Differences in Male and Female Management Characteristics: A Study of Owner-Manager Businesses

The rise in the number of female managers in recent years has fuelled the debate whether their management characteristics differ in any way from their male counterparts. While most researchers have tended to analyse these gender-related differences within large organisations, this study sets out to explore whether gender has an impact on management characteristics of male and female business owner-managers. In particular, the focus is on the management of established businesses, rather than start-ups. The management characteristics are studied in terms of (1) the owner-manager's managerial style, (2) the nature of the organisational structure, (3) the degree of delegation within the organisation, (4) the manner in which strategic objectives are set, and (5) the importance of personal objectives in the decision making process. In view of its findings that there are significant differences between male and female owner-managers in the way they manage their businesses, the paper considers implications for theory and policy.