Abstract
How is it possible to survive as a woman senior leader in the gendered managerial academy? In this autoethnographical article, I illustrate the lived reality, insecurity and struggle of academic leadership. Drawing from three vignettes, I discuss decision-making processes, blatant sexist aggressions, and the problematic negation of affect and personal life. Their critical contribution is to expose the consequences of gendered managerialism in the neo-liberal academy and the false promise of ‘leadership’, in which women continue to experience gender challenges, sexism, and the risk of burnout in their everyday experiences. However, I also show how it is possible to counter the detrimental effects of gendered managerialism through four forms of resistance: resistance through embodied affective authenticity; resistance through solidarities and social relations with others; resistance through feminist activism; and resistance by stepping back.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2286-2302 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Gender, Work & Organization |
Volume | 31 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 30 Apr 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2024 |
Keywords
- academia
- affect
- autoethnography
- body
- emotion
- feminism
- gender
- leadership
- managerialism
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion keywords
- Gender Equality