Gender differences in self-perception accuracy: The confidence gap and women leaders’ underrepresentation in academia

Abstract

is the chief executive officer of Universities South Africa (USAf), whose members comprise the heads of the country's 26 tertiary education institutions. Orientation:The study reported here explores the preconceived notion of women's missing agency -characterised by a lack of confidence -as an explanation for their continued underrepresentation at senior leadership levels in higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa. Research purpose:The study investigated gender differences in self-perception accuracy, defined as self-other agreement. The concept of confidence in this article refers to a high degree of self-perception accuracy defined as self-other rating agreement.Motivation for the study: One of the reasons for the underrepresentation of women in senior leadership levels frequently cited in the literature is the relationship between self-confidence and effective leadership. This phenomenon has however not yet been researched in the context of South African HEIs.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional study of gender differences in self-perception accuracy using data collected from a 360-degree assessment intervention amongst the total population (N = 112) of academic managers in a HEI in South Africa was conducted. The realised sample consisted of 74 managers with an average of 9.5 raters per participant. Main findings:The results revealed that significant gender differences with regard to self-perception accuracy emerged. This was in spite of the fact that male and female leaders were perceived to be equally effective by their raters.Practical/managerial implications: The implications of women leaders' inaccurate self-perceptions on their career progression and the design of leadership development programmes aimed at improving gender disparity are discussed. Contribution/value-add:This study contributes to scientific knowledge regarding the factors that contribute to the slow advancement of women to senior leadership positions in HEIs.

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