ABSTRACT
Chow (2005a) found no significant difference in Hong Kong women’s and men’s perception of leadership qualities. Among the attributes ranked top by her middle-manager respondents were integrity, administrative competence, diplomacy, modesty and being collaborative and self-sacrificial. Chow suggested that these findings might be an encouraging sign for women aiming for top management positions because these leadership traits are consistent with feminine gender role stereotypes. Furthermore, research (Lee, 2003a; Ng and Chakrabarty, 2005; Venter, 2002) has shown that many women in Hong Kong do not feel they face serious sex discrimination. Yet, according to statistical evidence, only around 27 per cent of managers and administrators, and only 20 per cent of business owners, are women. Statistics suggest that, although women possess the same educational qualifications and leadership skills as men, they do not reach leadership positions as easily or as readily as men. Why? To what extent is gender an issue in the business sector in Hong Kong?
