CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Many previous studies have analyzed the effects that gender ,leadership styles have on production in the workplace. Ortiz-Walters, Addleston, and Simione’s (2010) study suggests that the assessment of gender identity and related skills can provide organizations with more effective guidance and matching of mentors and trainees to maximize perceived satisfaction on the part of the trainee. Another study illustrates that “changes in management practices that increase employee satisfaction may increase business-unit outcomes, including profit” (Harter, 2002). It has also been shown that companies tend to be more profitable when employees are more satisfied (Lussier, 2010). And many times, employee behaviors and satisfactions are driven by leadership in the workplace (Podsakoff, 1990). Therefore, it can be proposed that a key method to improving organizational performance is to establish a better understanding of the influences on employee satisfaction. It is essential for managers, or any business professional holding a leadership position, to know the best way to interact with and satisfy employees they oversee. Though previous studies have examined the effects of leadership styles on employee satisfaction and the effects of gender differences in the workplace, no study focuses on the effects of both leadership style and gender together. More significantly, no study primarily concentrations employee satisfaction and preference when dealing with leaders of a specified gender corresponding with a specified leadership style. Thus, this study examines the influence of supervisor gender and leadership styles (specifically transformational and transactional) on employee satisfaction in an attempt to contribute to a better understanding of overall supervisor effectiveness.

This section provides a review of the literary research used and referenced throughout this paper and the course of this study. It provides relevant information and insight which initiated the investigation and formed the structure of this thesis. This section also includes the research question and two hypotheses that correspond with this experiment, along with individual introductions explaining the thoughts and reasons behind each hypothetical theory.

In one study (Ortiz-Walters, Addleston, and Simione, 2010), the authors found that male apprentices, who strongly identify with their career roles, report being more satisfied with mentors who provide career development support. On the other hand, female apprentices, who measure career success using “socio-emotional-based” (variations that occur in an individual’s personality, emotions, and relationships with others) criteria, report being more satisfied with mentors who provide psychosocial support. Their study implies that the assessment of gender identity and related skills can provide organizations with more effective guidance and matching of mentors and trainees to maximize perceived satisfaction on the part of the trainee.

Another relevant study (Johnson, Murphy, and Zewdie, 2008), showed that feminine individuals expect leaders to be more sensitive than masculine individuals, who expect leaders to be more masculine, strong, and tyrannical than feminine individuals. Also, sensitivity was more strongly associated with female leadership, whereas masculinity, strength, and tyranny were more strongly associated with male leadership. However, for female leaders to be perceived as effective, they needed to demonstrate both sensitivity and strength while male leaders only needed to demonstrate strength.

Brian Moskal’s (1997) article examined whether “women make better managers” is a fact or a myth, and found that studies show women executives to excel chiefly as nurturers and team players in corporate America. He also found studies to show that males primarily excel in left- brain activities such as problem-solving, while females primarily excel in the right brain such as interpersonal relationships.

An article written by Podsakoff and colleagues (1990) mentions that transformational leaders “transform or change the basic values, beliefs, and attitudes of followers so that they are willing to perform beyond the minimum levels specified by the organization” and transactional leader behaviors “are founded on an exchange process in which the leader provides rewards in return for the subordinate’s effort.” This research was focused on the impact of transformational leader behaviors on follower satisfaction, and suggests that employee behaviors and satisfactions are driven by leadership in the work place.

Research by Alice Eagly and colleagues (1982 and 2003) suggests that female leaders are more transformational than male leaders. Female leaders also engage in more of the contingent reward behaviors related to transactional leadership and individualized consideration. On the other hand, male leaders more likely possess qualities of the transactional and laissez-fair leadership style. Male leaders are therefore more active and passive by exception than female leaders.

Patricia Smith (1998) examined the work attitudes of 286 females and 416 males. These employees were employed in 27 female-owned small businesses and 29 male-owned small businesses. These small businesses all fit into the industries of construction, manufacturing, and distribution. This study analyzed the dependent variable, job satisfaction scores with regard to owner-employee gender interactions. Smith mentioned results from previous studies conducted in the 1990s which concluded that same-sex dyads develop early patterns of compatibility that carry over to adult situations. She also points out from these studies that behaviors in the workplace recurrently confirm interaction patterns reflective of essential male and female natures. Smith then concludes that the comfort her respondents had with owners of the same sex suggests a learned pattern.

As introduced, many studies in the past including those mentioned in the literary review, have contributed to the search for efficient leadership in the workplace. Compelling evidence illustrates that the use of specific leadership styles tends to prove more efficient than others in some cases and that gender in the work place has an influence on employee preference and satisfaction. These evidences provide a strong background for the formation and attesting of the hypotheses and research question addressed in the next section.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

​The research aims to find gender and leadership style brings job satisfaction, ways to increase job satisfaction, although leadership has been researched extensively, gendered leadership is a hot topic, which still needs investigation. Eagly and Carli (2007) provide theoretical and empirical studies of the differences between male and female leadership with an advantage for Female leaders. They conclude that women are more effective leaders than men, although the differences are small. On the other hand, some studies do not find any differences across gender. Thus the literature leaves a considerable debate on how leadership is gendered, in other words, how gender moderates the relationship between leadership and psychological outcomes. To improve the administrative deficiencies, the organization, it will be imperative to ascertain the leadership styles of its staff by gender. This will unearth the hidden leadership styles of staff and establish the link between leadership styles, staff gender as well as their contribution to the overall productivity, because employees are satisfied productivity increases. Ultimately, Management will be informed on policies pertaining to ways by which these leadership styles could be tapped to help achieve its goal of establishing an efficient management system. This study therefore sought to examine the leadership styles by gender. Reference to whether gender is related to staff leadership styles, ways men and women lead as well as how particular leadership styles affect productivity were looked at.

Expectation states theory claims that gender becomes salient in a setting when it either differentiates the actors (a mixed-sex context) or is culturally linked to the task at hand. When gender is salient, gender status beliefs shape the expectations actors for the competence of men and women in the setting (Ridgeway and Smith-Lovin, 1999). In fact, stereotypically masculine characteristics and behaviors have been linked to leadership characteristics and effectiveness (Kolb, 1999). In addition, socialization in same-sex groups may be associated with the discrimination/ inequality of men and women in culture (Leaper, 2006). ―Because of the cultural stereotype of leaders is relatively masculine, the mere activation of female stereotype can underestimate women‘s interest in leadership‖ (Eagly and Carli, 2007, p. 93).― People generally consider women to be less expert than men, women should be at a disadvantage in gender-neutral contexts, in which without over-whelming evidence of a women‘s superiority at the task, men would be presumed to be more competent and would therefore be more influential‖ (Carli,2006,p.734).

1.3 Research Question

1.3.1 Main Research Question

How does gender and leadership style affect employee satisfaction in Azire corperative credit Union

1.3.2 Specific Research Question

1. Will female employees have a different ideal supervisor prototype than male employees?
2. Will Employees with a supervisor of the same sex will be more satisfied than employees with a supervisor of the opposite sex?

iii. Will Employees with more work experience will be more satisfied with transformational leaders compared to employees with less work experience?

1.4 Objective of the Study.

1.4.1 Main Objective

• The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of gender and leadership style on employee satisfaction.

1.4.2 Specific Research Objective.

1. i.To determine if Employees with a supervisor of the same sex will be more satisfied than employees with a supervisor of the opposite sex
2. ii. To investigate whether Employees with more work experience will be more satisfied with transformational leaders compared to employees with less work experience

1.5 Hypothesis