Transformations  in
Business & Economics

Importance of Age and Gender in the Interface between a Leader and Followers
Edverdas Vaclovas Bartkus, Giedrius Kaminskas, Rokas Grunda

ABSTRACT. Theory of leadership evaluating the leadership in point of view of relationship is the theory of leader-member interchange (LMX). This theory considers the influence of subordinates to the leader the same importance as influence of the leaders to subordinates. LMX theory presents the model of creation of leadership where proposes the leaders to search for methods of creation of mutual trust and respect with all subordinates thus changing the whole wok unit into inside group. LMX theory prompts leaders to create relationship of mature partnership with every subordinate and to avoid any inequity.

We are raising the hypothesis the quality of interaction between leader and follower and the process of creation of leadership at the same time are influenced by age and gender of subordinates therefore while creating the leadership these aspects should be taken into account.

The research of interface between the leader and followers performed among the higher medical staff of stationary departments of Kaunas county hospital and its branch Kaunas psychiatry hospital showed some differences among sexes in the process of creation of leadership and some influence of age of follower to quality of interchange with leader. Analysis of interaction between leader and followers allowed us to make the final generalization as follows: 1) the more aged, the more often is formed high quality interchange with leader and mostly this tendency clears up among respondents aged 41-60 who already have some work and life experience; 2) despite the major part of investigated group consist of women, even twice more men in comparison to women group create high quality interchange with leader; 3) men trust their leader more than women and are ready to protect and to explain his/her decision. Possibly because of their proactivity higher that of women in showing persona; 4) women feel less understood by their leaders, considerably less than men trust them and more seldom are ready to protect themselves and to explain their decisions; 5) however, despite the quality of interchange with leader, women which are the major part of members of dyad are not less pleased in their relationship to leader than men. Therefore it could be stated that despite prompt of leaders by LMX theory to create relationship of mature partnership with every subordinate avoiding any inequity, nevertheless it’s necessary such aspects should be taken into account as age and gender of followers.

KEYWORDS: job satisfaction, leadership, leaders, followers, the dyadic relation, an inside group, an outside group, the process of creation of leadership, mature partnership, Lithuania.

JEL classification: M5, M54, M12, P2.