The Effectiveness of the Feminine and Masculine Styles of Management in Crisis Situations in an International Transportation Company

Abstract Objective The aim of this article is to identify the influence of the feminine and masculine styles of management on the effectiveness of the management of a crisis situation in an international transport company. Achieving the above--mentioned objective required a research question: how can female and male leadership styles in an organisation contribute to an effective crisis situation management in an international transport company? Methodology Based on the subject literature, considerations of selected authors concerning: characteristics of a crisis situation management in organisations, female and male leadership styles and the specificity of operation of modern international transport companies are presented. The empirical part presents the results of own qualitative research. The results of the qualitative study allowed us to learn, to some extent, about women’s and men’s organisational behaviour and managerial decisions when managing a crisis situation – from the perspective of their effectiveness. Findings The results of the study indicate that female and male crisis management styles prove to be effective in different types of crisis situations in the logistics industry. Value Added The identification of typical feminine and masculine organisational behaviour or managerial decisions (feminine and masculine management styles) in specific types of crisis situations offers a promising new approach to crisis management in contemporary organisations, including those in the logistics sector. Recommendations Perceiving the effective management of crises in organisations through the typically feminine and masculine aspects of leadership can carry valuable implications for management practice in companies, including logistics companies.