Women and leadership: the approbation of women bosses by women subordinates

Purpose Despite ongoing efforts to promote gender equality, women continue to face barriers in leadership. This study examines the challenges that hinder women's advancement to leadership roles, and explores how subordinates' perceptions of leadership are shaped by gendered expectations, particularly in the Lebanese cultural and organizational context. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a quantitative research approach, utilizing an online survey administered to men and women employees across various sectors in Lebanon, including education, financial services, technology and telecommunications. The survey comprised 41 structured questions covering demographic details, leadership preferences, job satisfaction and factors influencing subordinates' perceptions of their leaders. The collected responses were analyzed to identify how leader gender, leadership traits and the quality of relationships influence subordinates' evaluations of their leaders. Findings The findings reveal that neither the gender of the leader nor the use of traditionally masculine traits by women leaders had a significant impact on how leadership was evaluated. Additionally, a high-quality employee-supervisor relationship was significantly associated with greater job satisfaction, regardless of alignment with traditional gender expectations. The proportion of women leaders in organizations did not significantly impact job satisfaction, organizational dedication or burnout among women employees. Originality/value This study provides contextually grounded insights for HR practitioners and organizational leaders seeking to foster inclusive leadership environments. By distinguishing between empirical findings and broader cultural expectations, the role of subordinate perceptions and the importance of cultivating supportive supervisor-subordinate relationships, offering practical implications for leadership development and organizational policies in Lebanon.