Abstract

ROCHA-COUTINHO, Maria Lúcia  and  COUTINHO, Rodrigo Rocha. Brazilian women in leadership positions: New perspectives for old challenges. Economia Global e Gestão [online]. 2011, vol.16, n.1, pp.61-79. ISSN 0873-7444.

This article presents the results of a study in which we interviewed 12 Brazilian women in leadership positions in organizations, aged 25 to 45. The resulting texts were submitted to a discourse analysis, according to the following categories: Motherhood and Family Life; Career; Conciliating Career and Maternity; Career Development and Leadership Style. For all our interviewees both family and work were considered a “priority” in their lives and maternity was seen as a fundamental part of women’s lives, something that gives them a sense of completeness. Conciliating career and maternity, although difficult, was seen as not only possible but also as desirable. Regarding women’s performance at work, the interviewees mentioned the existence of discrimination against women, though often veiled, especially in relation to the highest functions, such as that of CEO. Finally, our data point to the fact that it is harder for women to prove their competence and efficiency so as to reach the highest positions and that, in general, women are more worried about the functioning of the team, have more sensibility to deal with subordinates, better communication skills and have a greater ability to manage different tasks simultaneously than men.

Keywords : Female Leadership; Challenges; Perspectives.

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