A Review of the Role of Gender in Conflict Resolution and Leadership

The value of effective conflict resolution and leadership skills cannot be understated. As more and more women are moving into decision-making positions, the issue of whether there are gender differences in the ability to manage conflict and to lead effectively has become an important concern. This literature review examines 14 studies that address the role of gender in conflict resolution and leadership. Studies from areas of conflict resolution, negotiation, and leadership are included. Evidence is provided that while women and men are, in fact different from one another, neither outperforms the other in all situations. In fact, while some researchers claim a male advantage in a male-oriented world, others assert a feminine advantage for 21st century leaders. Implications for women leaders are included.
Conventional wisdom says that conflict management skills are important if individuals are to function effectively at any level within an organization. They are a particularly important part of effective leadership. As more and more women are moving into decision-making positions, the issue of whether there are gender differences in the ability to use conflict management skills to lead effectively has become an important concern. In fact, some researchers have expressed skepticism about women’s abilities to fit in to the masculine managerial world. As far back as 1979, Powell and Butterfield found that the “good manager” was described in masculine terms (p. 396). Their study utilized the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (Bem, 1974) in a study of 684 MBA students with a median age of 20.2 years. The inventory contained 20 items characteristic of the masculine sex-role stereotype (e.g., self-reliant, defends own beliefs, ambitious), 20 items characteristic of the feminine sex-role stereotype (e.g.,