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Concepts of creative leadership of women leaders in 21st century

    Claude-Hélène Mayer   Affiliation
    ; Rudolf M. Oosthuizen   Affiliation

Abstract

This article presents the subjective perspectives of women leaders working in higher education institutions in the 21st century in South Africa. It focuses in particular on creativity as demonstrated by women leaders working in culturally and gender diverse post-apartheid settings. The aim is to contribute to the discourse on the creativity of women leaders from diverse cultural backgrounds within South Africa higher education institutions by examining how women leaders experience creativity and what creativity means to them from a qualitative perspective. The study reported on assessed the experiences of creativity of 23 women leaders and their views on creativity and creative leadership by means of a research paradigm based on Wilhelm Dilthey’s modern hermeneutics. It used qualitative research methods, such as semi-structured interviews, as well as observations within one selected higher education institution. Data was analysed by means of content analysis. Quality research criteria and ethical considerations were upheld. The findings highlight the creative skills and attitudes of women leaders underlying successful leadership and the types of creative leadership applied. They suggest that women leaders’ creativity manifests in facilitating creativity in higher education institutions by fostering the creativity of others rather than directing their own creative vision through or integrating it in the work of employees.

Article in English.


XXI amžiaus kūrybinės moterų lyderystės koncepcijos

Santrauka

Šiame straipsnyje pristatomos subjektyvios moterų lyderių, XXI a. dirbančių aukštojo mokslo institucijose, perspektyvos Pietų Afrikoje. Čia ypač daug dėmesio skiriama kūrybiškumui, kurį rodo moterys lyderės, dirbančios kultūros ir lyties požiūriu įvairioje postapartheido aplinkoje. Tikslas – prisidėti prie skirtingos kultūrinės kilmės moterų lyderių, dirbančių Pietų Afrikos aukštojo mokslo institucijose, kūrybiškumo diskurso, tiriant, kokia yra moterų lyderių kūrybiškumo patirtis ir tai, ką joms reiškia kūrybiškumas kokybiniu požiūriu. Tyrime pateiktas 23 moterų lyderių kūrybiškumo patirčių bei jų požiūrių į kūrybiškumą ir kūrybinę lyderystę įvertinimas, parengtas pasitelkiant tyrimų paradigmą, kurios pagrindą sudaro Wilhelmo Dilthey’aus modernioji hermeneutika. Buvo taikyti kokybiniai tyrimų metodai, tokie kaip pusiau struktūruotais interviu, taip pat stebėjimais vienoje pasirinktoje aukštojo mokslo institucijoje. Duomenys buvo nagrinėjami turinio analizės metodu. Buvo vadovaujamasi kokybinių tyrimų kriterijais ir laikomasi etinių nusistatymų. Rezultatai atskleidžia moterų lyderių kūrybinius gebėjimus ir nuostatas, pagrindžiančias sėkmės lydimą lyderystę ir vyraujančius kūrybinės lyderystės tipus. Jie parodo, kad moterų lyderių kūrybiškumas atsiskleidžia palankiomis kūrybiškumui sąlygomis aukštojo mokslo institucijose, puoselėjant kitų kūrybiškumą ar integruojant jį į darbuotojų atliekamą darbą, o ne kreipiant jų pačių kūrybinę viziją.

Reikšminiai žodžiai: darbo vieta XXI a., kūrybinės strategijos, kūrybiškumas, įvairovė, aukštasis mokslas, psichinė sveikata, moterys lyderės.

Keyword : 21st century workplace, creative strategies, creativity, diversity, higher education, mental health, women leaders

How to Cite
Mayer, C.-H., & Oosthuizen, R. M. (2020). Concepts of creative leadership of women leaders in 21st century. Creativity Studies, 13(1), 21-40. https://doi.org/10.3846/cs.2020.10267
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