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When Women Hold the Keys: Gender, Leadership, and Correctional Policy

NCJ Number
234284
Author(s)
Kimberly Greer Ph.D.
Date Published
2008
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study report examined the intersection of gender, leadership, and correctional policy by looking at the benefits that women leaders might bring to the profession of corrections.
Abstract
Analysis of the study results found that the majority of the survey respondents believed that gender does influence leadership style. Both interviewees and the women who completed the questionnaire reported leadership styles that were primarily collaborative, participatory, and democratic rather than directive or authoritarian. In addition, the women believed that they were more likely to focus on the process of their problem-solving work rather than their status or the power that came with the position. This study explored whether gender influences leadership styles and to what extent it might play a role in the development and implementation of correctional policy. Data for the study were obtained from interviews with 25 women leaders in corrections. The positions held by the women ranged from heads of department of corrections to wardens of correctional institutions to directors of field operations. The women completed questionnaires that asked them about their experiences with breaking into the leadership level in corrections. Analysis of the survey results indicate that the women's leadership styles developed not just as a result of their gender, but also in response to the conditions and experiences they encountered as they progressed through their careers. Tables and references