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Leadership emergence in task groups with egalitarian gender-role expectations

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Abstract

Although they differ in their explanations of the antecedents of gender-role expectations, gender role and expectation states theories agree that mixed-sex and initially leaderless task groups will confirm these expectations by selectively reinforcing male task participation and leadership emergence. Based upon this assumption held in common by the two theories, we hypothesized that groups whose members expressed significantly egalitarian gender-role expectations would reinforce male and female task participation and leadership emergence impartially. Analysis of data from 31 mixed-sex groups whose members expressed significantly egalitarian gender-role expectations, and who were racially and ethnically homogeneous, found that males participated more in group discussions and were more likely to be selected as task leaders. Male advantages were explained only partly by token effects and their advantages in task resources. Implications are suggested for theories of male and female role performance in initially leaderless groups.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Iowa State University, 317 B East Hall, 50011-1070, Ames, Iowa, USA

    Stephen G. Sapp, Wendy J. Harrod & Jun Li Zhao

Authors
  1. Stephen G. Sapp
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  2. Wendy J. Harrod
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  3. Jun Li Zhao
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Additional information

Journal Paper No. J-16630 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa, Project No. 2929, and supported by Hatch Act and State of Iowa funds. The authors express their appreciation to Dr. Nancy A. Naples for reviewing an earlier draft of the manuscript.

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Sapp, S.G., Harrod, W.J. & Li Zhao, J. Leadership emergence in task groups with egalitarian gender-role expectations. Sex Roles 34, 65–80 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01544796

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