Gender and leadership in FM : a view from the top

Background and aim: Leadership and gender is often an emotive subject with each gender picking sides to support their view of what should be obtainable in their industry, and proffering reasons for perceived advancement or a lack thereof. The service industry and facilities management is not exempt from this practice; therefore the aim of this study is to understand the perception of women in leadership positions in facilities management and the enablers and barriers to their career progression; and also the potential impact of mentoring early career females in the industry.

Methods /methodology: We adopted an interpretivist and inductive approach through qualitative emailed survey questions to 12 participants. The participants were all mid to senior level female professionals from the facilities management sector.

Results: The results evidenced the need for a more focused recruitment and development pathway for women starting in FM and also in terms of career progression. There was a need to be resilient as a woman in the industry, but to remain empathic, and authentic in their leadership. The use of mentoring for early career women new into the industry was seen as important but also to continue that mentoring through mid-career to help break the glass ceiling in organisations, and to ensure the mentoring taken was positive, and provided ongoing support for development. Finally, the other way women built their own self-esteem and earned respect within the industry was through gaining academic and professional qualifications.

Originality/value: While there are several studies on gender and leadership, this study focuses on the service industry with an emphasis on Facilities Management and the use of mentoring to support women in overcoming the issues that arise as a result of their gender.

Practical or social implications: The reality of where women are in the service industry, especially facilities management is different from the perception of stakeholders; both external and internal. Emphasis should be made to celebrate the achievements that could attract and retain qualified experts regardless of gender.