ScholarOne - Do Women Want to Lead? Gender Differences in Motivation to
Lead in Healthcare Employees
Abstract
Purpose: Women make essential contributions to the workforce in the
United States but still hold a minority of senior leadership and chief
executive officer positions in healthcare. The goal of this explanatory
quantitative survey study was to measure the extent to which there are
differences in the motivation to attain leadership positions between men
and women. Methods: A stratified, random sample of 219 men and women
employed in the healthcare industry were surveyed using the Motivation
to Lead (MtL) questionnaire, a validated survey model that measures
three leadership motivational factors. The data was analyzed using
quantitative analysis. Principal Findings: Significant gender
differences in motivation to lead were found in areas related to
self-efficacy, prior leadership experience, and personality traits of
extraversion and individualism. There were no significant gender
differences in motivation to lead related to personality traits of
collectivism, agreeableness, and emotional stability.