ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AS A DETERMINANT OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: This paper examines the role of strategic organizational culture in shaping women’s leadership effectiveness within institutional settings, with particular focus on cooperative financial organizations. The study seeks to move beyond the emphasis on representation to explore how cultural dynamics influence leadership participation.
METHODS: The study adopts a systematic literature review approach guided by the PRISMA framework. Relevant literature was sourced from major academic databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, as well as institutional reports. The review synthesizes both theoretical and empirical studies aligned to organizational culture and women’s leadership effectiveness.
FINDINGS: The review establishes that inclusive and participatory organizational cultures significantly enhance women’s leadership effectiveness by promoting legitimacy, trust, and access to strategic decision-making processes. In contrast, hierarchical and exclusionary cultures constrain leadership authority and limit effectiveness, even where formal gender-inclusive policies exist. The findings further indicate that organizational culture interacts with governance structures and institutional frameworks to shape leadership outcomes.
CONCLUSION: Strategic organizational culture emerges as a critical determinant of women’s leadership effectiveness. Nonetheless, existing literature remains fragmented, with limited focus on cooperative institutions and insufficient integration of cultural and institutional dynamics. This underscores the need for more context-specific and analytically robust studies.
RECOMMENDATION: Organizations should prioritize the development of inclusive cultures that support equitable leadership participation. Policy frameworks should be reinforced through cultural transformation initiatives, and leadership development programs should be aligned with organizational culture.
Keywords: Strategic organizational culture, women’s leadership effectiveness, organizational culture, gender and leadership, cooperative governance, SACCOs, institutional factors
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