“Thinking Manager, Thinking Man”: a Study on the Maintenance of Gender Stereotypes in the Processes of Women’s Promotion and Permanence in Leadership Positions

Objective: To understand the main challenges experienced by women workers in their career advancement as leaders in work organizations, based on the narratives of men and women leaders. Theoretical Framework: Gender inequality and machismo built in patriarchal society, which structure social relations in Brazil, have produced a movement of exclusion, exploitation and discrimination against women. In this scenario, some challenges and difficulties may arise for women in the workplace, which are expressed in the dissemination of gender stereotypes, in the absence of salary equity and career advancement policies, in the prejudices and acts of discrimination suffered by them. Method: This is a study with a quantitative-qualitative approach and of a descriptive nature. To achieve the aforementioned objective, a Leadership Questionnaire was applied to women leaders and men leaders, in order to find dissonances, consonances and therefore peculiarities of female leadership. The sample consisted of 105 responses from male leaders (n=48) and female leaders (n=57), 54.3% of whom were women who currently or have previously worked as leaders. Their challenges and difficulties are similar to those of male leaders, most of which are associated with people management, whether due to differences in teams or even daily interpersonal conflicts. Results and Discussion: Some female leaders pointed out as a challenge in their careers the ongoing process of prejudice in the form of moral and sexual harassment, as well as comments in meetings or the imposition of subtle barriers that impede their professional development. However, male leaders did not point out this challenge in their careers. Despite this, it seems that the naturalization of prejudices prevents their identification, generating a systemic and systematic process of denial of prejudice and reproduction of stereotypes. Research Implications: It is concluded that there have been important advances in female leadership, although permeated by challenges and difficulties brought about by gender stereotypes and prejudices. Women are taking on more responsibilities and advancing in their professional careers, but they continue to be primarily responsible for children and household chores. Originality/Value: It also points to the need for studies that consider intersectional aspects (gender, race/ethnicity and class) and the challenges of promoting equity, with the promotion of Diversity & Inclusion in social and work spaces.