Intersectional leadership: The interaction of gender and race

Abstract

This study is designed to determine the perceptions and evaluations of four different races of female leaders. While female leaders are becoming more common, there is still a significant lack of female leadership in high-level management and executive positions. Through considering Implicit Leadership Theories, especially the Categorization Theory, it is revealed that all individuals have their own personal idea of what an ideal leader is and should be. Because these leadership prototypes have been developed based on an individual's previous leadership interactions, most of their prototypes are associated with white males. Due to a female's stereotypes, she is evaluated as not being a competent leader because she is lacking the necessary prescriptions. This study also looks into the Intersectional Theory and how the interaction of gender and race impacts a female leader's evaluation. Once another possible category for someone is introduced, their evaluations may be subject to change.