Gendered Leadership in Knowledge Intensive Organizations

Abstract

Knowledge intensive industries, such as the IT-industry, are known for contributing to the rapid evolution of new technology thanks to their employees. In the constant progress of the industry a flexible leadership style that adds to the creativity is crucial, but is gender possibly a significant implication on the personal leadership style? We found these subjects very interesting when putting them in a relation and decided to examine and question whether there might be a relationship between sex, gender and a leadership style in knowledge intensive organizations. In order to realize the research we collected theoretical material from multiple books and scientific articles on relevant subjects, e.g. sex and gender, leadership styles, management and knowledge intensive industries. We examined the relation between the chosen theories and the empirical research, which was composed of ten interviews with respondents working in leading positions in organizations within the IT-industry in Gothenburg, Sweden. The results of this research showed that there are no significant differences in leadership between female and male leaders in knowledge intensive organizations that we studied and that there is no connection between a leaders’ biological sex and the associated gender when it comes to the chosen leadership style of the respondents interviewed in the research. We concluded that female and male leaders that were interviewed could adapt a leadership style not necessarily connected to the gender associated to their biological sex. The research revealed that a majority of the respondents have adopted a traditionally more feminine way of leading and that this leadership style is often, but not exclusively, used in the IT-industry.