Gender and management styles of secondary headteachers in Ort Isreal : the style of management and its impact upon promotion within the teaching profession

This research, based on liberal feminism, attempts to explain the 'glass ceiling' phenomenon in the teaching profession in ORT Israel (the biggest educational-technological organization in Israel), in order to prevent the loss of valuable human capital and potentially effective management.;The main purpose of the study was to identify the perceptions of the secondary head teachers and of ORT's senior management regarding the factors, particularly perceived management style, affecting the level of promotion to senior management positions.;The research was carried out on 48 secondary head teachers and four senior management members. The research was conducted in two phases: 1. Quantitative research - as a preliminary research there was a postal questionnaire, which included the BSRI questionnaire (Bem, 1974), the SBDQ questionnaire (Fleishman, 1953) and the BIM questionnaire (1992), in order to examine the controversial issue of gender differences in management style (people-oriented / task-oriented management style). 2. Qualitative research - structured interview which examined perceived management style and barriers to promotion to ORT Israel's management.;The main conclusions emerging from the findings were: - Female heads identify on average more with feminine traits, while male heads identify on average more with masculine traits. - Women heads reportedly differ from men heads in their management style. Women heads tend to manage in a people-oriented style of management, while men heads tend to manage in a task-oriented management style. - There are various common and visible barriers to women heads' promotion at ORT Israel, including unique factors relating to Israeli society. - ORT Israel's management considers management style to be a key factor in promotion to senior management positions. However, this factor seems to be hidden rather than overt.