Is there room for women? Male managers' experiences of gendered collaborative leadership in organizational life

Purpose This study critiques the existing leadership literature for oversimplifying organizational leadership by predominantly focusing on Western contexts. To address this limitation, we explore collaborative leadership within Pakistani organizational life – particularly in the higher education sector – through the under-researched perspective of male managers who have the authority to determine whether women, a historically marginalized group in Pakistan, are included in leadership collaboration. The research question guiding this study is: What decision-making strategies do male managers in Pakistani higher education institutions consider appropriate for addressing the dilemma related to women's participation in collaborative leadership? Design/methodology/approach Nineteen interviews were conducted with managers from two higher education institutions. The empirical data, capturing detailed real-life experiences, were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings The findings reveal a range of decision-making strategies employed by male managers, spanning from resistance to conditional acceptance. These strategies are categorized as patriarchal, withdrawal, and mentoring. Top-level male managers, in particular, emerge as key influencers in shaping the extent to which women are able to collaborate with men in leadership roles. Research limitations/implications This study focuses solely on higher education organizations within the Pakistani sociocultural context. Further research is needed to explore the topic in other settings. Originality/value Moving beyond traditional research on women's leadership and comparative gender analyses, this study offers in-depth insights into the interplay of gender, culture, and leadership, providing a context-sensitive lens on this dynamic.