Le style de gestion des hommes et des femmes: convergence ou divergence?
Authors: Rinfret Natalie , Lortie‐Lussier Monique 
Published: March 2008

Sommaire: Bien que le modele masculin de la gestion soit encore la norme, il cons‐titue un obstacle au leadership efficace. En effet, l'adaptation aux changements structurels que connaissent les organisations exige un changement de leur culture, misant davantage sur l'ecoute d'autrui, l'intuition, l'empathie, la flexibility, qualites qui sont traditionnellement pratiquees par les femmes. La reorientation des modeles de gestion et l'augmentation du nombre des femmes dans les postes de direction donnent‐ils l'occasion aux femmes d'exercer leurs fonctions sans avoir a se deguiser psychologiquement en hommes? Ces conditions leur ont‐elles permis de changer la culture organisationnelle en y introduisant des facons de faire qui tiennent mieux compte des facteurs humains? Les hommes ont‐ils et eux‐memes influences en ce sens? Pour repondre a ces questions, un questionnaire mesurant les styles de gestion et les caracteristiques manageriales a ete complete par 398 gestionnaires de la fonc‐tion publique quebecoise (230 hommes et 168 femmes). Les resultats montrent que comparativement a leurs collegues masculins, les femmes utilisent davantage des styles de gestion faisant appel aux ressources humaines, a la cohesion et a la vulnerability, conformement aux hypotheses. Mais, contrairement aux hypotheses, elles recourent davantage au pouvoir et aux normes. Elles utilisent done plus que les hommes des styles de gestion masculins et feminins. De plus, elles s'attribuent plus de caracteristiques manageriales masculines et feminines que leurs collegues masculins. Par ailleurs, les gestionnaires des deux sexes s'attribuent davantage de caracteristiques manageriales feminines que masculines, ce qui suggere que des changements se produisent dans la culture organisationnelle.Abstract: Although the traditional masculine model of management is still the norm, it is criticized as impairing effective leadership. Adaptation to structural changes actually taking place in organizations requires a significant shift in their culture towards valuing and using talents such as intuition, empathy, flexibility and caring that women have been socialized to develop. In view of this reorientation of management skills and of the increase in the number of women holding managerial positions, are women now allowed to perform their functions as women, without having to imitate men? Do women have the opportunity to contribute to organizational change by developing practices more sensitive to humane factors? Finally, have men been influenced by women's ways of managing? These issues were addressed in a survey conducted with 398 respondents from the Quebec public service (230 men and 168 women). A questionnaire measured preferred managerial styles and self‐attributed psychological characteristics. Results revealed that, as predicted, women's managerial style emphasized human resources, cohesion and vulnerability. However, contrary to predictions, women used power, norms and procedures to a greater extent than men did. Their managerial style thus combines feminine and masculine features. Moreover, women reported having more feminine and masculine psychological characteristics than did men. But, overall, feminine characteristics were self‐attributed by both males and females, suggesting emerging changes in organizational culture.