Equality by Design: A Management Operating Model for Executive Leadership

Authors

  • Camila Saenz College of Management, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan.
  • Shih-Wei Wu Department of Business Management, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6529-1900
  • Shu-Chuan Chen * College of Management and Design, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei, Taiwan. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4017-8635

https://doi.org/10.22105/masi.v3i1.97

Abstract

This research proposes a practical operating model for achieving executive-level gender equality by redesigning how leadership is produced—through governance, talent systems, meeting architecture, and work design—rather than relying on awareness programs alone. We diagnose failure modes in current practice (opaque criteria, network-driven assignments, weak sponsorship, and unpredictable collaboration norms) and translate them into levers via six design principles: clarity, comparability, contestability, proportionality of risk, predictability, and stewardship. Building on these principles, we introduce text-first managerial tools (decision rubrics, meeting compacts, sponsorship diaries, role design canvases, and narrative reviews) and a staged implementation roadmap (mobilize, build, scale, sustain, evolve) with ethical guardrails to avoid tokenism and “glass-cliff” appointments. The approach privileges qualitative evidence that travels across units, enabling credible change without heavy analytics infrastructure. The expected outcomes are improved decision quality and trust in forums, visible rotations into power roles, and durable equality as a property of the leadership system. This work contributes a unified framework, ready-to-use artifacts, and an evaluation approach grounded in process integrity—offering executives a coherent path from aspiration to operating discipline.

Keywords:

Gender equality, Executive leadership, Sponsorship, Role architecture, Psychological safety, Fair process

References

  1. [1] Eagly, A. H., Carli, L. L., & Carli, L. L. (2007). Through the labyrinth: The truth about how women become leaders (Vol. 11). Harvard Business School Press Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1108/gm.2009.05324aae.001/full/html
  2. [2] Ridgeway, C. L., & Correll, S. J. (2004). Unpacking the gender system: A theoretical perspective on gender beliefs and social relations. Gender & society, 18(4), 510–531. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243204265269
  3. [3] Acker, J. (1990). Hierarchies, jobs, bodies: A theory of gendered organizations. Gender & society, 4(2), 139–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/089124390004002002
  4. [4] Halliday, C. S., Treviño, L. K., & Morrison, E. W. (2019). Gender equality and female board representation: A cross-national meta-analysis. Journal of organizational behavior, 40(4), 463–482. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2345
  5. [5] Mahdi Abaker, M. O. S., Patterson, H. L., & Cho, B. Y. (2023). Gender managerial obstacles in private organizations: the UAE case. Gender in management: An international journal, 38(4), 454–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.045
  6. [6] Kaftandzieva, M., & Nakov, A. (2021). Barriers to women’s leadership in North Macedonia’s finance sector. Journal of economic development, 46(2), 101–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-020-00431-5
  7. [7] Desender, K. A., LópezPuertas-Lamy, M., Pattitoni, P., & Petracci, B. (2020). Corporate social responsibility and cost of financing—The importance of the international corporate governance system. Corporate governance: An international review, 28(3), 207–234. https://doi.org/10.1111/corg.12312
  8. [8] Bonet, R., Cappelli, P., & Hamori, M. (2020). Gender inequality in leadership advancement: Evidence from Fortune 100 companies. Academy of management journal, 63(2), 509–532. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2018.0231
  9. [9] Attah-Boakye, R., Adams, K., & Owusu-Ansah, W. (2021). Gender diversity and corporate innovation in emerging economies: A multi-theoretical perspective. International business review, 30(3), 101789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.101789
  10. [10] Wu, J., Richard, O. C., Triana, M. D. C., & Zhang, X. (2022). The performance impact of gender diversity in the top management team and board of directors: A multiteam systems approach. Human resource management, 61(2), 157–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22050
  11. [11] Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. Jossey-Bass. https://library.megu.edu.ua:9443/jspui/bitstream/123456789/4900/1/2010.pdf
  12. [12] Padavic, I., Ely, R. J., & Reid, E. M. (2020). Explaining the persistence of gender inequality: The work–family narrative as a social defense. Administrative science quarterly, 65(1), 61–111. https://doi.org/10.1177/0001839219832310
  13. [13] Ibarra, H., Carter, N. M., & Silva, C. (2010). Why men still get more promotions than women. Harvard business review, 88(9), 80–85. https://www.bio.org/sites/default/files/2024-05/why_men_still_get_more_promotions_than_women_hbr_article.pdf
  14. [14] Cotter, D. A., Hermsen, J. M., Ovadia, S., & Vanneman, R. (2001). The glass ceiling effect. Social forces, 80(2), 655–671. https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.2001.0091
  15. [15] Allen, T. D., Johnson, R. C., Kiburz, K. M., & Shockley, K. M. (2013). Work–family conflict and flexible work arrangements: Deconstructing flexibility. Personnel psychology, 66(2), 345–376. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12012
  16. [16] Homan, A. C., Gündemir, S., Buengeler, C., & Kleef, G. A. van. (2020). Leading diversity: Towards a theory of functional leadership in diverse teams. Journal of applied psychology, 105(10), 1101–1120. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000474
  17. [17] Decuypere, A., & Schaufeli, W. (2020). Leadership and work engagement: Exploring explanatory mechanisms. German journal of human resource management, 34(1), 69–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/2397002219892197
  18. [18] Nguyen, N. P., Hang, N. T. T., Hiep, N., & Flynn, O. (2023). Does transformational leadership influence organisational culture and performance? IIMB management review, 35(4), 382–392.
  19. [19] Liao, L., & Luo, M. (2021). Education and attitudes toward women in leadership: Evidence from East Asia. Journal of asian studies, 80(2), 617–635. https://doi.org/10.1017/S002191182000198X
  20. [20] Naghavi, N., Sharif, S. P., & Hussain, H. I. (2021). The role of national culture in the impact of board gender diversity on firm performance: Evidence from a multi-country study. Equality, diversity and inclusion, 40(5), 631–650. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-02-2020-0038
  21. [21] R. J. Ely, Ibarra, H., & Kolb, D. M. (2011). Taking gender into account: Theory and design for women’s leadership development programs. Academy of management learning & education, 10(3), 474–493. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2010.0046

Downloads

Published

2026-03-20

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): Management Analytics and Social Insights (MASI)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Saenz, C. ., Wu, S.-W. ., & Chen, S.-C. . (2026). Equality by Design: A Management Operating Model for Executive Leadership. Management Analytics and Social Insights, 3(1), 57-70. https://doi.org/10.22105/masi.v3i1.97

Similar Articles

11-20 of 28

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.