Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/307514 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
GLO Discussion Paper No. 1535
Publisher: 
Global Labor Organization (GLO), Essen
Abstract: 
A key challenge faced by female leaders, especially mothers, is the persistence of "maternity bias," which reflects prejudices that arise from assumptions about a woman's ability to lead due to her actual or anticipated responsibilities as a mother. This bias often results in unjust treatment, such as reduced career opportunities and the assumption that mothers are less dedicated to their work. This paper investigates the impact of motherhood on the perception of female leaders within organizations, addressing a gap in the literature on gender and leadership. While existing studies often focus on differences between male and female leadership styles, they overlook the specific challenges faced by female leaders who are mothers. This study aims to examine whether being a mother for a female leader affects employees' perceptions and their intention to remain with the organization and if this is mediated by their leadership style. Using a sample of companies belonging to various industries and from different countries, the study will investigate how employees perceive the competence and leadership of their female leaders based on their motherhood status. The results suggest that employees' perceptions of ethical leadership play a key role in their intention to stay with the organization. While the leader's identity as a mother does not directly influence retention, it shapes employees' views of their ethical leadership, which in turn significantly impacts their decision to remain with the firm. This highlights the importance of ethical leadership in fostering employee retention. Results can inform policies aimed at reducing gender-based discrimination and improving organizational diversity and leadership equity.
Subjects: 
leadership
motherhood
female
gender
manager
discrimination
JEL: 
J71
L26
M1
L22
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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