Diversity-specific empowering leadership: an alternative approach to reducing sex-based bias and enabling inclusivity
Achieving sex-based equity in organizational leadership roles has proven to be a "wicked" problem with existing diversity initiatives providing minimal improvement. In this paper, we address this issue by considering a key inhibiter to women's leadership advancement - biased perceptio...
| Authors: | ; ; ; ; ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Journal of business ethics
Year: 2025, Volume: 201, Issue: 1, Pages: 111-144 |
| Further subjects: | B
Competence
B Diversity beliefs B Female leaders B Climate for inclusion B Aufsatz in Zeitschrift B Sex-based bias and stereotypes B Empowering leadership |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Achieving sex-based equity in organizational leadership roles has proven to be a "wicked" problem with existing diversity initiatives providing minimal improvement. In this paper, we address this issue by considering a key inhibiter to women's leadership advancement - biased perceptions of female leaders' competence - and links to a climate for inclusion. In Study 1 (N = 236), we develop and validate a Diversity-Specific Empowering Leadership (DSEL) measure, and demonstrate its value in predicting perceptions of female leaders' competence when compared to alternative leadership models (empowering leadership, transformational leadership, diversity-specific transformational leadership, transactional leadership, leader diversity-valuing behavior, and inclusive leadership). In Study 2 (N = 314), we introduce sex-based diversity beliefs as a moderator in the relationship between DSEL and perceptions of female leaders' competence. In Study 3 (N = 313), we provide support for a mediated moderation model, with sex-based diversity beliefs moderating the effects of DSEL on perceptions of female leaders' competence. In turn, this is associated with a climate for inclusion. DSEL is collaborative and developmentally focused, and our findings suggest it may attenuate sex-based biases in perceptions of leadership, especially for those who have been most resistant to change (i.e., individuals with negative sex-based diversity beliefs). Our research offers theory that can support ethical action by advancing DSEL as a promising "target-specific" leadership model for creating less biased and more inclusive work environments for all. |
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| ISSN: | 1573-0697 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of business ethics
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s10551-025-05973-3 |
