Help me rewrite this research proposal I want to remove where I said I will use interviewing people or questions people I don't want to interview I only want to use research data

Abstract

Leadership positions in our society throughout history have been predominantly male.

Even today, there are not as many women in leadership roles as their male counterparts.

Although there are stories of success in these prestigious roles, women holding leadership

positions must still overcome many challenges. Women are emerging into the work place with

skills and techniques, proving themselves as great leaders. Their hard work and determination

have made them strong and able to fulfill leadership positions and have had great success doing

so. Many companies in crisis look to hire a female over a male to solve problems and make that

bottom line profitable once again. As the trend of only male executives' changes, females are not

only being accepted, but welcomed into these roles for their ideas and strong values.

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Preparing a Proposal for Research

The problem is the lack of female presence in leadership roles. Women in many cases

make better leaders with their fore front thinking, planning and preparing ahead opposed to many

male counterparts who simply react after the problem occurs. Women possess many valuable

skills and values that create a positive environment, enabling them to create trust and respect

from their followers. This study will demonstrate the benefits of female leadership, obstacles,

and the trend of the ever evolving female leadership role. Examining documented research,

opinion studies, and real life examples of female leaders will prove this hypothesis. This

proposal will hopefully change the stereotypes in the media and prove the positive repercussions

of female leaders.

Statement of the Problem

Unfortunately, the battle for women to obtain high leadership positions has not been an

easy one. "Anyone who thinks it won't be difficult for a women to get elected president of the

United States should go home, take a nap, wake up refreshed and think again" (Herbert, 2006,

p.A29). In our culture gender conceptualizations about leaders dominate our perceptions.

Purpose of the Study

Women possess the right combination of skills and traits to be effective leaders in our

world. EBay president and CEO Meg Whitman says, "women leaders are more assertive,

persuasive and have a stronger need to get things done and are more willing to take risks".

Women characteristics are more empathetic, flexible, stronger personal skills, and have a better

understanding and care about others. Their teambuilding style and ability to work together builds

relationships with their followers and creates a positive work environment. Business Week

states, "After years of analyzing what makes leaders most effective and figuring out who's got

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the Right Stuff, management gurus now know how to boost the odds of getting a great executive:

Hire a female!"(Sharpe, 2000, p.74). This proves there should be more females in leadership

roles on the basis of what female leaders demonstrate in their skills and values.

Research Question/Hypothesis

Why the lack of female presence in leadership? All these traits are highly criticized.

People tend to judge women, labeling them as weak, feeble minded, and too emotional. They are

classified as not being tough enough or having the drive to follow through. Women are expected

to be committed to their family and do not have the time management skills it takes to be

dedicated to this role.

This helps explains the perceptions on genders and leadership. "According to a male

dominated culture men are aggressive, daring, rational, strong, objective, dominant, decisive, and

self-confident. Women on the other hand are portrayed in opposite terms, as passive, shy,

intuitive, dependent, subjective, submissive, indecisive and nurturing" (Kruse, Prettyman, 2008,

p. 454). All these statements show us how we are trapped in our stereotypes of differences in

gender and leadership roles. Overcoming these stereotypes is one of many challenges women

face in leadership roles today.

Definition of Terms

1. Abductive Research Strategy- "researcher moving back and forth in the field in order

to construct theoretically sound positions that accurately reflect the nature and range

of the empirical evidence" (Davies, Hughes, 2014, p. 237).

2. Qualitative Research- "researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to

make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to

them" (Davies, Hughes, 2014, p. 9).

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3. Purposive Sample- "identify and target individuals who are believed to be "typical"

of the population being studied" (Davies, Hughes, 2014, p. 62).

4. Dichotomous scales- "nominal with only two possible vales. Common examples

include male/female and yes/no" (Davies, Hughes, 2014, p.153).

5. Construct validity- "the extent to which a scale or indicator accurately measures the

concept it is intended to" (Davies, Hughes, 2014, p. 161).

Theoretical Framework

A recent study has examined the "glass cliff or glass ceiling". This is described for

women who are entering into or are in existing leadership roles. "Women who aspire to positions

of leadership are often confronted with a glass ceiling" (Kanter, 1977, p.433). To explain the

glass ceiling and how it relates in simpler terms is the point of breaking through to the top of an

organization or falling through the bottom.

Companies in crisis look for change. They base their need for change on the success of or

lack of success in their organization. Usually, in times of crisis an extreme change is necessary.

This extreme change presents opportunities for a woman leader. Companies look to women for

leadership in times of crisis. "When a company performs poorly, there should be a perceived

need for change. If men have maneuvered the organization into trouble, appointing a female

leader will appear as one way to achieve the transformation needed to turn thing around" (Ryan,

Haslam, 2007). A women's perspective and sense of compassion brings a new light upon the

failing prospect. In times of failure and possible loss of jobs moral is very low and emotions run

high. Women are sought out to lead in times of crisis when change is needed the most. Women

tread on "glass" when it comes to having or obtaining a leadership role. There is no evidence to

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suggest what gender makes a better leader, but it has been shown women handle crisis better

than their male counterparts.

Literature Review

Men outnumber women in executive roles and board positions. Women want to be

accepted as equal leaders and want the same opportunities in their lives and careers. The number

of females in the work place has doubled. Their hard work and determination have made them

strong and able to fulfill leadership positions and have great success in doing so.

Obstacles

The media presence in our lives constructs our ideas about leaders, teaching stereotyping

and discrimination. These cultural factors inhibit women in and obtaining leadership roles. The

images they present create biases for what we believe to be normal. Perceptions created by the

media about who is a good leader and who is not. Who is powerful and who is abusing their

power. The media is a powerful source that shapes our evaluations on how we perceive women

in leadership positions.

One example of how the media affected society's perception is of Hillary Clinton. One

day on the senate floor Hillary was reported to be wearing a low cut neckline outfit and how so

much discussion on if this was "appropriate attire" for a woman to be wearing and representing

the senate. The discussion went round and round through many media groups. How ridiculous

this seems, what does a neck line on an outfit have to do with Hillary's effective speech? Why

was she not discussed on terms of what she spoke of instead of what she was wearing? "These

perceptions created and perpetuated in part by the media, are used by the public to make

decisions about who is a leader and who is not, and what leadership looks like and what it does

not" (Freeman 2001; Guy1993; Lord and Mayer 1991).

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Women are expected to conform to society and cultural beliefs. They are judged more

harshly on everything they do. "It seems all too easy for women leaders to run afoul of their

constituents or their colleagues by deviating from the narrowly-defined set of behaviors in which

cultural femininity over laps with leadership" (Lups, Womens Media, 2009). How they dress,

what they do, and how they speak; judgment is passed more easily on woman than on masculine

roles in leadership.

Women Leadership Traits

People skills are very important for a leader to be able to communicate and motivate. A

women's style of leaderships tends to be transformational and charismatic. They present

behaviors that teach others cooperation, mentoring, and team work. They truly care about others

and want them to succeed. Women tend to be less self-serving and encourage other's

development and potential. Female leadership creates a balance and middle ground for support

and corrective action. In hind sight "Women are often seen as more honest, less corrupt, more

interested in the common good and self-sacrificing and less likely to be motivated by personal

ambition" (Thomas, 2011, p. 68).

A Success Story

In January 2006 Michelle Bachelet was elected president of Chile. She became the first

women president in her country. This divorced, single mother rose to the challenge. She went up

against two very powerful male candidates and came out on top. It was said that she "possessed

the personal characteristics and political skills demanded by the presidency" (Thomas, 2011, p.

65). Michelle faced many obstacles and criticisms from her male opponents. She would not

conform to their rules or traditional definitions of a political leader. She presented a more

feminine style of leadership and was well liked by her country. In 2006 she "brought the number

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of sitting women heads of state to eleven, a historically high number, women still represented a

mere 6 percent of the 191 sitting heads of state" (Inter-parliamentary Union, 2006). Through

adversity she prevailed, what a great accomplishment for any women. Michelle Bachelet sets the

tone for future female presidents.

1St Subheading

One theme that has been evident is the stereotypes against women. Women are supposed

to be homemakers, and take care of the home and the children, not be out in the workplace. Men

are supposed to be the "breadwinners" and have the high standard career.

Women have to be very careful what they wear to avoid judgment. If a women wears

tight, short or low cut outfits they are respected or they are criticized.

Females are soft and lack conviction. Women are not able to be tough and make tough

decisions. They are of weak character and cannot put aside their emotions.

They are sacrificing their home life if they have a career. Children are growing up

without their mothers and it is creating a society of damaged unsupervised youth.

Methodology

The methodology for this research topic has been centered on documented case studies,

leadership theories, traits, and questionnaires. I sought specific examples of women in leadership

roles and how their style helps make them successful. I wanted to focus not only their successes,

but their struggles and how they overcome hurdles on their journey.

Leadership research was very important in order to support my argument. I had to find

what was considered as good qualities, traits, methods, and styles. This was indicative of what

this topic was all about.

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My research needed the support of the public. I wanted to develop a concrete set of

questions that would support each factor in my research. To prove my points about the struggles

women face as well as the positive aspects of female versus male leadership.

Interviewing my peers helped define my research, enabling me to focus on specific

questions and get firsthand knowledge of other people's personal experience with female leaders.

Research Design

My two methods are a questionnaire and interview proposal. My questionnaire will

provide data to support my topic. My questions are based on the past, present, and future

leadership not only for women, but the trend in male leadership as well.

My interviews will consist of both men and women. I will interview two candidates who

have worked for each as well as two leaders, one male and one female. I hope these interviews

will not only provide prospective, but help support my argument.

Sampling

The population I will focus on is a mix of male and female of various age groups. My

plan is to ensure each generation is represented in my population to ensure I have the most

unbiased opinions I can gather to represent my topic in a fair manner. Each generation will have

their own unique opinion based not only on their personal experiences, but their opinions based

on those experiences. My goal is to select participants that work in various fields of occupation. I

want to have a variety of backgrounds in the mix; not just executive levels, but bottom level

positions. The object is variety of participants to provide the most useful data to use in support of

my research focus.

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Instrumentation

The survey instrument I will be utilizing will have a variety of questions, from personal

experiences to personal preference of men and women in leadership. This will provide statistical

data to help support my points and develop my argument. I am hoping to show that the media

influences the opinions of people as well as who is a good leader and who is not. I hope this data

will support my argument on stereotypes against women in leadership.

The interviews will allow me to ask more direct questions to support my theories. I hope

the personal experiences shared through my questioning will define my research and allow me to

expand my existing collaboration of information.

Instrument #1

The first instrument used in my study is a survey. The survey consists of 50-75 multiple

choice questions based on leadership experiences. Most questions are gender neutral, but there

are also several questions that are gender specific. This will validate my theories with actual

numeric data.

Instrument #2

The second instrument will be live one on one interviews. This will allow me to define

my questions and enable me to tune the responses to support my topic. This will be useful to gain

quotes on specific areas as well as personal stories to include as substance for my sub-sections.

Data Collection and Analysis Procedures

The general plan for data collection will be survey software that will be emailed to

selected participants. They will consent to the survey if they choose to participate in the survey.

The interviews will be scheduled with a consent signed in writing authorizing me to video record

the conversation and allow me to use any material I choose to report on. Each participant will be

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told upfront this is for research purposes and if they choose their names will be given credit for

any quotes I select to support my ideas. The statistical data will be represented in a SPSS format

that will be organized based on percentage of answers on each question. I will then select the

best chart to depict each set of data to illustrate my points.

Protection of Human Rights

To protect the rights of my candidates the survey will not require a name to encourage

honest answers and feedback. Any interview participant has the right to refuse or be named.

They also have the right to speak freely without any credit made to the source. I will also offer

them the opportunity to review any quotes or stories for authentication and to ensure they are

being represented as they see fit. They will have the option to opt out of any information sharing

through the course of the research.

Discussion

The future for women in leadership has just begun. A new chapter for leadership and

leadership traits is upon us. We now look for different qualities and traits from our leadership as

women have changed the way society views them in leadership roles. We now have an

understanding that "female qualities of cooperation, mentoring, and collaboration are important

to leadership (Eagly, 2007, p.2). Women will stay resilient on the quest for power and devotion

to others. Society will see the day when women tip the scales of power positions in our country.

Some have set the example for us to follow; women will lead us to great possibilities and

through a sense of compassion.

The era of dominant leadership is slowly fading in the past. No longer will leadership be

perceived as a male dominated world. When will we see a woman as the President of the United

States of America? It could be sooner than we all think. I hope when that time comes society will

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embrace the thought and not let stereotypes dictate their decisions. Queen Victoria said, "No one

can make you feel inferior without your consent". Women will stay resilient on the quest for

power and devotion to others. We will see the day where women outweigh power positions in

our country. We need more women holding leadership positions. Society needs to put aside the

biased information and look towards the facts. I hope this research will open eyes and

opportunities for more women to be considered for leadership positions as well as celebrated for

the great work they can do.

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References

Bosak, J., & Sczesny, S. (2008, January 16). Am I the Right Candidate? Self-Ascribed Fit of

Women and Men to a Leadership Position [Electronic version]. Springer Science, 58, 682-

688.

Davies, M., & Hughes, N. (2014). Doing a Successful Research Project Using Qualitative or

Quantitative Mehtods (Second ed.). N.p.: Palgrave Macmillan.

Eagly, A. H. (2007). Female Leadership Advantage and Disadvantage: Resolving the

Contradictions [Electronic version]. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 1-12.

Thomas, G. (2011, March). Redefining Political Leadership in Chile's 2005 Presidential

Campaign. International Feminist Journal of Politics, 13(1), 63-82. Retrieved April 6,

2013, from Academic Search Complete.

Bruckmuller, S., & Branscombe, N. R. (2010). The Glass Cliff: When and Why Women are

selected as Leaders in Crisis Contexts. British Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 433-451.

Retrieved April 9, 2013, from Academic Search Complete.

Dahlvig, J. E., & Longman, K. A. (2010). Women's leadership Development: A Study of

Defining Moments [Electronic version]. Christian Higher Education, 9, 238-258.

Kruse, S. D., & Prettyman, S. S. (2008, September). Women, Leadership, and Power Revisiting

the Wicked Witch of The West. Gender and Education, 20(5), 451-464. Retrieved April

13, 2013.

Lups, Hilary, Womens Media, Expert Advise for Business Women, Women Leadership: