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In:Identity Struggles: Evidence from workplaces around the world
Edited by Dorien Van De Mieroop and Stephanie Schnurr
[Discourse Approaches to Politics, Society and Culture 69] 2017
► pp. 21–38

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Chapter 2
Coping with uncertainty

Gender and leadership identities in UK corporate life

Published online: 26 April 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.69.02bax
Abstract
Within corporate contexts, senior leaders must construct credible leadership identities if they are to demonstrate effectiveness in achieving business goals. This is a particular challenge for women, who have struggled historically to gain senior leadership positions. This chapter explores the identity struggles experienced by Karen, a woman Human Resources director within a management meeting as she delivers bad news about ‘company restructuring’ to her colleagues. Using Feminist Poststructuralist Discourse Analysis (FPDA), I show how this leader struggles to maintain a professionally competent identity as she negotiates the bad news. The analysis reveals that despite the demands of her role, Karen demonstrates extraordinary linguistic competence in managing her team within a turbulent business world that continues to remain inhospitable to female leaders.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Women in leadership
  • A case study of Karen: A woman business leader
  • The analysis
    • Denotative analysis
    • Connotative analysis
  • Identity struggles in women’s leadership
  • Note
  • References
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Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Al-Khulaif, Afra & Dorien Van De Mieroop
2022. Beyond dichotomies. Gender and Language 16:2 ► pp. 149 ff. DOI logo

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