Exploring the barriers to female leadership in the public sector
an integrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21874/rsp.v76ic.11089Keywords:
glass ceiling, women's leadership, public sector, gender barriers, integrative reviewAbstract
This integrative review analyzes the literature on the barriers that prevent women from ascending to leadership positions in the public sector on a global scale. The analysis of 25 articles published between 2015 and 2024 highlights three main obstacles: implicit biases, lack of mentorship, and inadequate organizational policies. The research underscores the persistence of gender stereotypes and resistance to change in male-dominated organizational cultures. While the presence of women leaders can positively influence the implementation of more inclusive policies, significant challenges remain in achieving true gender equality and active representation. The review emphasizes the need for more robust and inclusive strategies to promote female leadership in the public sector, including mentorship programs, policies that address the "glass ceiling," and initiatives that foster a more equitable organizational culture.
Downloads
References
AN, Seung-Ho; MEIER, Kenneth J. Gender and the effectiveness of leadership training: results from a field experiment. Review of Public Personnel Administration, v. 41, n. 4, p. 747-770, 2021. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X20932989. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
ANDREWS, Rhys. Do women leaders of nonprofit public service organisations help to reduce the gender pay gap? Policy and Politics, v. 51, n. 2, p. 206-230, 2023. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/030557321X16753329868574. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
ARROYO, Dalku; BUSH, Tony. Women’s leadership in education: A perspective from Chilean school leaders. Management in Education, v. 37, n. 2, p. 63-73, 2023. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1177/08920206211019402. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
ARVATE, Paulo; FIRPO, Sergio; PIERI, Renan. Can women's performance in elections determine the engagement of adolescent girls in politics? European Journal of Political Economy, v. 70, p. 102045, 2021. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2021.102045. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
BARDIN, L. Análise de conteúdo. São Paulo: Edições 70, 2011.
BAUER, Zachary; ABOUASSI, Khaldoun; JOHNSTON, Jocelyn. Cross-sector collaboration formality: the effects of institutions and organizational leaders. Public Management Review, v. 24, n. 2, p. 159-181, 2022. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2020.1798709. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
BRAUN, V.; CLARKE, V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, v. 3, n. 2, p. 77-101, 2006. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa. Acesso em: 27 fev. 2025.
CARLI, Linda L.; EAGLY, Alice H. Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders. Harvard Business School Press, 2007.
CARNES, Molly; DEVINE, Patricia G.; MANWELL, Lori B.; BYARS-WINSTON, Angela; FISHER, Ann M.; JORDAN, Carol V.; et al. Effect of an intervention to break the gender bias habit for faculty at one institution: a cluster randomized, controlled trial. Academic Medicine: Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, v. 90, n. 2, p. 221-230, 2015. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000000552. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
CHOI, Sungjoo; KO, Yeongjun. Does she belong here? Women in leadership positions and organizational performance in gendered institutions. Public Administration Review, 2024. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/puar.13806. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
CORTIS, Natasha; FOLEY, Meraiah; WILLIAMSON, Sue. Change agents or defending the status quo? How senior leaders frame workplace gender equality. Gender, Work & Organization, v. 29, n. 1, p. 205-221, 2022. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12742. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
DRAGISEVIC, Iva; MIHIC, Marko. Women Leadership in Public Sector - Evidence from Serbia. Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, v. 18, n. 2, p. 253-270, 2020. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.4335/18.2.253-270(2020). Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
EAGLY, Alice H.; CARLI, Linda L. Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders. Harvard Business School Press, 2007.
ELY, Robin J.; MEYERSON, Debra E. Theories of Gender in Organizations: A New Approach to Organizational Analysis and Change. Research in Organizational Behavior, v. 22, p. 103-151, 2000.
EVANS, Kathryn J.; MALEY, Jane F. Barriers to women in senior leadership: how unconscious bias is holding back Australia’s economy. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, v. 59, n. 2, p. 204-226, 2021. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7941.12262. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
GIL, A. C. Como elaborar projetos de pesquisa. 4. ed. São Paulo: Atlas, 2008.
GOODSELL, Charles T. Bureaucracy's good news: a quiet gender revolution. American Review of Public Administration, v. 54, n. 5, p. 441-446, 2024. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1177/02750740241239051. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
GREENWALD, Anthony G.; BANAJI, Mahzarin R. Implicit social cognition: Attitudes, self-esteem, and stereotypes. Psychological Review, v. 102, n. 1, p. 4-27, 1995.
GROYSBERG, Boris. How Star Women Build Portable Skills. Harvard Business Review, fevereiro de 2008. Disponível em: https://hbr.org/2008/02/how-star-women-build-portable-skills. Acesso em: 20 jun. 2024.
HEINZEL, Mirko; KERN, Andreas; METINSOY, Saliha; REINSBERG, Bernhard. International Monetary Fund programmes and the glass cliff effect. European Journal of Political Research, v. 63, n. 2, p. 1-16, 2024. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6765.12660. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
IBARRA, Herminia. Homophily and differential returns: Sex differences in network structure and access in an advertising firm. Administrative Science Quarterly, v. 37, n. 3, p. 422-447, 1992.
IBARRA, Herminia; CARTER, Nancy M.; SILVA, Christine. Why men still get more promotions than women. Harvard Business Review, v. 88, n. 9, p. 80-85, 2010.
JACKSON, William T.; NESHKOVA, Milena I.; NEWMAN, Meredith A. Feminine leadership and juvenile justice outcomes: The Florida experience. Public Administration Review, 2024. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/puar.13706. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
JOHNSTON, Karen; HOUSTON, John. Representative bureaucracy: does female police leadership affect gender-based violence arrests? International Review of Administrative Sciences, v. 84, n. 1, p. 3-20, 2018.
KANTER, R.M. Men and Women of the Corporation. New York: Basic Books.1977.
KAVOOSI, Sara; SAFARI, Ali; SHAEMI BARZOKI, Ali. A mixed-method approach on the glass cliff phenomenon: a case of public sector service organizations in Iran. Management Research Review, v. 47, n. 3, p. 1-40, 2024. Disponível em: https://www.emerald.com/insight/2040-8269.htm. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
LAPUENTE, Victor; SUZUKI, Kohei. The prudent entrepreneurs: women and public sector innovation. Journal of European Public Policy, v. 28, n. 9, p. 1345-1371, 2021. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2020.1770316. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
LUCENA, Thiago de. Leadership & Gender Composition in Managerial Positions: Evidence from the Brazilian Public Sector. SSRN, 27 jun. 2023. Disponível em: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4523283. Acesso em: 20 jun. 2024.
MILTERSTEINER, Renata Kessler; OLIVEIRA, Fátima Bayma de; HRYNIEWICZ, Lygia Gonçalves Costa; SANT’ANNA, Anderson de Souza; MOURA, Luiz Carlos. Liderança feminina: percepções, reflexões e desafios na administração pública. Cadernos EBAPE.BR, v. 18, n. 2, p. 407-423, abr./jun. 2020. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1679-395120190176. Acesso em: 20 jun. 2024.
MORGAN, Catherine. Many Ways Organizations Disadvantage Women. In: CARLI, Linda L.; EAGLY, Alice H. Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders. Harvard Business School Press, 2007
MORGAN, Catherine L. Review of Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders, Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli. Journal of Women in Educational Leadership, Lincoln, v. 6, n. 4, p. 233-235, 2008. Disponível em: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/jwel/vol6/iss4/8/. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
MORRISON, Ann M.; WHITE, Randall P.; VAN VELSOR, Ellen. Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Can Women Reach the Top of America's Largest Corporations? Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1987.
NAGUIB, Rabia; MADEEHA, Muznah. Making visible the invisible: Exploring the role of gender biases on the glass ceiling in Qatar's public sector. Women’s Studies International Forum, v. 98, p. 102723, 2023. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2023.102723. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
NGUYEN, Ngan Thi Thuy; LE, Quang Canh. Local leader traits, local values and citizens' political participation in Vietnam. International Journal of Public Administration, 2024. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2024.2329658. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
PANDEY, Sheela; DEHART-DAVIS, Leisha; PANDEY, Sanjay; AHLAWAT, Sucheta. Fight or flight: how gender influences follower responses to unethical leader behaviour. Public Management Review, 2021. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2021.2000220. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
PROFIROIU, Constantin M.; PROFIROIU, Alina G.; NASTACĂ, Corina C. Gender differences in implementing organizational change in Romania’s central public administration. Central European Public Administration Review, v. 19, n. 1, p. 9-40, 2021. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.17573/cepar.2021.1.01. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
RAGINS, Belle Rose; KRAM, Kathy E. The Handbook of Mentoring at Work: Theory, Research, and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2007.
RYAN, Michelle K.; HASLAM, S. Alexander. The Glass Cliff: Evidence that Women are Over-Represented in Precarious Leadership Positions. British Journal of Management, v. 16, n. 2, p. 81-90, 2005.
SARKAR, Anita. Factors associated with general self-efficacy of women leaders in India. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, v. 43, n. 7, p. 1080-1097, 2022. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-12-2021-0540. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
SARKAR, Shulagna; SINGH, Punam. Recognizing gender balance in public sector units in India: are we addressing enough? In: CHAKRABORTY, Tanusree; MISHRA, Nandita; NATARAJAN, Ashok; CHATTERJEE, Bipasha (org.). Gender equality from a modern perspective. New York: Apple Academic Press, p. 117-134, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003377979. Acesso em:16 jun. 2024.
SOUZA, Marcela Tavares de; SILVA, Michelly Dias; CARVALHO, Raquel. Revisão integrativa: o que é e como fazer. Einstein. v.8, n. 1, p.102-106, 2010. https://www.scielo.br/j/eins/a/ZQTBkVJZqcWrTT34cXLjtBx/?format=pdf&lang=pt. Acesso em: 15 de junho de 2024.
STABILE, Bonnie; TERMAN, Jessica; KUERBITZ, Catherine. Gender and the role of directors of public administration and policy programs. Journal of Public Affairs Education, v. 23, n. 3, p. 825-842, 2017. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1080/15236803.2017.12002290. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
STIVERS, Camilla. Gender Images in Public Administration: Legitimacy and the Administrative State. SAGE Publications, 2002.
SUZUKI, Kohei; AVELLANEDA, Claudia N. Women and risk-taking behaviour in local public finance. Public Management Review, v. 20, n. 12, p. 1741-1767, 2018. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2017.1412118. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
WANG, Chengwei; MA, Liang; CHRISTENSEN, Tom. Does leadership gender representativeness improve policy outcomes? Evidence from local governments in China. Public Administration, 2024. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/padm.12988. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
WANG, Yiming; LIU, Doudou; LI, Chaoping. Mapping the foundations and evolution of career aspiration research: a bibliometric analysis. Career Development International, 2024. Disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/CDI-08-2023-0296. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2024.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Revista do Serviço Público
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
- A RSP adota a licença Creative Commons (CC) do tipo Atribuição – Uso Não-Comercial (BY-NC).
- A licença permite que outros remixem, adaptem e criem obra licenciada, sendo proibido o uso com fins comerciais.
- As novas obras devem fazer referência ao autor nos créditos e não podem ser usadas com fins comerciais, porém não precisam ser licenciadas sob os mesmos termos dessa licença.
- Ao publicar o artigo na RSP, o autor cede e transfere para a ENAP os direitos autorais patrimoniais referentes ao artigo.
- O artigo publicado na RSP não poderá ser divulgado em outro meio sem a devida referência à publicação de origem.
- O autor que tiver o artigo publicado na RSP deverá assinar o Termo de Concessão de Direitos Autorais (em momento oportuno a editoria da Revista entrará em contato com o autor para assinatura do Termo).
