Role of Women Leadership in Business Management and Barriers

This report delves into the crucial role of women in business management, exploring their diverse leadership styles and their impact on organizational structure. It investigates the various roles women entrepreneurs play, from board members to CEOs, and analyzes the leadership strategies they implement, including transformational and communicative approaches. The report also examines the positive effects of women's leadership on business culture and challenges, while highlighting the barriers women leaders face, such as the glass ceiling, gender stereotypes, and lack of gender equality. Through a comprehensive literature review and analysis, the report aims to identify the significance of women's leadership, the challenges they encounter, and the potential for positive change in business environments. The report concludes with recommendations for promoting gender equality and supporting women's success in managerial positions.

"Role of Women Leadership in Business management and Barriers to their
Managerial Positions"?

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................4
1.1. Background..................................................................................................................4
1.2. Statement of the Problem............................................................................................5
1.3. Research Objectives....................................................................................................5
1.4. Research Questions and Hypothesis............................................................................6
1.5. Significance of the Research.......................................................................................6
1.6. Structure of Report......................................................................................................6
Chapter 2: Literature Review.....................................................................................................8
2.1. Different Roles of Women Entrepreneurs to Business Management..........................8
2.2. Leadership Strategies Implemented by Women Leaders............................................9
2.3. Women Leadership Styles and Its Effects on Business Structure.............................10
2.4. Women Leadership Barriers......................................................................................10
Chapter 3: Research Design and Methodology........................................................................12
Conceptual Framework........................................................................................................12
Research Philosophy............................................................................................................13
Research Approach..............................................................................................................13
Research Strategy.................................................................................................................14
Data Collection.....................................................................................................................14
Sampling..............................................................................................................................14
Data Analysis.......................................................................................................................15
Methods of Analysis of data............................................................................................15
Design and Validation......................................................................................................15
Chapter 4: Results, Findings and Discussion...........................................................................18
Thematic Analysis................................................................................................................18
Themes and justification......................................................................................................19
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations........................................................................22

Reference List..........................................................................................................................23
Appendices...............................................................................................................................26

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1. Background
Business Management is an important aspect of a business organization. It is helpful
to obtain a competitive advantage by the strategic implementation for different
variables including sociocultural, political, legal, economic and technological factors1.
Leadership is an effective aspect to handle business and its management activities.
Furthermore, leadership focuses improving economic value, revenue, as well as
competing demands for internal and external organizational stakeholders2. However,
women are also active participants in entrepreneurship and corporate business. Their
role in leadership, management, and other departments could be undertaken. As in
2019, approximately 29% of senior management roles were appointed to women
candidates whereas 87% of global business has one woman in management3. It shows
that women are building roles in the operations and management of senior authority
figures.
However, women in such dominating positions bring some positive outlook for
business sustainability. Several studies have explored different positive advantages of
women entrepreneurs. One of the major advantages could be seen for the emotional
intelligence quotient as a leader. Some of the competencies in women leader includes
emotional self-awareness, conflict management, teamwork, communication and
empathy towards others 4. Additionally, gender equality is predominantly another
positive outlook inside business management. For example, hiring more women staff
to reduce the gender gap among the organization. Furthermore, women could actively
increase the economy due to be working with individuals with equal expenditure.
Henceforth, all types of approaches could see in the studies accomplished. The
women in the role of leadership inside businesses could have a positive impact on
gaining competitive advantage and improving work processes.
1 T Wheelen & J Hunger, Strategic management and business policy, in, Upper Saddle River, N.J., Prentice Hall, 2010.
2 The emerging logic of responsible management: Institutional pluralism, leadership, and strategizing In The Research Handbook of
Responsible Management, in, N Radoynovska, W Ocasio & O Laasch (ed), 1st ed., Chelthenham, 2020.
3 "Female Business Leaders: Global Statistics", in Catalyst, 2019, <https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-management/> [accessed
27 February 2020].
4 N Dasgupta, "People Matters - Interstitial Site — People Matters", in People matters.in, , 2018,
<https://www.peoplematters.in/article/leadership/female-leadership-advantages-challenges-and-opportunities-19161> [accessed 27 February
2020].

On the contrary, with powerful positions comes different sorts of challenges for
women leaders. The biggest concern here is that lack of resource pool for women
candidates will hamper business management inside companies. It should be noted
down that 60 percent senior management and leadership positions are occupied by
male counterparts5. Therefore, the challenge is a lack of resource pool for women
employees due to different personal, professional life balance. Thus, in previous
studies, authors have highlighted different barriers of women participants due to some
of the cultural and social factors. One research focuses on how company culture and
domain also bring gender inequality for the female workers6. Another study concludes
that social challenge also keeps distance between women leaders due to exclusion
from social activities conducted for office7. Therefore, even though roles are designed
from women's barriers to make sure to influence managerial positions inside the
business hierarchy.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
According to Global women in business and management reports, approximately 40
percent female gender is accepted and acknowledged as an active part of businesses.
However, what about 60 percent of women who are still considered an outcast from
the gender equality concept inside business and management. Therefore, currently,
industries are only focusing on getting back into competition. But women also play an
equal part in contributing management positions. Even if they are given senior
management roles, several challenges stop them from conducting effective leadership.
Thus, the problem here is to gather the impact of women's leadership inside the
business as well as proposing different barriers that stop their success growth rate.
1.3. Research Objectives
The objectives of this research are to analyze different types of leadership roles for
women employees. Additionally, understand how leadership style could impact
business management processes. At the same time, some barriers do stop women
5 Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP), Women in Business and Management: The business case for change, in, The Business Case
For Change, International Labor Organisation, 2019, pp. 1-149, <https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_700953/lang--en/
index.htm> [accessed 27 February 2020].
6 R Vázquez-Carrasco, M López-Pérez & E Centeno, "A qualitative approach to the challenges for women in management: are they starting
in the 21st century?", in Quality & Quantity, vol. 46, 2011, 1337-1357.
7 B HARRIS, "WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP: A QUALITATIVE REVIEW OF CHALLENGES, EXPERIENCES, AND STRATEGIES IN
ADDRESSING GENDER BIAS", in, unpublished Masters of Public Health, UT School of Public Health, 2019.

leaders to grow and become successful. Hence, some constraints will also be
identified for women leaders that are supposed threats to their managerial positions.
1.4. Research Questions and Hypothesis
The research study is based on the hypothesis which states that "women leadership is
important for business growth; however hampered due to different challenges." This
study will support the theoretical hypothesis by answering the following research
questions offered below:
 Q1: Explain the different roles of women entrepreneurs in the business
management hierarchy?
 Q2: What are the different kinds of Leadership strategies implemented by
Women Leaders?
 Q3: How women leadership styles affect the business structure and
management for positive outlook?
 Q4: Discuss some of the barriers faced for women leadership in context with
business management?
 Q5: What are the negative impacts of the challenges on women and their job
opportunities, and success rate?
1.5. Significance of the Research
This research will offer the importance of Women Leadership inside the business
management of organizations. Furthermore, it is critical to analyze how their
leadership approach will transform business in a positive direction. There are several
issues in women's leadership for corporate businesses. Hence, another significance
will be the identification of such issues and their impact on senior management
positions of women. With this proposed research, it will easy to offer solutions for
dealing with corporate issues in context to women entrepreneurs and their
management effectively. Furthermore, company policymakers could also make some
great changes in offering justice to women entrepreneurs and their leadership
positions after assessing some important issues.
1.6. Structure of the Report
The structure of the report is in the following categories.

Chapter 1: Introduction - This is the first chapter of the study in which topic
background, objectives, research questions, hypothesis, and significance of the
research are formulated.
Chapter 2: Literature Review – The LR will explore the topic and existing literature
for the proposed topic.
Chapter 3: Design Methodology – This section will implement a design method for
analyzing a topic with qualitative research.
Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis - The findings after qualitative research techniques
will be explained in this section.
Chapter 5: Conclusion – The outcomes of the research study will be proposed here.

Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1. Different Roles of Women Entrepreneurs to Business Management
Women are a vital part of any organization and its business management operations.
However, different kinds of roles are assigned to them in the business hierarchy,
even if it is in junior to senior roles. Currently, different roles for women
entrepreneurs exist in context with business management effectively.
Also, some of the studies have shown the role of women directors in the board
appointments. The studies define that women’s role as director has offered
compassion due to their different ideology for approach as compared with men
whose are based on ethical issues 8. However, literature has also established that
theoretically, the incorporation in the board of directors for women could be seen.
Again, as a board member, women entrepreneurs are offered important source for
giving insights on strategic inputs for workflow rather than financial departments
due to their ideologies9. Therefore, women's role in business management as per
existing literature is offered as the board of director position.
Another important role of women in business management could be seen especially
as top management, including managers as well as chief executive officers. In the
United States since 2008, 39 percent women worked in management and 51 percent
worked as workers, professionals, and high payment management jobs however
women senior managers were found in extremely lower rate 10. On the contrary, in
India according to report Women CEOs of the Fortune 1000, 15 CEO’s roles are
played by women entrepreneurs in company including Indra K. Nooyi for PespiCo,
Inc 11. Therefore, another role for women entrepreneurs includes managers and CEO
positions. Whereas, some common roles of women include human resources,
finance, management, and involvement at the bottom of the hierarchy, including
8 S Nielsen & M Huse, "Women directors' contribution to board decision-making and strategic involvement: The role of equality
perception", in European Management Review, vol. 7, 2010, 16-29.
9 S Nielsen & M Huse, "The Contribution of Women on Boards of Directors: Going beyond the Surface", in Corporate Governance: An
International Review, vol. 18, 2010, 136-148.
10 V Mani, "Work-Life Balance and Women Professionals", in Global Journal of Management and Business Research Interdisciplinary,
vol. 13, 2013, 1-8.
11 N Lockwood, et al., "Perspectives on women in management in India.", in Society for Human Resource Management, 2009, 1-12.

worker. It could be noted that women are given positions of management in various
departments, rather than senior authority roles.
2.2. Leadership Strategies Implemented by Women Leaders
Leadership is an umbrella term that represents one single authority that takes
participation to volunteer the business for corporate goals achievement. There are
different sorts of leadership styles presented as per the literature that does not see
any gender. For example, transformational leadership looks for other employees’
requirements by motivating them; while, transactional leadership looks into rewards
in exchange for good performance 12. Hence, these two strategies are often seen in
existing literature presented before. Another type of leadership style includes a
communicative style that is often implemented through charismatic, and human-
oriented nature relating to knowledge sharing practices13. Furthermore, some of the
male-oriented styles are considered, for example, coercive, coaching, and servant
oriented.
It has always been said that leadership strategy does not serve any gender typically.
However, several published kinds of literature have pointed out that women are
capable of transformational leadership. As per one study, women’s physiological
behavior is inclined to be more caring which is exactly a transformational leader
would do whose purpose is to motivate and care for others 14. While, women have
mannerism for being nurturers, caring for others and focus on the betterment of other
rather than themselves15.
However, another study showcases that women’s leadership style cannot be typecast
into some name. It reflects on interpersonal style and power or influencing the image
of women entrepreneurs 16. Hence, it could be understood for existing literature that
women are considered with leadership strategy due to their behaviors as female
gender. In context with the same concept, feminine leadership has been a new term
12 T Nanjundeswaraswamy & D Swamy, "Leadership styles", in Advances in management, vol. 7, 2014, 57.
13 R de Vries, A Bakker-Pieper & W Oostenveld, "Leadership = Communication? The Relations of Leaders’ Communication Styles with
Leadership Styles, Knowledge Sharing and Leadership Outcomes", in Journal of Business and Psychology, vol. 25, 2009, 367-380.
14 F Misquitta, "Women in leadership: Comparing issues in a developed verse developing economy", in, unpublished Master of Business,
Auckland University of Technology, 2016.
15 K L. Thornhill, "AUTHENTICITY AND FEMALE LEADERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING THE LEADERSHIP
PRACTICES OF FEMALE UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS", in, unpublished Masters, Colorado State University, 2011.
16 M Pflanz, "Women in Positions of Influence: Exploring the Journeys of Female Community Leaders", in, unpublished Masters,
Educational Administration: Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research, 2011.

offered to them and considered for improving environmental and social issues17.
Hence, business management is considering women’s leadership strategy with her
values, traits and core ideologies rather than some masculine categories traditionally
offered.
2.3. Women Leadership Styles and Its Effects on Business Structure
No such specific content has been researched for understanding the effects of
business structure. However, feminine leadership style could change the outlook for
the organizations. For example, a transformational leadership style could help with
understanding employees better. Furthermore, a healthy workplace is beneficial for
facing new business and industry challenges through a strategic approach. If women
entrepreneurs are increased inside the business environment, then it will offer
positive work culture respectively. The literature studies only revolved around
leadership styles for gender-based differentiation rather than its positive impacts.
Whereas, transformational leadership could be considered another effective
approach if women with roles of directors, CEO and managers are appointed for the
management of business processes and strategic goal completion.
2.4. Women Leadership Barriers
As per literature studies, there are different barriers for women entrepreneurs who
are at senior management roles. As per one study, the glass ceiling is one of the
existing concepts which works as a barrier for leadership positions. The term “glass
ceiling” is defined as an invisible barrier that stops women from middle-level
management to rise for a top position even though they are considered equally
qualified, educated and with well-versed competency skills18. Another leadership
barrier for women exists in gender stereotypes which categorize women into some
zone with sexist comments. It puts them into some category that demonstrates
women as some docile, submissive and nurturing.
Another barrier discussed in the literature is the lack of gender equality in business
management positions for leading. Even though 59 percent of women are tertiary
education graduates, they are offered decision making as the board of directors with
13 percent seats19. Hence, gender equality is non-existent today in some of the
17 E Lahti, "WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP: FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE WOMEN'S CAREER SUCCESS", in, unpublished
Bachelor’s Thesis in International Business, LAHTI UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES, 2013.
18 S Rathi, "Glass Ceiling: Break the Invisible Barrier", in Asian Journal of Management, vol. 9, 2018, 8.
19 S Kalaitzi et al., "Women leadership barriers in healthcare, academia, and business", in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An
International Journal, vol. 36, 2017, 457-474.

organizations due to a lack of participation from women candidates. Furthermore,
networking is a difficult concept to build with women leaders among other male
counterparts. For example, trust and relationship with female managers cannot be
obtained because male employees are uncomfortable to have open discussions in
strategic management.
Another important barrier for women entrepreneurs to reach in top-level
management includes work-family issues, sexual harassment, and organizational
culture of businesses 20. These pieces of the literature revealed that work-family
issues always stop women from seeking an authority position for management
processes. Besides, work balance with children and other responsibilities make it
completely impossible to seek higher authority positions. With higher management
positions, sexual harassment chances become more often with male counterparts as
managers or CEOs. Therefore, different types of barriers in the business
management environment stop organizations from hiring women for top
management positions.
20 M Qadir, "The Challenges of Women Leadership and Management in India", in SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019.

Chapter 3: Research Design and Methodology
Conceptual Framework
With the help of the conceptual framework, the researcher has represented the
synthesis of the research study. It will help in explaining the phenomenon21. The
conceptual framework reflects a map of the overall themes applied in context to the
literature and all the related interview questions. Each theme covers two interview
questions. This overall framework reflects the process to achieve the research
objectives while ascertaining the impact of women entrepreneur lead ship in the
business management and success and the hindrances faced by them.
(Conceptual Framework)
21 Kumar, R., 2019. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage
Publications Limited.