Female and male leadership in project management : A qualitative study on the impact of leadership on employee motivation

ABSTRACT Date: 2025-06-03 Level: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Alva Lindell Julia Zetterberg (00/06/10) (02/07/27) Title: Female and male leadership within project management - A qualitative study on the impact of leadership on employee motivation Supervisor: Jan Karlsson Keywords: Project management, gender and sex, motivation, leadership Research questions: How do employees perceive female and male leadership in project management? How does the perceived leadership affect employee motivation? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how employees experience female and male leadership within project management, and how the leadership affects the employees motivation Method: Qualitative method with semi-structured interviews Conclusion: Employees experience with female and male leadership is equal but varying, with leadership being governed by gender rather than sex. Leadership's impact on motivation is more about style than sex, with clear communication and support increasing motivation, while controlling behavior can decrease it. Gender norms affect how leadership is perceived and thus also motivation.