Personality traits of urban female and male administrators and congruence of these traits with the occupational stereotypes of the male managerial model.

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to investigate the personality traits of women and men who occupy two levels of administrative positions in education, building level and central office level, and to compare them to the male managerial model. Four questions were investigated by this study: (1) Are there differences between the personality traits of female and male educational administrators? (2) Are there differences between the personality traits of female administrators at the central office and building levels? (3) Are there differences between the personality traits of male administrators at the central office and building levels? (4) Are the personality traits of women and men occupying a traditionally male occupation, educational administration, congruent with the occupational stereotypes ascribed to similar vocations?

Female educational administrators scores on selected scales of the ACL were more congruent with occupational stereotypes of the Male Managerial Model than scores of male educational administrators in this study.

A t test analysis of the data indicated that female and male administrators' mean (X) scores were significantly different (p < .05) on twelve of the 24 personality traits measured by the ACL. Female administrators at the central office and building levels scored significantly different (p < .05) on the following four scales of the ACL: self-confidence, lability, aggression, and counseling readiness. There were no statistically significant differences (p < .05) between the mean (X) scores of central office males and building level males on any of the 24 scales of the ACL.

The instrument utilized to gather data for the study was the Adjective Check List (ACL) developed by Drs. Gough and Heilbrun (1965). The ACL was distributed via the U.S. Mail to 64 female (total population) and 64 male (randomly selected) administrators employed by the Oklahoma City Public Schools. The ACL was completed and returned by 79.7% of the administrators in the sample.