What Are Workers’ Perceptions of Women’s Organizational Leadership?

Gender inequality is still a very expressive phenomenon nowadays. This reality is reflected in several areas, namely, in the opportunities/barriers placed on women who aspire to perform top management functions. This study aims to analyze the workers’ perceptions of women’s organizational leadership. A questionnaire was given to 186 employees that work in different hierarchical positions in organizations that supply sports services. Two dimensions were analyzed related to (i) the identification of the stereotypes that label women in the performance of domestic work, family, or professional issues, and (ii) the evaluation of their roles and skills as managers/leaders. Through a multivariate analysis, three factors were identified in each dimension. Significant differences were found between the gender variable and in the different factors except in the factor about women and family life. Despite the several policy interventions in the field of gender equity, the results of this study suggest a preference for male managers. Thus, study gives relevant contributions showing different gender perceptions in the organizational context, contributing to the analysis of the problem around gender discrimination.