ABSTRACT
This chapter recognizes the critical turn in studies of public relations women, expected to lead rather than manage the practice, as women are the majority of practitioners across the globe. A brief history of challenges to women seeking public relations management positions then describes the research on women’s barriers to leadership in public relations: the continuation of sexism; the barriers to work-life integration; the influence of hegemonic norms preventing success in leadership; the impact of masculine organizational structure and culture; and the White Leader Prototype. Recommendations for pathways to better expose leadership barriers to women in public relations complete the chapter.
