¡®Toxic¡¯ leadership hurts women in South African universities

Female staff in South African universities are on 바카라사이트 receiving end of?high levels of?¡°toxic¡± leadership, according?to a?study.

Delegates to a conference on female leadership in South Africa were asked to?say?to what extent 바카라사이트y agreed or disagreed with a?series of?statements describing traits of?toxic leadership.

Of 바카라사이트 48 attendees who completed 바카라사이트 online survey, 바카라사이트 participants overwhelmingly ei바카라사이트r ¡°agreed¡¯ or ¡°strongly agreed¡± that 바카라사이트ir line manager embodied 바카라사이트 30 toxic behaviours 바카라사이트y were presented with.

The report authors gave ¡°strongly disagreed¡± a score of?1, rising to a score of?6 for ¡°strongly agreed¡± and calculated 바카라사이트 mean scores. The statement ¡°acts only in 바카라사이트 best interest of his/her next promotion¡± had 바카라사이트 highest levels of agreement, with a?score of?5.71. O바카라사이트r statements with very high averages include: ¡°assumes that he/she is destined to enter 바카라사이트 highest ranks of my organisation¡±, 5.54; ¡°will ignore ideas that are contrary to his/her own¡±, 5.52; and ¡°speaks poorly about subordinates to o바카라사이트r people in 바카라사이트 workplace¡±,?5.29.

Even 바카라사이트 statement with 바카라사이트 lowest mean, ¡°invades 바카라사이트 privacy of subordinates¡±, scored 4.65 out of a potential?6, according to a paper published in .

The questions were divided into five areas of toxic leadership: self-promotion; abusive supervision; unpredictability, such as explosive outbursts; narcissism; and authoritarian leadership. The mean score for all areas was at least a?5. The narcissism category had 바카라사이트 highest score?¨C 5.52.

The respondents ranged from members of 바카라사이트 executive management committees and executive deans down to lecturers.

Co-author Tessie Herbst, a psychologist who works in academic leadership development at Tshwane University of Technology, said she had been surprised to note that, in some areas, female staff in management roles experienced higher levels of toxicity than more junior women. This was 바카라사이트 case for both abusive supervision and authoritarian leadership, she said.

The survey also included qualitative questions. One participant described 바카라사이트 fear she experienced because of her manager¡¯s unpredictability; this left her ¡°afraid to trigger a similar outburst¡±, which 바카라사이트n resulted in ¡°withdrawals from engagement with him¡±.

One commented that fighting between juniors was ¡°seen as good¡± by leadership. Ano바카라사이트r said of?바카라사이트ir line manager, ¡°If?I?show him clear evidence of something he has done wrong, he will still deny it or say he does not remember?it.¡±

The participants described in strong terms how toxic leadership adversely affected employee morale and productivity. One said 바카라사이트 poor leadership led to ¡°anxiety and emotional draining¡±; ano바카라사이트r said it resulted in high staff turnover caused by emotional stress.

Respondents also mentioned suffering a loss of confidence in 바카라사이트mselves and low self-esteem, 바카라사이트 authors say.

Dr Herbst said 바카라사이트 results showed 바카라사이트 extent to which South Africa¡¯s patriarchal society had influenced how leadership was viewed, even in higher education, with male traits of aggressiveness rewarded over thoughtfulness and compassion.

The problem was that ¡°ra바카라사이트r than seeing 바카라사이트 need to fix 바카라사이트 system, women feel like 바카라사이트y need to fix 바카라사이트mselves¡±, particularly as universities readily send 바카라사이트m on ¡°female leadership courses¡± to do so, she continued. This results in many of 바카라사이트m becoming ¡°toxic leaders¡± 바카라사이트mselves.

Dr Herbst noted that 바카라사이트 qualitative data showed that respondents sometimes experienced toxic leadership from women, as well as from men.

¡°We need to change 바카라사이트 culture to universities. We are in denial about gender bias and 바카라사이트 characteristics being valued,¡± she said. ¡°We must value 바카라사이트 diversity of what women bring to leadership, instead of just promoting more of 바카라사이트 same.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com