Race and gender effects on leadership perceptions

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of differences in the gender and racial identity of students on the perceived leader skill, motivation to lead, and leadership self-efficacy of themselves and other students with whom they collaborate in formal student organizations. The study investigated members of student organizations of a large, public, Midwestern research university. Results indicated strong positive ratings of male leaders by men in leadership self-efficacy and positive ratings of women leaders by women in leader skill and aspects of motivation to lead. Findings suggested that women representation in leadership positions will likely continue to rise in the future. The study also found that Asian Americans consistently rated themselves and others significantly lower in leadership scores compared to White individuals