Evaluation of leadership effectiveness : still gender biased?

Abstract

Objective and accurate assessment of leadership effectiveness is the essential system in organizations that are striving for the leading positions. This paper sets out to examine possible influence of bias based on gender to the evaluation of leaders, according to the perception of Lithuanian employees. The research sample (249 employees: 42% male and 58% female) represented various types of organizations in Lithuania. Questionnaires consisting of a hypothetical situation presenting one usual leader‘s (effective or ineffective) day and a percentage evaluation of leadership effectiveness were collected and analyzed cross-sectionally. According to the data, male evaluators were stricter for the effective leader in comparison with female evaluators. Moreover, participants showed prejudice towards the female leader in the ineffective leader‘s group. The paper addresses the lack of research about the evaluation of leadership in the Eastern European context and provides important insights about stereotyping of female and male leadership among real Lithuanian employees.