To what extent does gender influence communication style concerning decision-making in a
managerial position?
Course: Project Qualitative Research Methods and Analysis
Teacher: Dr. Almasa Sarabi
Anna De Jonghe (student ID: 14948990)
Luka Arnolds (student ID: 14943956)
Ha Bui (student ID: 14954958)
Chelba Vlad (student ID: 14942089)
Matilde Derudas (student ID: 14958856)
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Abstract
The objective of this paper is to investigate the research gap between three key elements
which are ethical decision-making, communication style, and gender. A qualitative research
approach was used in the form of semi-structured interviews in order to get insight into how the
mentioned elements interact with one another. Five different interviews were conducted with
well-respected managers or ex-managers who reflected on their own experiences in areas such as
communication style and ethical decision-making as women. Later on, these interviews were
fully processed and coded in order to find a pattern in the material. The key finding of this study
is that despite differences in cultures, the participants valued a straightforward and direct
communication style while maintaining ethics.
Introduction
In the contemporary business world, effective communication stands as a process
essential for organizational achievements. As highlighted by Kalogiannidis (2020), efficient
communication not only fosters organizational management and improves employee
commitment but also contributes to the profitability and overall performance of enterprises,
therefore, possessing proficient communication skills is foundational to improving performance
and business growth, given the fact that effective communication has a key role in cultivating
teamwork and increasing employee performance, while ineffective communication strategies
threaten employee productivity and corporation’s performance (Kalogiannidis, S., 2020).
Moreover, emphasizing today's inclusivity and diversity inside organizations, it becomes
extremely important to explore the way gender influences communication styles within
decision-making processes, particularly considering the importance of effective communication.
Indeed, gender can impact the way in which individuals express, interpret, and implement
decisions within managerial roles.
It is documented that men and women might adopt distinct communication approaches.
For instance, men typically adhere to communication patterns that tend to be honest, direct, and
factual, prioritizing logical reasoning and factual information exchange, which reflects a
competitive orientation, focused on solving problems and avoiding personal topics. On the other
hand, women tend to avoid direct and threatening communication and focus on building a
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connection before accomplishing a task. They try to communicate in a more indirect and
respectful way focusing on nurturing skills (Mohindra and Azhar, 2017).
These variations in the way of communicating can significantly give a shape on
managerial decision-making, affecting the way decisions are formulated, communicated, and
implemented within the organization. For this reason, it is practically important to comprehend
these differences in managerial communication styles since effective communication of
decisions is crucial for the firm’s functioning and employee’s job execution.
Historically, traditional leadership roles have usually been associated with men, and
despite progress in the increased representation of women in corporate positions, it remains hard
to reach equality. Women remain in fact underrepresented across most of the organizational
levels (Huang et al., 2019). The concept of a “broken rung” illustrates with a metaphor the
obstacle that women, when they try to advance in managerial roles, encounter and make them
stay in lower positions. All of this is due to cultural issues that pervade many workplaces
(Ramakrishnan, 2024). This phenomenon depicts the disparity that according to Huang et al.
(2019), for every 100 men promoted and hired to manager positions, only 72 women achieve the
same status.
It is possible to partly attribute women’s underrepresentation’s cause to gender
stereotypes which favor masculine communication styles in leadership, such as boldness and
directness, with the risk of not valuing enough women’s communication styles within managerial
roles. This is an additional reason why it is so important to explore the differences in
communication styles and the way they affect leadership and its effectiveness and
decision-making ethics so that organizations have the potential to create more equitable
opportunities for women in managerial roles. By recognizing and using diverse communication
styles, it will be possible to slowly eliminate the barriers that women encounter.
Additionally, exploring how managers communicate decisions is also crucial in order to
understand its impact on the perception of fairness and ethics within the organization.
Indeed, ethical decision-making, which is explained by Banks et al. (2022) is the process in
which one considers all the alternatives of “what is right versus wrong” conduct, judging ethical
matters by considering particular moral principles and standards based on specific values, is in
fact another important aspect of the process of making decisions since it has been recognized as
critical for organizations (Banks et al., 2022).
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Following this prospect, communication styles associated with women such as inclusivity
and openness (Mohindra and Azhar, 2017), may foster a more participatory environment in the
decision-making process. They might be better at considering different perspectives and ending
up with more equitable outcomes, while communication traits often associated with male
managers such as directness (Mohindra and Azhar, 2017), might accelerate decision-making but
with the risk of missing critical details and stakeholder perspectives. It is in this way that
communication styles can be connected to ethical decision-making, and understanding more
deeply these differences makes it possible to improve managerial communication by fostering
ethical decision-making in order to cultivate a culture of trust and inclusion within the company.
While existing literature acknowledges gender differences in communication styles, it
still seems to lack a focused exploration of how these differences specifically impact
decision-making and ethics in managerial contexts. In this study this gap has been addressed by
the investigation of the question: “To what extent does gender influence communication style
concerning decision-making in a managerial position?”. With the examination of these dynamics,
the study wants to explore the way in which different communication styles associated with
different genders influence the formulation and implementation of decisions, highlighting their
implications for ethical decision-making.
Semi-structured interviews with managers from various organizations are conducted to
address the research question, providing a detailed exploration of personal experiences and
perceptions. Therefore the study, designed as qualitative research, utilizes interviews as an
analytical tool, offering comprehensive and in-depth data that quantitative methods may
overlook. Given the individual and contextual uniqueness of communication styles, qualitative
methods are ideal for examining such complex social phenomena. The inherent flexibility of
qualitative approaches is crucial when exploring the complex relationship between
communication styles, ethical implications, and gender’s impact on decision-making.
Theoretical Framework
As one of the main concepts of this paper is ethical decision making it is crucial to
indicate a definition for it. Ethics refers to a legal and social obligation to the stakeholders
relevant to one’s organization. Stakeholders include everyone that is affected by the organization,
thus coworkers, managers, subordinates, etc.
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One study examined ethical decisions from two perspectives, one being the willingness to
behave unethically and the other being the perceptions and judgments about an ethical situation
(Roxas & Stoneback, 2004). This study was conducted in eight countries including the U.S.A.,
Australia, the Philippines, Germany, Ukraine, Canada, China, and Thailand, thus it had a wider
perspective concerning the cultural differences as well. It concluded that while men tend to be
less ethical in the U.S.A., Australia, the Philippines, Germany, and Ukraine, women are more
likely to make unethical decisions in countries including Canada, China, and Thailand (Roxas &
Stoneback, 2004). Therefore it can be concluded that there is no clear correlation between gender
and ethical decision making without the consideration of other factors such as culture, economic
well-being, and so on. Yet it can be argued that the countries within the region of Europe tend to
indicate a more ethical perspective from women, while male participants from countries in Asia
are more likely to be more ethical than women. Therefore it is suggested that culture plays a
significant role in the development of ethics.
There are also multiple studies that suggest that women tend to be more ethical than men
in a business environment. One of them was conducted by Valentine and Rittenburg which used
MANCOVA which is a multivariable analysis method to examine this hypothesis in the U.S.A.
and Spain. They used a three-dimensional approach to address ethics. It included ethical
judgment, ethical intention, and moral equity. Ethical judgment is the ability to make a morally
right decision in a given situation (Valentine & Rittenburg, 2006). Ethical intention suggests that
the main objective of an individual is to act ethically right. And moral equality refers to the idea
of treating everyone fairly and equally (Valentine & Rittenburg, 2006). The study's findings
showed that women are generally more ethical than men when it comes to ethical intention and
ethical judgment. They showed a more significant commitment to be ethical in certain business
situations and to maintain an ethically right approach in business while being conscious of their
surroundings. On the other hand, there were no significant differences between genders in the
moral equity factor (Valentine & Rittenburg, 2006). This suggests that the values of treating
everyone fairly and right are the same between the two genders. These findings suggest that
women might put their values of ethics in front of personal achievements, thus having an overall
more moral approach. While men may have a stronger tendency to act in ways that are motivated
by success, which can potentially result in moral compromises, yet it doesn’t affect the way they
interact with their colleagues.
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Concerning the difference between gender and communication style a study by Krisztina
Timko (2017) conducted a lab experiment where they investigated gender differences in the
communication styles of randomly selected leaders using a turnaround game (Timko, 2017).
They concluded that women tend to treat their employees more equally while men tend to have a
more assertive communication style suggesting that they tend to assert power over their
associates (Timko, 2017). Thus suggesting that women are more likely to develop a more
supporting and open communication style. Even though they have found a significant difference
between the gender’s communication styles, they also highlighted that it didn’t restrict them
from developing a transformational leadership style (Timko, 2017). The key values of
transformational leadership are genuineness, brightness, trustworthiness, and a forward-looking
and proactive nature (Manggai et al., 2019). This suggests that the difference between
communication styles should not affect the ethical decision-making dimension due to the fact
that it doesn’t prohibit a person from developing the leadership skills that make them morally
right. In conclusion, the study suggests that even though there are advantages and disadvantages
to each communication style the objective shouldn’t be to differentiate them, as they are both
ethically right, but to exploit the benefits of them. Thus further suggesting that the difference in
communication styles between the two genders does not impact their ability to act ethically right
decisions.
Another study that was conducted by Merchant further looked at the difference in
communication styles and their impact between the two genders. It was concluded that the main
difference is that men tend to have a more dominant task-oriented approach, suggesting that their
main priority is to complete the task and be successful while potentially ignoring other
environmental factors (Merchant, 2012). In the study the common communication style in
women was presented as more “relationship-oriented”, therefore suggesting that they are more
likely to involve other individuals in their decision making which can lead to potentially being
more inclusive and ethical. In conclusion, the main difference is that while men tend to be more
assertive, women are more considerate, which can significantly impact the way their colleagues
see them as leaders (Merchant, 2012). It was also written that in a stressful situation, the two
genders typically choose a different coping mechanism. As the author described “Men go to their
caves and women talk”, this suggests that men tend to close all communication channels while
women rely on them in order to process an ongoing stressful situation (Merchant, 2012). In other
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words, as women tend to look for empathy in a certain situation, men are more likely to
immediately focus on resolving the issue, creating a clash between the two genders. This could
indicate that women might be more ethical in the sense that women are more likely to choose a
more open communication style, thus further strengthening the claim that they are more inclusive
in their decision-making approach. Suggesting that the inclusion that the subordinates might
experience due to a woman leader can further motivate them to do the same and be insightful and
share their ideas more freely as well. Yet it can also indicate that women might be less proactive
in certain stressful situations which can be translated to their subordinates as inadequate leaders.
While men can be seen as too problem-focused, thus more concerned with solving the issue than
being ethical.
Methods
In this study, we chose to use a qualitative research design to investigate how managers'
gender influences communication style in decision-making. Qualitative research specifically is
best suited for understanding the complex nuances of such a subject. Quantitative measures
would likely overlook the fine distinctions due to their positivist nature. This qualitative
approach is based on interpretivism, which is particularly beneficial to uncover how gender
affects communication style. With exploration as the main objective of this study, we will
uncover and further understand themes, patterns, and relationships that have not been examined
in depth before. This exploratory approach is important given that there is not much research that
covers this exact area. By using a grounded theory approach, data is generated and analyzed
simultaneously to develop a theory. The data are analyzed with a technique called "coding", in
which relevant parts of the data are indicated and labeled. By constant comparison of the newly
collected data with the initial results, the process gradually advances from coding parts of the
data to conceptual categories, and subsequently to conceptual modeling or theory development
(Harry, Sturges & Klingner, 2005). Hence, the theory developed is grounded in the data, which
makes it a more reliable and precise portrayal.
The sample consists of five women managers or ex-managers. Each of them was
handpicked from within the personal networks of the researchers, ensuring ease of access and a
high level of cooperation. This study is limited only to women participants because considering
the size of the sample, a fair comparison would not have been possible between the two genders.
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There were no ethical issues with the process of interviewing. All interviewees have voluntarily
participated in the study and had the possibility to withdraw at any time regardless of the reason.
They were ensured that all data collected would be anonymized and that their responses would
be kept confidential.
Semi-structured interviewing was the method of choice for data collection. In this kind of
interview, there is a predetermined set of questions that ensures uniformity and consistency
across all participants. There is also the benefit of flexibility to explore specific subjects more
in-depth if necessary. To aid exploration, follow-up questions are included in the interview
guidelines. They were not mandatory to be asked, leaving the researchers conducting the
interviews with the choice to inquire if they felt it was significant.
After data collection is completed, the next step in the spiral of analysis is open coding.
Qualitative codes take segments of data apart, name them in concise terms, and propose an
analytic handle to develop abstract ideas for interpreting each segment of data. (Charmaz, 2006:
45). At this step, the transcripts are first broken down into fragments, then a researcher examines
every single one, determines why the fragment is meaningful and assigns codes. A code
essentially summarizes the significant details of the fragment in a few words. Next, codes are
compared with one another and put into different categories. This phase can end when no new
codes are necessary, meaning saturation has occurred. Axial coding is the following step. 'Axial
coding relates categories to subcategories, specifies the properties and dimensions of a category,
and reassembles the data you have fractured during initial coding to give coherence to the
emerging analysis' (Charmaz, 2006: 60). The purpose of axial coding is to determine which
elements in the research are dominant, reorganize the data set, and remove redundant codes.
Selective coding is then initiated. The goal is theory development and in this process, specific
categories are adopted as theoretical concepts. The discovery of relationships between concepts
and also between concepts and new data is a main concern. The outcome is data organized into
coherent, insightful, and applicable theories.
To ensure the quality of the research paper a few measures were taken. By applying a
uniform interview protocol for all participants, the reliability of the data has been improved. The
accuracy and credibility of the findings were enhanced by comparing the interview data with
relevant literature and field notes. Additionally, to make sure that the researchers have correctly
interpreted the topic and to add to the credibility of the research, member validation has been
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used. This process consists of the participants judging the findings and determining if they find
them as correct and accurate, thereby adding another layer of quality control to the study. Finally,
using inter-coder reliability checks has provided better dependability of the study.
Results
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The interviews conducted with female managers have highlighted the importance of an
effective communication style which leads to a positive impact on the organization.
In the conducted interviews a direct communication style was often mentioned as
effective. Being direct, concise, firm, or straightforward in communication was stated 5 times by
our interviewees. On the other hand, our interviews highlighted the importance of adapting
communication style to the context. For instance, interviewee A2 stated: ‘’In other cases, it
depends on the role and the people that you have under your responsibility, so the approach
could be a little bit different and it depends also on what you have to say to the people. So if you
have to say something related to regular work or you have to say something that maybe is not so
good for them, it all depends on the approach that you have.’’ So, direct communication was
frequently preferred, however, an adaptation away from a direct communication style can be
made when the context desires for it. Furthermore, respectful communication was also highly
valued among our interviewees. This includes no yelling, calm communication, and limited use
of unpleasant words in order to optimize communication. For example, interviewee A3 stated: ‘’I
understand there is a lot of emotion with a person, but I always want it to be respectful. I will
always treat people with respect and I expect the same of them. So no yelling’’.
In the conducted interviews the impact of communication styles was thoroughly
discussed. To start, many interviewees stated that they use effective communication styles to
avoid and navigate conflicts. Interviewee A1 stated: ‘’Let it be beautifully laid, do not disturb, do
not offend and people do not judge you. It must be said in such a way that people understand.’’
Showing that a communication style is used in order to avoid conflicts. Additionally, an effective
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communication style was often said to be used to ensure understanding among employees. This
means making sure employees understand the decision that is being made. Interviewee A5
stated: ‘’Then ensure that everyone really understands what we mean while we are
communicating and also strengthen the values of the company’’. Finally using an effective
communication style in order to create a supportive environment was highlighted by female
managers. Interviewee A4 responded: ‘’I listen to them respectfully so they feel comfortable
without any pressure and can be more creative when working’’. This shows how an effective
communication style can lead to a supportive environment that is more comfortable for
employees and can stimulate their creativity.
Additionally, the conducted interviews have highlighted a form of autonomous
decision-making with a focus on balancing the benefits of all stakeholders.
Firstly, the female managers emphasized some considerations when making decisions. To
start a consideration that was emphasized was balancing the benefits of all stakeholders. This
means balancing the good of all persons who have an interest in the company and the decision
being made. Interviewee A4 responded: ‘’Similar to 2 factors I just show you, the company and
the employee. We have to consider the benefit of each of them (stakeholders), because if the
company has profit, other parties related to the company will have the same benefit. So this time,
we can say that we win together’’. This shows the consideration of balancing the benefits of
stakeholders when making a decision. Another consideration that was valued among the female
managers was whether decisions aligned with the company's objectives and values and with the
manager’s own values. For example, interviewee A5 stated: ‘’But somehow it has to always
resonate with the audience and always to highlight the benefit for them and also what values of
the company is representing and we are very much linked and focussing on the values of the
company, what we would like to message or to show everywhere’’. This shows how a decision
aligning with the values of the company is an important consideration for female managers.
Furthermore, the conducted interviews have highlighted the degree of autonomy that
female managers have when making decisions. This is an important topic as the degree of
autonomy that a leader has can affect the degree to which this leader is forced to make ethical
considerations in its decisions. The female managers have stated that they have moderate to high
levels of autonomy when making decisions. Interviewee A3 stated: ‘’I think I'm in charge of the
company in the Netherlands. So for that decision made in the Netherlands, I had quite some
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freedom to do so’’. Interviewee A1 stated: ‘’I advise myself with my partner, together we have
total autonomy, everything is based off of the budget and contract.’’. These quotes show
moderate to high levels of autonomy in decision-making. Although female managers have been
said to experience high levels of autonomy, they still opt to report to their CEO or superior when
faced with difficult decisions. Interviewee A4 responded: ‘’Some difficult decisions related to
big amounts of money or the company policy to customers, in that case I would report to my
superior to ask for his direction’’. So while having high autonomy female managers still prefer to
report to their superiors in difficult cases. Lastly, the conducted interviews have emphasized the
importance of experience in making autonomous decisions. Interviewee A2 stated: ‘’For sure
now I can say that having experience is of course helpful. Maybe at the beginning I was more
afraid to make some decisions and also to communicate this decision to others. Now with the
experience, with many years that I have stayed in the same company, it is easier’’. This shows
how experience can help when making autonomous decisions.
Finally, the conducted interviews have stressed the importance of balancing between
employee wellbeing and the firm’s profit. This includes motivating your employees and looking
after their well-being while also achieving profit. Employees are a vital resource of most
organizations and overly focusing on profit could compromise their wellbeing. Most frequently
the female managers emphasized the importance of their employee well-being, since employee
well-being and economic profit were stated as linked together by the female managers. For
instance, interviewee A3 stated: ‘’Our employees are our most valuable assets we have in the
company. They make the money for us. So they are really, really important to me’’. and
interviewee A4 stated: ‘’ We cannot decide to prefer the company side or the employee side. I
think company and employees are two important factors in decision making. We cannot separate
them because they are closely linked together. Employees benefits are based on the company
benefits, if the company fails and closes down, the employees will lose their job’’. This shows
that profit is hard to realize without motivated employees, and vice versa sufficient profit rates
are important for employee well-being as this determines their wage and job security.
Discussion
The data collected from five female participants indicate that the versatility of
communication styles in different situations is emphasized so as to ensure clarity, and respect and
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stimulate a supportive environment. Additionally, direct and respectful communication styles are
preferred in organizational settings (Appendix). These findings are anticipated, as positive
communication approaches are found to be aligned with female managers (Timko, 2017).
Adaptability in communication is a hallmark in managerial roles, demanding the ability to assess
and evaluate different situations where the tasks' nature, cultural contexts, and organizational
dynamics vary (Nelson & Squires, 2017). This can also be explained by the impact of
multilayered and multifaceted context, omnibus level or discrete level on the process of
leadership and its outcomes. Various types of manager behavior and leadership motives possibly
appear in different forms of organizations (Oc, 2018).
Moreover, direct and straightforward approaches are utilized by the respondents in
communicating with subordinates to assure the quality of communication within workplaces.
Maintaining disciplines is one of the objectives of explicit communication where managers
directly indicate employees’ mistakes or task failure (Appendix). An example in Women and
Leadership illustrates that Directness in communication is one aspect of African female leaders,
demonstrating their assertiveness in presenting opinions and providing feedback (Jean Lau Chin
et al., 2008). It is seen that assertiveness encourages female managers to utilize their influence
which can negotiate conflict and intensify a culture of open dialogue, thus supporting managers
to affirm their value and contribution to the organization (Tjahjana et al., 2024).
The balance between directness and respect in leadership communication is also
suggested by participants (Appendix). Stanford et al. (1995) support this evidence by a model of
female leadership where female managers exhibit high levels of employee involvement together
with entrepreneurial vision, setting effective communication with employees based on mutual
respect. Respectful communication is expressed through the way female managers maintain their
composure to modify misalignment between individuals and stimulate a positive surrounding
(Appendix). Stakeholders may recognize the professionalism and credibility of managers who
can always convey their optimal communication, which enhance stakeholders’ satisfaction and
consolidate the organization-stakeholders partnership (Aakhus & Bzdak, 2015).
It is clear that the positive influence of manager’s emotional intelligence on effective
team dynamics and organization’s resilience is crucial. Female managers employ effective
communication approaches, which motivate constructive outcome on organizational ambience
and enforce working effectiveness to contribute to overall organization’s success.
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The aspect regarding decision-making is also investigated. The participants provided
their opinion and experience in making decisions which have high to moderate autonomy, based
on factors including company’s competency, objectives, stakeholders and ethical consideration
(Appendix). Since the results documented offer a comprehensive viewpoint on decision-making
beyond ethical dimension alone, they are partially expected.
Most female directors prioritize organization’s profitability in determining decisions. Due
to that, available information about the possibility, quality, revenue, etc are taken into
consideration (Appendix). Likewise, a study of Gender and Age differences in Factors
influencing Decision Making shows that monetary value and possible consequences are more
concerned with female decision makers because women can highly perceive constraints relating
to the setting where they make decisions, they consider the decision process to be important and
think logically about related information (De Acedo Baquedano et al., 2007).
Furthermore, the benefits of all stakeholders are also critical components in directing
leaders' actions. It is evident that consideration of stakeholders welfare can improve the
legitimacy and quality of decisions, which possibly leads to more sustainable outcomes
supporting company values and objectives (Deng et al., 2013). Similarly, Wang et al. (2022) also
indicates the female managers’ superior inclination to satisfy all stakeholders demands, showing
that women tend to consider and address stakeholders’ interests, giving more concerns to
stakeholder-oriented values.
The findings also suggest an emphasis on the balance between the company’s profit and
employees in making decisions, which is an instrumental basis for business sustainability
(Appendix). Leaders have to acknowledge that employees’ satisfaction is a long-standing asset
for the organization while profit maximization may only provide monetary benefit in the short
run (Melián-González et al., 2015). Nwaneri (2015) has found that by engaging in Corporate
social responsibility (CSR) which is the organizations’ responsibility to increase the integration
of the employees’ welfare and company development, the company can considerably facilitate
the organizational development and positive profitability.
Noticeably, among those who influence organization's values, employees play a pivotal
role in incorporating organizational ethos (Ashiru et al., 2021)​. Improving staff well-being by
understanding their motivation, using comfortable communication, no working overtime policy,
etc, leaders can foster an environment where creativity is stimulated, company’s performance
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and reputation are enhanced (Krekel et al., 2019). It was found that female leaders tend to be
more transformational, which is the characteristics of encouraging employees’ participation and
empowerment in leadership, stimulating innovation and positive organizational performance
(Eagly et al., 2003).
Notably, an idea of the partiality in hiring practice is documented, revealing the
interviewee’s perspective of the fairness in hiring policy, meanwhile, clarifying the crucial role
of managers’ internal values in determining ethical decision (Appendix). It can be seen that
making ethical decisions not only requires managers’ obligation to moral principle but also
expects their genuine values and comprehensive understanding of ethics. Zhang and Qu (2016)
also indicates the presence of female leadership intensifies the partiality in organization and
mitigates gender-based stereotypes, which demonstrates the professionalism in leadership image,
representing the meritocracy and ethical principle of the organization.
Another ethical aspect of female directors was noticed through one participant’s
perception of their own failure (Appendix). Admitting personal mistakes represents ethical traits
such as accountability, commitment to improvement and sense of self-reflection, emphasizing
responsible leaders are more sensitive to error-related learning and learning from mistakes (Xie,
2020).
One point worth noting is that female managers have moderate to high autonomy in their
decision process (Appendix). According to Kant et al. (1977), rationality gives human reason to
deliberate both sides of a decision. Autonomous philosophical thinking is vital in rationalizing
ethical decisions (Bowen, 2006). Additionally, the participants mentioned that consultation with
superiors is necessary in special cases and the necessity of having experiences is also emphasized
(Appendix). It is apparent that a high autonomy decision process may potentially result in
decisions that are not consistent with companys’ values or ethical standards (Trevino et al.,
2000). Because of that, we assume superiors’ consultation complements autonomous decision
making and manager’s prior experience, supporting managers to make decisions proficiently and
ethically. This dual approach adheres to continuous enhancement, fosters transparency and
accountability.
To conclude, all the findings in this study provide an insight into the dynamics of
communication styles and decision process among female leaders. Depending on the situations,
women modulate various styles to communicate with different stakeholders. Directness and
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respect are mostly employed in communication and balanced with leadership assertive
communication styles. The pragmatic approaches participants choose to communicate indicates
their contextual awareness as well as choice of behavior, reflecting their personal principle and
the values they perceive during leadership experience. Therefore, the communication style of an
effective leader is expected to result in the outcomes that align with ethical standards and
promote ethical practice. This is closely related to the decision process where participants have
to consider different constraints to determine decisions. It can be seen that decision making in a
working setting is not only an act of selecting a choice among various alternatives, but it is also a
cognitive process that requires participants’ broader understanding of ethical values. Leveraging
managers’ internal value, communication styles and decision making can be incorporated to
consolidate an ethical leadership, cultivating moral sound and ethical standards within an
organization.
Although the study has given an overview on female managerial communication style
and decision-making, the effect of each specific scenario on these aspects has not been
thoroughly investigated. Organizational settings diverge across departments, industries, cultures,
etc. Different specific organizational variations can have various communication norms and
decision-making processes, considerably influencing managers’ contextual constraints and
choice of action. (Dabić et al., 2014). Additionally, most participants in the interview are people
within the research team’s network. This can potentially create convenience sampling bias which
transpires when individuals are chosen for researching is available or easy to reach (Trochim et
al., 2015). Since the random selection was not conducted, there is a likelihood of making
sampling errors that members of the population do not have equal chances of participating in the
study. Hence, the application of the findings in this study can be circumscribed to broader cases
(Trochim et al., 2015). Moreover, owing to personal relationships, individuals could give more
desirable answers. It is evident that the credibility and validity of this study are possibly weak
(Trochim et al., 2015).
This paper is a qualitative research employing the method of Grounded theory which
helps simultaneously gain new insights during the iterative procedure of data collection and
analysis. In addition, case study is useful for future research in obtaining a thick description
about the dynamics emerging in a single context (Boeije, 2010). Based on the limitation of
specific context-case understanding of this research, future studies can take advantage of case
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study methodology or the combination of case study and grounded theory to obtain thorough
examination of gender differences regarding communication styles and decision making in
particular organizational scenarios. Likewise, future investigations may have the basis for further
exploration of the context-based effect on managerial communication and decision making, or
gender differences in behaviors within the working settings. Other theoretical questions can also
be raised regarding several topics such as leadership styles, communication approaches,
managerial decision-making, etc.
As communication styles and decision making are crucial in organizational settings, we
will finalize this paper with practical implications for managers in their leadership experience.
Organization’s objectives and values need to be widespread and embraced by every individual
within the organization. Training programs of leadership communication and ethical decision
making should be established in order to improve team collaboration and managerial
effectiveness. Furthermore, effective leadership among managers requires proper management
from their top directors, the mentorship of senior leaders is vital in stimulating cohesive and
integrated leadership vision.
Conclusion
The study aimed to investigate how gender influences communication styles within the
context of managerial decisions and how these differences are reflected on ethical decisions.
What has been found has brought to light the way in which female managers tend to give
importance to direct and respectful communication in order to ensure clarity and a supportive
environment, adapting their communication to the situation. They value balancing assertiveness
and respect in their leadership in order to build a trusting environment with the stakeholders.
Female leaders’ approach to decision making appeared autonomous with a prioritization of the
organization's profitability, and it appeared that they consider ethics in decision making by
managing the equilibrium between financial success and employee satisfaction.
What has been found suggests that it is important for organizations to recognize the value
of different communication styles in order to improve transparency and effectiveness. With the
purpose of accomplishing this, training programs specific for leadership communication and
ethical decision making should be implemented by corporations, so that team collaboration and
organizational performance can be improved, and a culture of trust and inclusivity is fostered.
18
In summary, it is vital to understand the differences in how genders communicate to
intensify the effectiveness of managers and an ethical and inclusive culture within the
organization, which additionally, will lead to a successful future for the firm.
19
Appendix:
Interview guideline:
Can you describe your general approach to decision-making in your managerial role?
Follow-up: Can you please describe your personal communication style (with your
associates) in a short few words or sentences.
Based on your past experiences, how significant do you find the impact of a communication style
on leadership and/or ethical decision making?
Can you please describe a past decision you had to make which was significant for the
organization?
Follow-up: To what extent did you feel responsible to be ethical concerning this specific
decision? Do you believe that the way you communicate your decision was appropriate?
How much autonomy do you have when making a decision?
Follow-up: Are there any guidelines or rules when making a significant decision? Does
your superior affect your decision making in any way?
In a decision making context how do you prioritize the corporation's economic position or rather
the employees well being?
Can you please describe how you prefer to be communicated with in a high intensity situation?
20
21
22
23
24
Interview transcripts and memos:
Interview A1
Interviewer:
Can you describe your general approach to decision-making in your managerial role?
Interviewee:
I advise myself with people from the company, but with different functions, with the accountant,
the lawyer, with a worker, I find out the opinion of each. The decision is made by me, doesn't
mean I follow anyone's opinion, but I have to say that maybe there are nuances I don't see
myself.
Interviewer:
Can you please describe your personal communication style in a few short words or sentences.
25
Interviewee:
I only inform them, decisions are made for the good of the company. In general I just inform
them, I can ask for advice a little bit, but I make the decision.
Interviewer:
Based on your past experiences, how significant do you find the impact of a communication style
on leadership and/or ethical decision making?
Interviewee:
It is very important. Let it be beautifully laid, do not disturb, do not offend and people do not
judge you. It must be said in such a way that people understand.
Interviewer:
Can you please describe a past decision you had to make which was significant for the
organization?
Interviewee:
In a downsizing situation I had to choose the people who stay and somehow communicate to
those who leave why they leave. I felt responsible because I realized it affected their future.
Interviewer:
Do you believe that the way you communicate your decision was appropriate?
Interviewee:
It was a decision that would upset anyone but communicated with care, at least they didn't get
mad at me, they understood why it had to be like this.
Interviewer:
How much autonomy do you have when making a decision?
26
Interviewee:
I advise myself with my partner, together we have total autonomy, everything is based off of the
budget and contract.
Interviewer:
In a decision making context how do you prioritize the corporation's economic position or rather
the employees well being?
Interviewee:
You have to think about the good of your employees, of course in a business you think about
your good. Employees need to be motivated to work for you, and then you have to strive for their
own good, so you can't work if you don't think about the employee's good. The employee comes
to work to make money, not for my sake. Every wheel has to spin, if one doesn't do his job, it
doesn't work . Then, as a leader, I have to take care of the employees.
Interviewer:
Can you please describe how you prefer to be communicated with in a high intensity situation?
Interviewee:
I want it to be respectful, on both sides. You can say anything, even a bad thing, but it has to be
said with respect.
Memo:
The interviewee appeared to be quite tired for the duration of the interview. This might have
been the case due to the conversation taking place late in the day. Because of that, the responses
were quite concise. Furthermore, english wasn’t the first language of the interviewee, which
again would affect the extent of the answers given. Conducting the interview in their first
language potentially could have given better results.
Interview A2
27
Interviewer:
Can you describe your general approach to decision making in your managerial role? So, can you
describe your personal communication style to your colleagues and subordinates?
Interviewee:
Well, generally speaking, I have 11 people under my responsibility, two of them are ladies. They
are quality controllers, so let me say that the approach with the ladies is very direct because they
have to make a simpler operation. And so it's direct and quick dialogue, but it must be clear. So
short sentences if you want, but clear. In other cases, it depends on the role and the people that
you have under your responsibility, so the approach could be a little bit different and it depends
also on what you have to say to the people. So if you have to say something related to regular
work or you have to say something that maybe is not so good for them, it all depends on the
approach that you have.
Interviewer:
So, based on your past experiences, how significant do you find the impact of communication
style on leadership and/or ethical decision making?
Interviewee:
Okay, so the kind of approach is very, very important. I found that also in my company, it
changed from what it was in the beginning, from many years ago till now, because at the
beginning, the top management in our company was old. And we have the habit to say in Italian
“to give lay” (imposing an order). Now the top management is younger,with a similar age to
mine. So the approach changed. The change is that in the past it was a more authoritarian
approach, while now it is more friendly. This is very helpful because it gives you an opportunity
to better understand what they are saying because if the approach is authoritarian as I said before,
sometimes people focus more on the approach rather than on what they say. So, this is what I
think about it.
Interviewer:
28
Could you please describe a past decision that you had to make which was really significant for
the organization? So for example, to what extent did you feel responsible to be ethical
concerning the specific decision? And do you believe that the way you communicated this
decision to your colleagues and subordinates was appropriate?
Interviewee:
Okay, based on my role, I have to communicate something that has a big impact. However, we
are more likely to be working in teams. So when we have to communicate, we have to
communicate together with other people. And so, this communication isn’t direct one-to-one. So
the communication is done in teams, with other people. What is important is I always try to
explain why some decision needs to be taken. And this has to be clear to the people that are
concerned.
Interviewer:
How much autonomy do you have when making a decision? So are there guidelines you have to
follow, or rules when making a decision?
Interviewee:
For sure now I can say that having experience is of course helpful. Maybe at the beginning I was
more afraid to make some decisions and also to communicate this decision to others. Now with
the experience, with many years that I have stayed in the same company, it is easier.
Interviewer:
In a decision making context, how do you prioritize the corporation's economic position or rather
the employees' well-being?
Interviewee:
So let me say that my role has not so much impact looking at it from the economical point of
view. In fact, being a quality manager, my decisions are more related to the product and to the
impact that some defects or some failure would have on the final customer. From an economical
point of view, we have a budget. Each manager has a budget that we have to expect by the year
29
and the economical impact maybe at the end of the year because we have to decide to make some
awards to colleagues that are working for my team.
Interviewer:
And can you describe how you prefer to be communicated with, especially maybe in high
intensity situations?
Interviewee
So, as I was saying, I think that it is necessary to try to be calm also in case of decisions that have
a big impact as they come. And in any case, try to explain and make sure that other people in
front of you are understanding what you are saying because this is not always so clear. Maybe
you suppose that what you are saying is clear but it isn’t always like that. For this you have to go
through a training that is specific for that.
Maybe in my company, those trainings weren’t enough. Communication is for sure very
important.
Memo:
The interviewee participated from a moving vehicle; this represented a source of distraction for
the interviewee, sometimes affecting the flow of the conversation. In fact, there were moments in
which the interviewee paused or failed to hear the interviewer’s questions due to the sounds from
the surroundings.
Additionally, the interviewer’s first language was Italian, while the interview was conducted in
english. For this reason, the responses were pretty concise. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened
if the interviewee was interviewed in their first language and they would have elaborated more
on their answers. Potentially, where the interviewee gave short answers, there could be a further
examination while coding, trying to get a deeper comprehension where responses weren’t fully
articulated due to language issues. The conciseness of the responses may affect the richness of
the data, therefore it is important to understand how a distraction from the surroundings or a
language barrier can influence the collection of data.
Interview A3
30
Interviewer:
Do you have a personal communication style?
Interviewee:
Yes, I think so. I get sometimes feedback from the personnel. I think my communication is
direct, but I try always to be friendly to them. But it is a little bit direct, I think.
Interviewer:
So, based on your past experiences, how significant do you find the impact of communication
style on leadership and/or ethical decision making?
Interviewee:
I always try to get people along with my decisions, but I always will let them know. I give them a
lot of information about the way we have to go within our company. But I always let them know
the decision is made already. So I try to get them to come along with the decision in a friendly
way, I think.
Interviewer:
Can you describe a past decision you had to make which was significant for the organization?
Interviewee:
Yes. We recently are faced with a fusion. Our German and Belgian companies were merged with
the company in the Netherlands. And this decision was made by our CEO. And I was responsible
to communicate this decision and the fusion to the rest of our company. And I tried to reinsure
and comfort our people so much as it was possible, while, again, showing the people that the
decision already was made, but it was really stressful for the people. So I have to use all of my
communication skills to make them feel I'm very comfortable with this fusion.
Interviewer:
So how much autonomy do you have for making a decision? Are there any guidelines or rules
that you have to follow in making a decision?
31
Interviewee:
To a certain extent, I think I'm in charge of the company in the Netherlands. So for that decision
made in the Netherlands, I had quite some freedom to do so. But sometimes when it was a really
important decision, it extended a certain amount of investment. I always consult with my CEO
about this. But for a lot of decision making in the Netherlands, I had quite some freedom.
Interviewer:
So in the decision-making context, when you make decisions, How do you prioritize the
corporation's economic position, or rather the well-being of your employees and the keeping of
your employees?
Interviewee:
Okay, that's a difficult question, I think. Our employees are our most valuable assets we have in
the company. They make the money for us. So they are really, really important to me. But on the
other side, I always have to look after the economic situation of our company. So I have to
balance it all the times. I have to look after the people and I have to look after the economic
situation. And that's a struggle every time.
Interviewer:
Can you please describe how you would prefer to be communicated with in a high-intensity
situation?
Interviewee:
In a high-intensity situation. I understand there is a lot of emotion with a person, but I always
want it to be respectful. I will always treat people with respect and I expect the same of them. So
no yelling.
Memo:
During the interview we experienced some hiccups due to English being the second language of
the interviewee. This small language barrier led to some responses being less elaborated on then
32
the interviewee seemed to want to. During the question about balancing employee wellbeing and
the firm's economic position the interviewee exhaled quite loud and responded that it was a
difficult question. This response was only received for this particular question and not for any
other question throughout the interview.
Interview A4
Interviewer:
Can you describe your general approach to decision-making in your managerial role?
Interviewee:To make a decision as a manager, I rely on 3 factors. The first one is the company’s
revenue and profit. The second one is available data together with information and the third one
is considering the competency to choose the optimal decision based on the possibility and
consequences.
Interviewer:
Can you please describe your personal communication style (with your associates) in a short few
words or sentences.
Interviewee:
My communication style with the people at the office is quick and straightforward,
I use an open attitude through conversation or email.
Interviewer:
Based on your past experiences, how significant do you find the impact of a communication style
on leadership and/or ethical decision making?
Interviewee:
I believe communication style is important to leadership and ethical decision making.
A leadership should have multiple communication styles according to each situation and partner.
With the employees, I often communicate openly. I listen to them respectfully so they feel
comfortable without any pressure and can be more creative when working. Discussing within my
33
team, I speak in moderate and limited use of unpleasant words. I do not call internal tension. I
speak clearly to not cause misunderstanding to the staff. In case they have different opinions
which lead to arguments, I am the one who strongly chooses the solution based on the benefit of
the company. For the superior, I am someone who knows how to listen and comply with his
instructions but I am not afraid to give critical opinions for the benefit of the company.
Sometimes my opinions and those of my superior are different but after discussing, we are
usually in the same base. And with customers, I mostly comply with their targets like the
delivery day, the quality standard, etc. I have to negotiate with them about price and some issues
so I am usually in a gentle manner, making customers satisfied with our services. Sometimes
they have unreasonable requests that make me upset and uncomfortable. At that time, I have to
find my boss to find the solution.
Interviewer:
Can you please describe a past decision you had to make which was significant for the
organization? To what extent did you feel responsible to be ethical concerning this specific
decision? Do you believe that the way you communicate your decision was appropriate?
Interviewee:
I believe that my past decisions were appropriate and good for my company almost all the time,
that’s the reason why I am still working for my company. If I made many mistakes and wrong
decisions, maybe I would be fired. I think a manger is ethically responsible for the organization
he works for, me too (smile). I would like to share with you a wrong decision I once made in the
past. You know my company exports the garment to the US market. Usually when we have
issues we will communicate with the buyers and wait for their decision if they want to accept our
product or not. In this case, my product measurements have an issue that is being out of
tolerance. Instead of asking for customers’ opinion about the problem, I discussed it with the
production director and we agreed to let the shipment go. The reason we decided to do that was
because if we waited for buyer feedback, we would have a big loss from air shipment (the time is
very tight for air shipment which had already been made).
The result is that when the goods came to customers’ warehouses, they decided to reject all the
shipment. So you see the final loss was higher than the loss from the air cost.
34
Because this was my mistake, I learned a lot from it, I understand that my decision was not
correct. I should have reported the case to upper management or discussed it with buyers before
releasing the shipment.
Interviewer:
How much autonomy do you have when making a decision? Are there any guidelines or rules
when making a significant decision? Does your superior affect your decision making in any
way?
Interviewee:
I usually have 90 to 95% autonomy when making decisions, there are no real rules or guidelines
when making decisions at my company. It is a process including gathering information,
evidence, weighing options and consequences of the decision. Being flexible, having the sense
and experience of a leader to make the right decision.Some difficult decisions related to big
amounts of money or the company policy to customers, in that case I would report to my
superior to ask for his direction.
Interviewer:
In a decision making context how do you prioritize the corporation's economic position or rather
the employees well being?
Interviewee:
I think this is a hard question. We cannot decide to prefer the company side or the employee side.
I think company and employees are two important factors in decision making, we cannot
separate them because they are closely linked together. Employees benefits are based on the
company benefits, if the company fails and closes down, the employees will lose their job.I will
give you an example for this. In the low seasons, my factory has less orders so the factory
manager has to consider taking some orders with very low prices. Why do they have to do that?
because they want to keep the workers stay with them to maintain the factory operation. If they
do not take those orders, workers have no job and salary then they will leave, it is very difficult
for the factory to start the operations again.
35
Interviewer:
How do you consider stakeholders in your decision making?
Interviewee:
Similar to 2 factors I just show you, the company and the employee. We have to consider the
benefit of each of them (stakeholders), because if the company has profit, other parties related to
the company will have the same benefit. So this time, we can say that we win together.
Interviewer:
Can you please describe how you prefer to be communicated with in a high intensity situation?
And do you think it affects the way you communicate with your subordinates and if yes then can
you please expand on how you see its impact.
Interviewee:
Some problems happened at the last minute due to someone’s mistake in the team, people argued
and there was no agreement with each other,... Everyone was angry and worried. But as a
manager, we remain calm to have the optimal communication. After showing the problems, I tell
the employee that it was due to their work leading to the last minute mistake so they could
understand the problems then avoid the same issue in the future. I would remind them that there
would be a punishment or personal ratings so they were motivated to not repeat the mistake. If I
had lost my temper, I would have talked loudly to them, it would have made the problem more
complicated. On the other hand, if I had been too easy, the employee would have not been afraid
and next time there would be another mistake.
Memo:
Throughout the interview, a few words or phrases mentioned in the questionnaire were not
recognized or understood since the respondent spoke English as a second language. However,
after getting proper explanation from the interviewer, she could fluently answer all the questions
and articulate her self-awareness about managerial experiences.
36
During the discussion on a notable past decision, the respondent smiled and illustrated her
confidence in the reliability of many decisions had been made. Nevertheless, she shared a
significant mistake she had made in the past and expressed a high reflection on it. The
respondent appeared to be remorseful and indicated the willingness to learn from the wrong
decision. Although the coding was not conducted in this part due to some challenges, this
information will still be considered to be a valuable source for the research’s discussion.
Interview A5
Interviewer:
Okay, so the first question is, can you please describe What is your general approach to decision
making in your managerial role?
Interviewee:
I think it's very important when we make a decision on a board level that we take into
consideration three things. What is the impact of the decision on the employees, on the
stakeholders, and on our customers? I'm always trying to make a certain balance because if I
would just look at what is in the budget and what we have to reach, it's much more to represent
the stakeholders than really to deliver the profit. But I think we are working with our people and
our employees. It's very important as well, the well-being of our employees and what is the
benefit for them. But of course, also for the customers because the customers who are serving
them and they have to be happy. Otherwise, nobody else will be happy in this triangle.
Interviewer:
Yeah, I agree. I think that's very thoughtful. Also, can you please explain in a few words or
sentences your communication style? How would you communicate with your support in a
decision-making context?
Interviewee:
Yeah. First of all, what I just described, that I'm always thinking of these three stakeholders. I
always try to communicate as well in this way because it depends on whom I communicate with.
37
Do I communicate to the customers? Do I communicate to the shareholders? Do I communicate
to our employees? But somehow it has to always resonate with the audience and always to
highlight the benefit for them and also what values of the company is representing and We are
very much linked and and focussing on the values of the company, what we would like to
message or to show everywhere.
Interviewer:
Okay. Yeah, I understand. So the second question would be, based on your past experiences, how
significant do you find the impact of communication style on leadership and/or ethical decision
making? So the way you communicate openly or transparently.
Interviewee:
I think it has a very big impact on how we communicate. It has to be always very clear. I always
say even crispy. Then ensure that everyone really understands what we mean while we are
communicating and also strengthen the values of the company. Let's say if we are talking about
ethics and if we as a value, and definitely in my entire multinational career, we were always
talking about ethics, which is very, very important, then it should be incorporated in our
communication every time as well, that we have boundaries and we never go over it because this
is one of our core values
Interviewer:
That's very nice to hear, actually. So another question would be, can you please describe one
specific past decision that you had to make which was significant for the organization?
Interviewee:
From ethical point of view?
Interviewer:
Yes. So in that decision making situation, can you please describe how you would decide to
communicate, let's say, a significant decision?
38
Interviewee:
Look, It wasn't that significant as a topic, but I think it's significant in terms of ethics. Okay.
Look, currently I'm working on the international expansion of Granit Bank. As Granit Bank has
decided to move to other markets, and the first market is the Romanian market. What we have to
do as well internally, we have to hire people who speaks Romanian besides Hungarian, as the
headquarter is based in Hungary, so we need both languages. Of course, that's a challenge to find
someone to have with both languages. Then one of the guys came to me recently and said, Oh, I
have found a very good person. The problem is that she is over 50, and I don't know whether it's
okay to hire with her age. I even did not understand what he was asking. I said, Sorry, but we are
not looking at the age of our employee. We are looking at the professional knowledge, what we
need to fulfill the job. It's not a question at all what is the age of the person. The question is what
we are aiming for, and that's the professional knowledge. If she has this, then regardless, what is
the age? These are the things that I think we have to be very clear that our values is not to
distinguish our employees or let's say, potential employees by age, by, I don't know, skin color or
by religion or where the people are coming from and what are their main attitude, but much more
on professional base and to make decisions based upon because people tend to sometimes to go a
little bit another way. I think as manager, we as managers have a very big and crucial a role to
show this values and this ethical way how to act, how to make decisions on a lower level as well.
Interviewer:
Yeah, I have to say that I agree with that. So I just have a few follow-up questions. So to what
extent did you feel responsible to be ethical concerned? What was your main drive, or was the
thing that mainly driven you to be ethical or anything else?
Interviewee:
No, I think it's very clear that what we need. And we, as I said that we don't have to let's say we
mustn't to distinguish people from people based on where they are coming from, or, or, or
whatever the age. And so I think I explained this in my previous question that, that is coming,
coming from inside and, you know, the, the big challenge also that, you know, in every sector,
and in every big, definitely multinational companies, there are so many regulations, how to act,
how to make decisions. But you know, this kind of stuff, it's very hard to, to say, from here till
39
here you can make because it's coming from inside as well. And then this is a big responsibility
for all of us, to not only to speak about it, but also to act upon it.
Interviewer:
So, just for clarification, are you saying that your internal values affect your, the ethical part of
the district decision?
Interviewee:
Yeah. Yeah. With me, if I'm speaking about myself, yes. Yeah, I cannot speak on behalf of others,
but definitely, I really feel that I have strong ethical values, and I would never step over this very
much.
Interviewer:
So, in a decision making context, how much autonomy Do you have a making a decision? How
are you affected by your supervisors? Or are there like any guidelines or like rules that you have
to follow when making a decision?
Interviewee:
I have quite quite a big power to make decisions on my own. So I can make decisions on budget,
I can make decisions on paper, I can make decisions on many other facts. But I think in a
corporate world that are more like, what you cannot make, or or, or where I have my limitation
as well, it's, it's a certain amount to approve. Okay, rather than anything else, and that's why
people are really tempting to think that the profit or the cost volume, they find the responsibility,
which is not true, because it's much wider.
Interviewer:
Okay, so just for out of curiosity. So if you would have a reasonable justification, would you be
able to gain like a bigger budget? For a certain project, let's say, if you would give a reasonable?
Interviewee:
40
Yes, if I ask a bigger budget, for the, for any reason, for a project, then if I have good arguments,
or it makes sense, and it supports the objectives of the company, then probably I will either get
an approval, and I can use it. And that's good, good for us.
Interviewer:
So in our decision making context, how do you prioritize the corporation's economic position or
rather the employees about being?
Interviewee:
That's a very good question. Very good question. Do I think that there’s a balance between the
economics and the well being of the people or employees in Hungary? There’s not. Not I would
say not yet. Because here in Hungary, we don't have the very strong workers associations, in the
companies or even don't have a thought. So an auditor at HR and the manager said representing
the interests of the employees, that's why I think we have even more responsibility as managers
in Hungary and so what I mean, because if we have to make more profit, we have to work more.
Or, or we or this is the reason why we have to work maybe with less people. And we are pushing
away people even to work overtime. So the well being is damaged at a certain point. But
personally, I try to focus on on my people, and not to push the limits. And also to respect the let's
say they holiday time, the weekends, so not to give them any work. Or if we have a certain
project with the company when we have to work a little bit more than to give them an extra day.
So they can go to be with the family and they can take off. So that's the way how I do it's not in
the written form, but it's much more kind of mutual agreement with my people.
Interviewer:
That's very considering. So the last question. The last main question is, can you please describe
how you prefer to be communicated with in a high intensity situation? So whenever there's a
high intensity situation with a lot of stress, a lot of pressure? How, like, what communication
style do you prefer, with your superior, like, when they tried to pressure you in a decision?
Interviewee
41
Very much, I appreciate the supportive style, okay, supportive and clear. So I have to understand
why we have this high and anticipate what is the objective of this. And also what kind of support
we get for this high intensity and then then, of course, that in life, it's not very, like regular in the
meaning that, you know, sometimes even you get up earlier than another time. So it's just the
same in at work as well, that sometimes you have more work sometimes has less work. But I
think, what is very important that I always feel that my superiors are behind me, and they support
me.
Interviewer:
Yeah, I think that's a very good approach. Do you feel that the way you expect them to behave
with you, do you think that impacts the way you interact with your subordinates? So one step
even further down
Interviewee:
I would say, if it's very much in line with my style, then yes, it impacts me. But then there was
already some situations that it was not in line with my style. And I got more stress from from up
and I did not feel so supportive, only just we have to do it. And there was much more kind of
clear objective to reach certain things to do. That I will I will not give over. So I'm trying to filter
a little bit. Okay, the style of my superiors, if it's not supportive, because I really think that we
are not we are just harmed the ambience of the working model or ambience of our people and
also to damage a little bit the working whereas sometimes if I would not do this.
Memo:
The interview was taken in a calm environment which seemed to make the interviewee quite
comfortable. The interviewee seemed very open to the questions and was quite descriptive with
the answers. As English is the interviewee’s second language I believe that it could be a
limitation in her answers, but I don’t think it made a significant difference. I believe in terms of
coding we could touch on a lot of similar themes as the other interviews as the questions were
quite narrow.
42
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