A Woman's Touch? Gendered Management and Performance in State Administration

Posted: 26 Apr 2010

See all articles by Willow Jacobson

Willow Jacobson

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill

Christine Kelleher Palus

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Cynthia J. Bowling

Auburn University - Department of Political Science

Date Written: April 2010

Abstract

Understanding the relationship between organizational performance, gender, and management is crucial to scholars and practitioners alike. In this article, we focus on whether women manage differently than their male counterparts and whether these varied behaviors translate to organizational outcomes. With respect to management activities, we examine internal management as well as external networking patterns with peers and political principals. Through our investigation, we also address a number of theoretical issues related to previous research on management and performance, particularly the work on modeling public management. This analysis offers avenues for expansion, explanation, and evaluation of its theoretical and empirical implications. We find evidence that female managers spend less time on internal management and networking relationships than their male counterparts. We also see that networking with citizens and clientele groups has a positive effect on organization outcomes for men, whereas networking with peers is more beneficial for women.

Suggested Citation

Jacobson, Willow and Palus, Christine Kelleher and Bowling, Cynthia J., A Woman's Touch? Gendered Management and Performance in State Administration (April 2010). Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Vol. 20, Issue 2, pp. 477-504, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1594612 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mup017

Willow Jacobson (Contact Author)

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill ( email )

102 Ridge Road
Chapel Hill, NC NC 27514
United States

Christine Kelleher Palus

affiliation not provided to SSRN

No Address Available

Cynthia J. Bowling

Auburn University - Department of Political Science ( email )

Auburn, AL 36849
United States

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