A Quantitative Investigation on the Followers’ Perception on Female Leaders in Commercial Banks in Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Studying the dynamics of women’s leadership has become a significant area in feminist research. This quantitative study investigates the determinants of the perceived effectiveness of female leaders with particular reference to the private and public bank workers employed in the Colombo district, Sri Lanka. In collecting data, the study used a questionnaire and gathered responses from 166 employees working/working under a woman's leadership in commercial banks in the Colombo district. The acceptance of all three hypotheses indicated that role expectations of followers from female leaders, female leaders’ social networks, and situational roles adopted by female leaders significantly influence the perceived effectiveness of female leaders among followers. This investigation of various factors contributing to leadership effectiveness sheds light on the multifaceted nature of women’s leadership roles within commercial banks in the Colombo district. The research concludes that employees generally accept their female managers as influential leaders. These findings underscore the potential for women to ascend to leadership positions within organizations and be acknowledged as influential leaders by their followers. The study offers meaningful insights into gender and leadership, emphasizing the importance of positive leader-role expectations, social networks, and situational leadership in shaping followers’ perceptions of female leader effectiveness.