ABSTRACT
While the number of women in management positions is increasing, it is still a common assumption that men are better suited for leadership positions than are women. The importance and practical implications of this issue have inspired numerous research studies on sex differences in leadership. Typically, these studies have employed three major research methods—laboratory experiments, laboratory simulations, and field studies. Recent meta-analytic techniques have found few differences between male and female leaders in terms of initiating structure, consideration, subordinate satisfaction, and effectiveness. Recognizing that few sex differences in leadership exist, future research needs to identify barriers to upward career mobility for women.
