Author Identifier
Andrei A. Lux: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3454-946X
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Journal of Management & Organization
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
School
School of Business and Law
RAS ID
76771
Funders
School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University
Abstract
Leadership emergence is fraught with pervasive gender stereotypes, and women remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles, particularly in healthcare organisations. We apply ecological systems theory to explain how environmental factors enable or inhibit women’s leadership emergence in healthcare settings. We interviewed 17 senior female leaders in the Australian healthcare sector to explore how gender-related perceptions affected their leadership journeys. Five themes emerged that challenge existing narratives: men supported women’s advancement; women impeded other women’s progress; vulnerability was a leadership strength; ambitious women were ostracised; and women were ‘given’ leadership opportunities rather than actively pursuing them. By situating these findings within the ecological systems theory framework, we highlight the interplay of individual and contextual influences across ecosystem levels. Our study offers a novel perspective on gender stereotypes in leadership emergence, advancing ecological systems theory by extending it into a new field. We provide recommendations at individual, organisational, community, and societal levels to empower women leaders.
DOI
10.1017/jmo.2024.79
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Lux, A. A., Salehi, N., Hurley, D., & Emanuel, E. (2025). Dismantling pervasive gender stereotypes in healthcare leadership contexts with an ecological systems theory approach. Journal of Management & Organization. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2024.79