ABSTRACT
Women are granted fewer opportunities to prove their leadership capabilities compared to men, and the positions that they do get are statistically higher in risk of failure. On average, women in these types of positions will have shorter tenures and will be more likely to be replaced by men, should their organization experience negative growth under their leadership. Mainiero and Sullivan argued that women tend to integrate rather than segregate work and non-work needs, the traditional linear career path favored by men. Women's non-work needs go beyond childcare concerns and encompass a quest for spiritual fulfillment, balance, elder care, volunteerism, and the need to be true to oneself. Their research suggests that women's careers are relational. Organizations, particularly those that are male-dominated, are not gender-neutral, reflecting settings, performance criteria, and leadership styles in which women's behaviors and accomplishments are judged against male norms.
