that prompted the need for this study.

Conceptual Model

Hence, there is a need to establish the difference between the management styles in the US and to identify policies that can standardize the management styles of senior executives of different genders. Thus, the research argues that men and women in the United States who occupy high-level career positions require more established and proven management methods. Accordingly, a literature review was conducted to analyze the available scientific information on this issue, and significant gaps were identified.

Therefore, to establish accurate information, it is necessary to use both quantitative and qualitative methods that will enable the demonstration and discussion of the pilot survey and open-ended mail questionnaire results, as well as the analysis of their similarities using quantitative methods. This will provide accurate numerical data from the employees of the companies and, with the help of their comparison, not only establish what management styles are inherent in men and women in the United States but also propose a policy for their standardization.

Methodology

Setting

It is crucial to emphasize that the research is conducted in the field of governance and management. That is, it involves people who interact with each other through material, economic, legal, and other conditions to solve their problems and achieve a common goal. Moreover, the main condition for the study is to involve managers of both genders in the sample of participants. Therefore, the experiments will be conducted in environments that potentially allow for the evaluation of the management style of male and female managers. The fairness and transparency of the obtained results will ensure equal representation of men and women involved in the surveys.

Additionally, managers will be guaranteed the safety and complete anonymity of their personal data, which will affect the honesty and sincerity of their answers. Only managers with relevant work experience will be involved in the assessment, which will enable them to answer questions based on their own experience. Consequently, the research will be conducted in the professional sphere, involving participants with relevant experience who will enable us to evaluate the management capabilities of women and men managers in practice.

Selection of Study Subjects

Source

The source that will ensure the availability of professional staff who can participate in the study is various public firms in New York. The specificity of the choice of these organizations lies in the fact that this area of activity encompasses processes such as management, planning, coordination, and control. Accordingly, managers, regardless of gender, should possess the necessary competencies to perform their duties effectively.

Additionally, the choice of New York State is justified by the fact that the study aims to identify the characteristics of managers based on gender in the United States. The choice of New York is due to its status as one of the most populous and influential states in the United States. Moreover, many companies have their headquarters or affiliates in this city. Accordingly, the survey of managers working in New York will provide the most complete picture of the answers.

Sampling Method

The survey uses the “snowball” method to broaden the sample of participants from the professional circle of managers. Therefore, the first participants were recruited from the most well-known organizations, taking into account the gender criterion. After that, the “snowball” method was used, which is based on the fact that almost every representative of the target group can name one or more other people who are in this group.

Therefore, the interviewers first searched for the first respondents by special methods, and they, in turn, suggested who else could be interviewed. As a result, the number of interviewees increased like a snowball. A significant amount of freedom distinguishes the method in terms of the location of the interview. Furthermore, the snowball method is used when representatives of the target group are difficult to find by other methods, the availability of respondents is limited, and they can be accessed only through proxies. It was relevant in this study because it was essential to involve managers according to demographic and gender criteria.

Criteria for Eligibility/Exclusion of Cases

The prime criterion for the study is the introduction of 150 managers. At the same time, the respondents should represent both genders; 75 women and 75 male managers are necessary. In addition, to ensure that the answers will be based on the current experience and knowledge of professionals, the group should consist of people between the ages of 35 and 60.

Moreover, the study is geographically limited, and managers will be selected from various New York City public firms. These participants, who have held their respective positions for at least five consecutive years, will be selected from management’s lower, middle, and upper ranks. Thus, this selection of managers will attract individuals from diverse backgrounds to positions at various levels. It is significant to note that managers from other states in a private company are not involved in the sampling. Similarly, people with a cumulative experience of 5 years, but who have worked in managerial positions for less than that amount of time, are not sampled.

Data Collection

Source

Data collection will be based on a pilot survey conducted using Zinklar Online Surveys (ZoS), which will then complement the open mail survey technique in a large-scale study to either support or refute the theme. A pilot study is important because it tests the questionnaire prior to a full-scale survey. Such a study helps to obtain preliminary data that are important for planning further phases of the study. However, the open-ended mail questionnaire technique will allow participants to answer the questions in their own words, which will not only refine the outcomes but also find new ones.

Protocol for Typical Subject

Each participant will be informed about the research process and will have the opportunity to decline participation. At the same time, if people wish to participate in the surveys, they will sign an informed consent form, which is a process by which participants voluntarily confirm their agreement to participate in a particular research after being informed about all aspects of the study. Thus, the participants will be informed about the procedures and schedules for the two surveys.

Moreover, their personal data and answers will not be available to unauthorized persons. Furthermore, to maintain complete anonymity, which is necessary for participants to provide truthful answers, the real names of the participants will be encrypted, and each will be assigned a unique number. Therefore, participants will be able to familiarize themselves with the anonymity guarantees, research procedures, and the schedule before agreeing to or refusing participation.

Data Quality

To ensure accurate and high-quality data, the study will be conducted in two stages. Accordingly, in the first stage, the questionnaires compiled using a Likert scale will be sent to a placebo group consisting of 71 different firms. Thus, it will enable us to collect primary data, which will facilitate the development of open-ended questions to be sent in the next stage. Consequently, this method will provide an opportunity to conduct the research using topical issues that are of interest or importance to managers. Moreover, the answers in the pilot survey will enable the evaluation of the already developed questions and the introduction of adjustments to ensure their reliability.

Analysis

Hypothesis Generation

It is noteworthy to observe that, based on the literature review, the study’s expected findings indicate that a greater proportion of male managers will employ an authoritative management style. Therefore, it is essential to investigate whether the management styles of managers in the United States vary according to gender. Additionally, the existing literature suggests that all managers should adopt new and innovative management styles that can be incorporated into a standardized policy. Hence, it is crucial to verify if managers in different companies are ready to change their management style or if they are already using new methods.

Key Analysis Variables

These are evidence or information collected for analysis. Variables can take many forms of values, and they are an integral part of the data collected. Variables in a study can be either qualitative or quantitative; that is, if the variable is quantitative, the responses will be numerical, and the value of the attribute being measured can be stated with some degree of precision. The other type, qualitative variables, measure qualitative attributes, and the values taken by the variables cannot be given in terms of size or magnitude. Hence, it will statistically evaluate the responses of a sample of participants and analyze their open-ended responses that cannot be measured in numerical terms.

Sample Size/Power Considerations

The research will involve 150 participants, comprising 75 women and 75 men. This number is because the default number of respondents (n) = 150 per sample group is recommended by most researchers. Thus, this is enough to conduct and validate the study in one subgroup. Meanwhile, the sample of 150 participants is a compromise between the economic feasibility of the study and the degree of reliability.

Statistical Methods

The statistical methods of summary and grouping of statistical observation data will be used in the research. The summary is the process of analyzing individual facts that form a comprehensive set of data collected during the study. Additionally, the summary enables a large amount of data to be transformed into a comprehensive set of statistical tables and results. In addition, such a study facilitates the identification of common features and patterns of the phenomena under consideration. Therefore, it will evaluate the responses of the respondents together and will allow us to establish statistics.

Results

Consequently, all 150 participants answered the basic questions in the pilot survey using a Likert scale. It is crucial to note that the survey consisted of 5 questions, and the answers to each question were analyzed for the entire sample. Accordingly, the summation of responses indicates the number of participants who chose each option. For example, Figures 1-5 display the results of the first hypothesis, illustrating the distribution of participants’ answers. Therefore, this method was valuable in estimating the approximate importance of the study and future outcomes.

Moreover, after receiving the results of the pilot study, the main open-ended questions were adjusted. This enabled participants not only to highlight the differences between management styles, but also to provide examples that are used in their organisation. Hence, it enables us to assess whether the study’s results are consistent with those presented in the literature review.

1. What is your gender?
2. Which management style do you use?
3. What management style is popular in your team?
4. Are your results in contrast to those of managers of other genders?
5. Do they use a different management style?
6. What are the reasons for the existence or non-implementation of standardized managerial policies in your organization?
7. Which recommendations would you provide?

Additionally, Figures 6-7 visualize the results of the second hypothesis, which aim to answer whether standardization of policies is needed and how to implement it. The figures demonstrate how participants responded to the success of each management style and the need to introduce them as a single policy.

Discussion

Study Strengths and Limitations

It is worth noting that the research found that men and women have almost equal psychological opportunities to manage an enterprise in the United States. However, the literature analysis demonstrated that females are less often involved in the highest management positions. The study also confirmed this outcome, helping to establish that the primary reason for this is the differing management styles of men and women.

Although many female executives hold their own opinions, it is notable that men and women have distinct perceptions of their work as managers. Males consider it a series of transactions with subordinates: issuing rewards for successful work and applying punishment for inadequate performance of the assignment. Moreover, men are more willing than women to use the power that their position or formal authority gives them.

Meanwhile, the study revealed through open-ended questions that an interesting difference between women’s management style and men’s is that female managers are more committed to combined strategies. Compared to men, females are more inclined to demonstrate mixed strategies, such as coordinator-manager, coordinator-leader, and master leader. This was emphasized by both male and female managers who participated in the survey; they are certain that in the modern world, female managers must adapt to the working environment to overcome barriers. This is the reason why women’s management style is more adaptive to the business environment, although men are still more often appointed to important positions.

Thus, the study’s strength lies in the fact that 95 survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that managers of different genders have distinct management styles. Moreover, 83 participants indicated that men, as a rule, tend to support a specific management model and do not mix it with other types of technologies, adhering to a single strategy in their behavior. This is an authoritative management style based on the fact that managers make decisions alone and control every phase of the team’s work.

Furthermore, the primary advantage of the analysis is that it found women to be more flexible in their management and to use what is most effective without becoming consistent adherents to one of the styles. They effectively implement not only “survival strategies” but also development strategies, building more discreet relationships with their partners and avoiding too “risky” strategies. Accordingly, 66 out of 150 respondents confirmed that females tend to use a collaborative style. In contrast, others indicated that they adapt to their environment and quickly adjust their management styles to meet their needs.

It is essential to note that a key weakness of the research is the limited attention paid to the second hypothesis. Those are policies that can be developed to standardize the management styles used by leaders of both genders. Surveys have indicated that most companies have no uniform policy on management style, or its application is not clear.

This is evidenced by the fact that 64 participants agreed with this rather than indicated a single policy. However, this result should be considered in conjunction with the fact that more than 70 respondents agree that unifying management styles would improve the performance of their units. Consequently, it appears from the responses that it is necessary to select the most effective style and implement it at the organizational level.

The problem that arises in this case is that respondents do not believe their own management style is superior to the alternative management styles. This is demonstrated in Figures 6-7, which present the results of the second hypothesis, indicating that women are more supportive of policy implementation. Accordingly, this research identifies a significant problem in governance and examines the primary responses of the participants to address it.

For instance, the research suggests developing standardized policies, such as employee-friendly and interactive systems, as they promote good interpersonal relations in organizations. For this purpose, the participants themselves proposed that company managers conduct an independent assessment of management styles on a case-by-case basis. Accordingly, it is impossible to indicate which management style is the best or the most appropriate for all 71 companies. Nevertheless, most participants agree that it is necessary to comply with new trends in the industry and focus on more open and flexible approaches to management.

Comparison of Key Findings with Previous Work

It is significant that most of the researched sources only focus on the level of women’s involvement in managerial positions. For example, Biletta et al. (2018) examine the balance of representation of managers of different genders in all developed countries. Wood (2020) focuses on Australia, and Wilson (2019) on the United Kingdom.

Moreover, in all developed countries, the authors claim that the results of the study are similar. That is, they indicate that females are less involved in the governance sector than men, but the role of women is growing. In addition, the authors identified barriers that do not permit women to advance quickly in their careers. In their preliminary findings, they indicate that the primary problem is stereotypes and motherhood, which require women’s attention.

Instead, this study is based on information obtained from the literature review and does not consider the level of involvement of women in high positions compared to men. The major objective of the interviews and analysis is to identify similarities and differences between the management styles of female and male managers. Additionally, the survey uses an equal number of men and women for the sample and has a geographical location in New York State. This enables different conclusions to be drawn than those obtained by authors who studied New Zealand, Australia, or the United Kingdom.

Although the most similar article to the conducted research is written by Lyness et al. (2018), because the authors investigate the level of involvement of managers of both genders in high positions in the US, the authors’ findings were that the level of representation of women in leadership posts in the United States is positive, but men still dominate the US leadership. Instead, the study analyzes not the level of involvement of managers of different genders but their management styles.

Therefore, the findings of the present study indicate that women, unlike men, are more likely to refuse the privileges of their positions. They more often emphasize the importance of the contribution of their subordinates, often downplaying their own role. The moral support and encouragement of subordinates are the main characteristics of female management that enable them to accomplish their goals. Consequently, this is what contributes to the fact that the number of female managers in the United States has been growing recently.

It is important to highlight the research conducted by Burkhardt et al. (2020), which concluded that women in leadership positions contribute to efficient environmental management. The authors argue that women are able to improve the governance system through ethical standards and innovation. However, the majority of survey participants indicated that it is impossible to assess the benefits of a particular management style if it is not unified. Therefore, if women can maintain environmental efficiency in one department, it does not guarantee that it will be available in other departments.

Hence, the findings of the study suggest that company managers should evaluate different management styles for unification. If, in the case of a particular company, the female style will have an advantage, then it should be applied, and only then is it possible to indicate with a higher probability what advantages it will produce.

Overall, the research is innovative; therefore, its findings do not coincide with those already available in the field. Although considering that the main expected findings of the study were that a greater proportion of male managers would use the authoritative (57%) management style, followed by the collaborative (13.4%) and entrepreneurial (9.6%) styles. Instead, female managers are more likely to use collaborative (46.5%), entrepreneurial (23.8%), and authoritative (10.6%) styles.

These results are in line with the findings of Judy (2020), Wilson (2019), and Wu et al. (2019), who found that men tend to demonstrate their authoritative management style, while women prefer collaborative and accommodating styles. Hence, the results of the study support this hypothesis, but indicate that women are adapting to the modern world and work environment. Therefore, participants 7, 23, 41, and 67 found it challenging to identify the management style of women in their organization. This is due to the fact that women have to maneuver and modify their inherent style to have a chance to be promoted to higher positions in companies.

Thus, the key novelty of the study, in contrast to the sources in the literature review, is that it was possible to establish a holistic picture of the results of managerial style for New York. Additionally, the research allowed for the possibility of creating a unified policy and collected information from people directly involved in high positions in the company. Hence, this study suggests a compromise management option for each company individually, depending on the effectiveness of each style. On the other hand, previous studies have only argued which of the two styles is more commonly used and what advantages or shortcomings they have.

Generalizability

In summary, it should be emphasized that the sample of respondents confirmed the differences between the management styles of men and women in the US. With the help of open-ended questions, it can be stated that the analysis of male and female management allows one to conclude that women managers not only do not lose to men as managers, but sometimes act more successfully, providing more sustainable conditions for their enterprise. Men, compared to women, value more highly the qualities that ensure the effectiveness of professional activity and organization of interaction in the team. On the contrary, the participants indicated that the female managers evaluate moral and moral qualities and qualities that determine the interactive function of communication higher. Moreover, women managers are characterized by greater democracy, readiness for cooperation, and collegial decision-making with skillful delegation of authority and refusal of the trivial guardianship of subordinates.

Hence, it confirms that managers, depending on gender, have different management styles. Accordingly, the research supports the expected conclusions regarding the first hypothesis. However, the issue of standardized policies should be investigated in the future. This is because the unification of the major management styles requires not only the findings of theoretical research, but also their evaluation in practice.

Implications of Findings

For Conceptual Model

According to the conceptual model, it was determined that the management styles of male and female executives are distinct. Consequently, conservative and authoritarian styles are inherent in men, which impose on the clear tardiness of duties and subordination. Females, in contrast to men, are more prone to empathy and social partnership, successfully unite the team, and motivate employees to perform complex objectives. The outcome of the study suggests that there is a need to create a standardized management policy depending on the specific organization.

Correspondingly, this requires assessing the available styles and identifying the most effective of them or combining their features. Independent of gender, managers agree that companies need a unified policy, which will be based on the required flexibility and innovativeness in the business environment. Thus, the opinion of the research participants is relevant to creating a smooth interaction between the members of the team. This will allow managers to solve common issues and support employees, rather than acting as supervisors.

For Future Research

For future research, the findings will be valuable for two reasons. First, the importance and feasibility of creating a standard policy will require research into existing concepts and testing them in practice. Therefore, it is crucial that this issue be a subject for future research. This will allow us to evaluate possible options for combining management styles and to provide recommendations for the various public organisations.

Secondly, previous research has identified the level of involvement of women in managerial positions in the United States. Nevertheless, this study was conducted in order to establish their management style. Hence, one of the findings of this research was that females can adapt to different management styles and use male management styles. Accordingly, future research should determine why this change in styles occurs and how it will affect the existence of female management.

Conclusion and Limitations

In summary, this present analysis provides two hypotheses that can be confirmed. First, the style of managers in the United States differs according to gender. Moreover, a survey of equal numbers of men and women indicated that men are interested in officially recognizing their power. They use a more formal style and often achieve higher career heights and salaries than women. Women, on the other hand, face more barriers to attaining the highest positions, from stereotypes to the fact that women are not willing to devote all their time to work because they have responsibilities at home and raising children.

Although the survey demonstrated that the females who participated in it believe that their leadership style is more effective than men’s, they disagree that male managers are more efficient. The female management style focuses on creating a comfortable atmosphere for employees and establishing a climate of perseverance. Accordingly, the research fully tests the hypothesis of the difference between the management styles of managers of various genders in the United States.

Second, the second hypothesis of creating a standard management policy also held true. 75 of the interviewees, as opposed to 47, argued that applying a unified strategy would be effective in their organizations. In addition, many of the interviewees noted that a standardized management system should be innovative and in line with the latest trends.

However, a detailed style can only be determined by evaluating the effectiveness of people with different styles in a particular organization. Furthermore, although most respondents agree on the importance and necessity of this initiative, they indicate that they cannot accurately answer questions about the policies in their organization. Consequently, this indicates that this issue needs to be explored in detail in future research.

Therefore, based on the insufficient attention to the second hypothesis in this research, the limitation is that only the policy framework is delineated. Accordingly, it can be argued that the responses of the respondents allowed for the establishment of the vector of the development of a unified management style. Further, a limitation of this study is that it was conducted only among managers of public organizations. Consequently, it does not allow an assessment of the holistic situation related to the management style of men and women in private organizations. Moreover, New York State was used to survey a sample of people, although the interpretation of the results was described in the US context.

References

Abalkhail, J. M. (2019). Women in management in Saudi Arabia. In R. J. Burke & A. M. Richardsen (Eds.), Women in Management Worldwide: Signs of Progress, (pp. 341-356). Gower. Web.

Alqahtani, T. H. (2020). The status of women in leadership. Archives of Business Research, 8(3), 294-299.

Biletta, I., Mullan, J., Parent-Thirion, A., & Wilkens, M. (2018). Women in management: Underrepresented and overstretched?

Burkhardt, K., Nguyen, P., & Poincelot, E. (2020). Agents of change: Women in top management and corporate environmental performance. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(4), 1591-1604.

Calinaud, V., Kokkranikal, J., & Gebbels, M. (2021). Career advancement for women in the British hospitality industry: The enabling factors. Work, Employment and Society, 35(4), 677-695.

Carmona, S., Ezzamel, M., & Mogotocoro, C. (2018). Gender, management styles, and forms of capital. Journal of Business Ethics, 153(2), 357-373.

Elias, E. (2018). Lessons learned from women in leadership positions. Work, 59(2), 175-181.

Faizan, R., Nair, S. L. S., & Haque, A. U. (2018). The effectiveness of feminine and masculine leadership styles in relation to contrasting gender performances. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 17.

Fernando, G. D., Jain, S. S., & Tripathy, A. (2020). This cloud has a silver lining: Gender diversity, managerial ability, and firm performance. Journal of business research, 117, 484-496.

Huang, J., Krivkovich, A., Starikova, I., Yee, L., & Zanoschi, D. (2019). Women in the Workplace 2019.

Judy, M. (2020). Women in management in New Zealand. In R. J. Burke & A. M. Richardsen (Eds.), Women in Management Worldwide, (pp. 247-261). Routledge. Web.

Liu, J., & Zhao, X. (2019). Is there a gap in female entrepreneurship research in China and worldwide? In 5th International Conference on Economics, Business, Finance and Management, Shenzhen, China, 8(34), 6-8.

Lyness, K. S., & Grotto, A. R. (2018). Women and leadership in the United States: Are we closing the gender gap? Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 5(1) 227-265.

Mamadou, S. (2019). Are women better leaders than men? Gender differences in management styles. Editorial Team, 50.

Mireu, L. H., & Grau, M. (2019). Women in management in Spain. In R. J. Burke & A. M. Richardsen (Eds.), Women in Management Worldwide, (pp. 85-106). Routledge.

Mirza, A. M. B., & Jabeen, P. D. N. (2020). Gender stereotypes and women in management the case of banking sector of Pakistan. South Asian Studies, 26(2).

Turesky, M., & Warner, M. E. (2020). Gender dynamics in the planning workplace: The importance of women in management. Journal of the American Planning Association, 86(2), 157-170.

Wilson, F. M. (2019). Women in management in the United Kingdom. In R. J. Burke & A. M. Richardsen (Eds.), Women in Management Worldwide: Signs of Progress, (pp. 109-120). Gower. Web.

Wood, G. J. (2020). Women in management in Australia. In R. J. Burke & A. M. Richardsen (Eds.), Women in Management Worldwide, (pp. 225-245). Routledge. Web.

Wu, J., Li, Y., & Zhang, D. (2019). Identifying women’s entrepreneurial barriers and empowering female entrepreneurship worldwide: A fuzzy-set QCA approach. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 15(3), 905-928.