Leadership Styles and Gender Role: Internalization among Female Managers in the United States

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the level of gender role internalization influences female leadership style. A quantitative online survey was developed that included Bass's Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (1985) and the Gender Role Socialization Scale (1999), developed at the University of Toronto by Dr. Brenda Toner and her colleagues. One hundred respondents were recruited from Financial Women International, a professional business association of women, and LinkendIn, an online networking community for business professionals. Only respondents who were female and in management positions in the United States qualified for the study. Results indicated that there was no strong correlation between gender role internalization and leadership style in females.