Role perceptions, personal traits, lifestyles and leadership: An empirical study of American, Japanese, and Taiwanese female managers

The major purposes of this study were to evaluate similarities and differences between female managers of different nationalities in terms of role perceptions, personal traits, lifestyles, leadership style and leadership performance, and to identify relationships among these constructs. Through a survey of female managers in Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, we concluded that American, Japanese, and Taiwanese female managers had significantly different perceptions concerning roles, personal traits, lifestyles, and leadership behavior. American female managers tended to be more independent, more aggressive, more social, and more practical. Japanese female managers tended to be more dependent, less aggressive and more work-oriented. Taiwanese female managers tended to be more conservative, with a traditional family and gender role orientation. We found the greatest similarity among the managers on issues of lifestyle, such as social and leisure activities and the importance of thriftiness and a practical orientation. We also found that while there were differences in the relative importance of work as compared to other roles (such as their role in the family), none of the three groups felt that their work role was the most important.