Profiles of “successful managers” held by male and female banking managers across Europe

Abstract

Personal conceptions of what constitutes a “successful manager” are important, as they influence an individual’s personal development and subsequent careers. This study investigates profiles of “successful managers” held by male and female managers working in ten European banks operating in Luxembourg. Respondents completed the personality attributes questionnaire (PAQ) and took part in semi‐structured interviews. Results are presented from the 66 managers as a group, and by gender. Next, responses are considered from individuals within three of those banks, chosen by position of the owning/originating country on Hofstede’s masculinity/femininity scale, to see whether differences in perceived successful leadership styles exist between the banks in accordance with Hofstede’s research. Results indicated that gender differences were more significant than nationality of the bank in determining perceptions of “the successful manager”.