Follower Gender and Authentic Leadership: Perspectives from the Middle East

Abstract

This study aims to explore how perceptions of male and female followers differ regarding their emphasis on different attributes of authentic leadership. The Middle East constitutes an interesting area to analyse gender-based perceptions due to relatively high gender inequality. Based on gender-identity theory, the authors argue that to acknowledge a leader as being authentic, women would value a leader’s interdependence while men prefer independence. Conducting 105 in-depth interviews in 10 Middle Eastern countries, this study examines the significance of followers’ gender in cognizance of authentic leadership. The findings show that although Middle Eastern men and women have many common convictions about authentic leaders, there are also significant differences in their expectations, notably, while men prefer authentic leaders to be autonomous, women expect them to show care and nurturance.