Effects of Gender, Education, and Age Upon Leaders’ Use of Influence Tactics and Full Range Leadership Behaviors
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Effects of Gender, Education, and Age upon Leaders’ Use of Influence Tactics and Full Range Leadership Behaviors
John E. Barbuto Jr & Susan M. Fritz & Gina S. Matkin &
David B. Marx
Published online: 5 January 2007
# Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2007
Abstract Relationships of gender, age, and education to leadership styles and leaders’ influence tactics were examined with 56 leaders and 234 followers from a variety of organizations. Leadership behaviors were measured with the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ—rater version). Influence tactics were measured with Yukl’s
Influence Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ). Multivariate
Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to test behavioral differences attributed to leaders’ gender, age, and education groups, as well as the interaction of age and education with gender. Results show that gender produced a small direct effect on leadership behaviors. The interaction of gender and education produced consistent differences in leadership behaviors. Implications for future research are provided, and a call for re-analysis of previously published work is advised.
Keywords Gender . Influence tactics . Leadership
For every study that has shown differences in leadership behaviors based on gender (e.g., Carless, 1998; Druskat,
1994; Helgeson, 1990; Rosener, 1990; Thacker, 1995), another has shown no differences at all (e.g., Bartol &
Martin, 1986; Bass & Stogdill, 1990; Nieva & Gutek, 1981; van Engen, van der Leeden, & Willemsen, 2001). Some researchers (e.g., Eagly, Johannesen-Schmidt, & van
Engen, 2003; Leithwood & Jantzi, 1997; Lewis, 1998;
Thacker, 1995) have called for inclusion of contextual variables and use of more complex research designs to test the effect of gender on leadership behavior. We have answered this call by testing the interaction effects of age and educational level of leaders as a possible explanation for some of the mixed findings over the
Effects of Gender, Education, and Age upon Leaders’ Use of Influence Tactics and Full Range Leadership Behaviors
John E. Barbuto Jr & Susan M. Fritz & Gina S. Matkin &
David B. Marx
Published online: 5 January 2007
# Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2007
Abstract Relationships of gender, age, and education to leadership styles and leaders’ influence tactics were examined with 56 leaders and 234 followers from a variety of organizations. Leadership behaviors were measured with the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ—rater version). Influence tactics were measured with Yukl’s
Influence Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ). Multivariate
Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to test behavioral differences attributed to leaders’ gender, age, and education groups, as well as the interaction of age and education with gender. Results show that gender produced a small direct effect on leadership behaviors. The interaction of gender and education produced consistent differences in leadership behaviors. Implications for future research are provided, and a call for re-analysis of previously published work is advised.
Keywords Gender . Influence tactics . Leadership
For every study that has shown differences in leadership behaviors based on gender (e.g., Carless, 1998; Druskat,
1994; Helgeson, 1990; Rosener, 1990; Thacker, 1995), another has shown no differences at all (e.g., Bartol &
Martin, 1986; Bass & Stogdill, 1990; Nieva & Gutek, 1981; van Engen, van der Leeden, & Willemsen, 2001). Some researchers (e.g., Eagly, Johannesen-Schmidt, & van
Engen, 2003; Leithwood & Jantzi, 1997; Lewis, 1998;
Thacker, 1995) have called for inclusion of contextual variables and use of more complex research designs to test the effect of gender on leadership behavior. We have answered this call by testing the interaction effects of age and educational level of leaders as a possible explanation for some of the mixed findings over the