Challenges Faced by Female Leaders Through a Lens of a Western Hungarian Research

Jázmin Lőre () and Lívia Ablonczy-Mihályka
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Jázmin Lőre: Doctoral School of Regional- and Business Administration Sciences, Széchenyi István University, 9026 Gyor, Hungary
Lívia Ablonczy-Mihályka: Department of International Studies and Communication, Széchenyi István University, 9026 Gyor, Hungary

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: In the global work culture of the 21st century, the image of female leaders is marginal. The stereotypical opinion links the terms leaders and managers to the male gender and predetermined gendered characteristics typical to men. The aim of this study is to redefine certain perspectives through empirical research based on previous literature regarding gender stereotypes in leadership and challenges facing female leaders. This paper looks at the main issues that concern female leaders throughout their careers and even after reaching a higher position and discusses the differences between male and female workers on the top levels of the organizational hierarchy. The research was conducted in the Western Transdanubia region of Hungary. The research was based on eight semi-structured interviews with mid- and senior managers, which were analyzed through thematic analysis to identify patterns and challenges. As an exploratory qualitative study with a region-specific sample, the findings provide valuable insights but should be interpreted cautiously as they cannot be extrapolated to a comparable situation. The findings of the study indicate that gender gaps in the corporate world can be attributed to the presence of stereotypes resulting from gender roles embedded in patriarchal societies, gender-based discrimination in the labor market. As the results suggest, these non-quantifiable problems are of great importance in terms of the position of women in the labor market and society.

Keywords: gender stereotypes; female leaders; leadership; challenges (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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