Material Detail

Introduction The proportion of college and university presidents who are women continues to rise. However, while women are relatively well represented within community colleges, they are significantly underrepresented as presidents of four-year institutions, especially major research universities. Many reasons for this disparity have been suggested, one of which is the belief that conceptions and models of leadership generally exclude the unique strengths and leadership styles of women. From a review of the literature, this paper will identify the various leadership traits and behaviors that are believed to be the domain of women more than men. In addition, this paper will identify three popular models of higher education leadership and analyze the extent to which they do or do not apply to women leaders. According to Coughlin, Wingard, and Hollihan (2005), a major difference between domination and partnership models is not that the partnership model is hierarchy-free, as both models do consistently prove to require hierarchy chains of command. The difference between domination and partnership hierarchy models is that one is based in domination and the other is based in actualization (p. 29). Managing highly intelligent individuals in a learning organization can work more effectively by incorporating a hierarchy of actualization model rather than an authoritative, domination model. An actualization model supports relationships, respect, caring, and mutual benefit rather than models of management that identify winners and loser (p.29). A hierarchy of actualization leadership model is well suited to the specific traits and behaviors associated with how women lead others. Furthermore, this new “actualization” concept is fast becoming a leadership model that has been identified as successful in higher academia. Although women have participated and exceeded in the areas of scholarship and published work, more effort needs to be done with regard to leadership attainment at the highest levels of academia, especially within research institutions. According to Martin (1999), “when women become full members of the academy a new and improved academic culture might be forged” (p. 118). This paper will identify leadership models in higher education and describe which models are better suited to how women naturally lead others based upon the literate and will discuss why those models are important and necessary in the sector.

This will delete the comment from the database. This operation is not reversible. Are you sure you want to do it?

Thank you for reporting a broken "Go to Material" link in MERLOT to help us maintain a collection of valuable learning materials.

If you feel this material is inappropriate for the MERLOT Collection, please click SEND REPORT, and the MERLOT Team will investigate. Thank you!

You are being taken to the material on another site. This will open a new window.

Do not show me this again