Reconciling Conflicts

Abstract

This article examines the life stories of women leaders in the People's Republic of China, particularly their paths to leadership, in the context of sociohistorical changes that have unfolded in China since the late 1970s. It illustrates how women developed their attitudes toward leadership roles and their unique leadership style. By unveiling the dynamic interplay between culture and institutional factors presented by social change, the authors argue that the choices these women leaders made were shaped by their continual efforts to reconcile conflicting roles arising from two axes: the "expertofficial" and the "private-public" dichotomies. The article concludes with an urgent call to policymakers to protect the rights of Chinese women by developing a workplace policy that promotes gender equality at the top of the political pyramid. Such a policy would take into consideration the inherent frictions and dilemmas experienced by Chinese women leaders.

Women Leaders in China

“…Engaging leadership also works particularly well in the contemporary workplace where younger employees in China care more about autonomy in their work than their parents' generation (S. Liu, 2013). In this sense, women's unique feminine traits can be a great advantage to them as leaders (Tsang et al, 2011). The Chinese women's leadership style and practices are conditioned by the unique cultural norms of the workplace in China.…”

“…For example, gender influenced how the women leaders weighed career and family (Wang, 1999), handled work and family conflicts (Ngo & Lui, 1999), viewed power and status (Woo et al, 2001), as well as lower pay they received than men (Lam et al, 2013;Xiu & Gunderson, 2014). In addition, researchers found that overall, compared with men, the women leaders, particularly in the public sector, appeared to have lower motivation in career progression (Tsang et al, 2011) and tended to regard middle management positions as a comfort zone for work-life balance (S. Liu, 2013). Furthermore, the women leaders often chose traditional, feminine occupations (Leung & Clegg, 2001), easily accepted gendered roles (Cooke, 2003), or were simply given "feminized" positions" (Leung, 2002, p. 610),…”

“…This approach is unique to the Chinese political context. More recently, the women university leaders interviewed by Tsang et al (2011) reported that seeking university education was critical as it prepared them for their ascendency to power. S. Liu (2013) found that all the senior executives he interviewed invested heavily in continuous self-initiated learning activities (e.g., formal education or professional certifications).…”

“…These learning experiences equipped women with competency they needed to effectively perform their job duties, thus enhancing their legitimacy as leaders in their organizations. They also expanded women's networks and opened the door to new career opportunities (Tsang et al, 2011).…”

“…In some studies, the female participants associated socialization with a gender disadvantage. For example, the women university leaders in Tsang et al's (2011) study identified the male-dominate bonding and socializing as particularly unfavorable for women's advancement. They explained that drinking together, enhancing friendships after work, or visiting male superiors at home were the privilege of their male counterparts, because women's participation in such activities would be considered as against social norms, thus putting the women at risk of unfavorable allegations (e.g., women used their gender roles to seek career advancement).…”