The RANEPA Expert Analytical Center conducted a study of the image of an ideal political leader. Scientists have determined what requests from society and government there are for political leaders, as well as specific characteristics and criteria for a successful politician. The survey was conducted among representatives of the field government controlled and policy, scientific and business communities. The study showed that in Russia an ideal politician does not require a variety of qualities; it is enough to be purposeful, have political willpower, and be decent and honest. He must also be a patriot of the Motherland and put public interests first, not personal success. According to the study's authors, the image of a political leader contains “father-like traits.”
“Studying the image of an ideal politician is, of course, the concentration of researchers on the expected characteristics of a politician. In public and expert opinion, these expectations are formed not only by real examples of effective figures or effective management decisions, but also by popular culture, including fiction and films,” note the authors of the report.
Survey participants were asked to indicate what associations they had when they heard the phrase “ political leader" Most experts gave a number of positive associations: authority (67%), determination (58%) and power (58%). A minority of experts noted negative associations: demagogue (10%), intriguer (9%), puppet (5%).
According to the authors of the report, in all periods of Russian politics, personal factors were very significant, regardless of the qualities of specific leaders, their shortcomings or advantages, or whether the leader had charisma or was a simple bureaucrat. At the same time, the most significant personal characteristics, from the point of view of the expert community: determination, perseverance and willpower (26%); leadership and organizational skills (23%); decency, honesty, selflessness (19%); intelligence, intelligence, education (18%); charisma and sociability (16%).
Among professional characteristics, the leading positions were occupied by: professionalism, competence, length of service and work experience (39%); analytical skills, decision-making skills (24%); management skills (20%).
But it is not only professional qualities that determine the position of a leader. It is also the tools the leader uses to exercise power and the situation he faces.
In terms of behavior, it is important to note such characteristics as: openness (27%), determination (24%), responsibility (19%), activity and energy (15%), humanism (15%) and leadership (13%).
The leader must also have the following beliefs: patriotism (49%), activities for the benefit of society (35%), the firmness of his personal convictions (19%), humanism and tolerance (18%), religiosity (11%).
It is worth noting that experts from the United States, who conducted similar studies in America, identified the importance of the following characteristics important for a politician: understanding of the problems of Americans, honesty, strong leadership abilities, how a politician shares the values of citizens, the ability to govern the state. Thus, the rating of the US President is significantly influenced by his public appearances. Unlike American respondents, despite the importance of social problems in society and the demand for a socially oriented political leader, Russian respondents still have state-centric political views (patriotic and conservative). At the same time, a political leader in Russia is associated with authority, determination and power.
According to the center's experts, the presence of this set of characteristics can serve as evidence of the patriarchal culture within which the Russian model of political leadership is developing.
To the question: “What do you think are the purposes for which people go into politics and begin to engage in political activities?” - experts gave preference to the following goals: realizing their ambitions, career, lobbying their interests, earning money.
“That is, based on the data obtained, we can conclude that politicians are primarily keen on pursuing their career activities and personal interests, rather than implementing and promoting public interests. Nevertheless, there is a certain demand for a leader who is focused on using the mechanisms of power not for personal purposes, but for socially significant ones,” note the authors of the study.
The majority of respondents noted the following criteria for a successful politician: professionalism and competence (74%), political strength and will (68%), the ability to convince other people (59%), activity and energy (55%). This is an indicator that the business qualities of a politician predominate, then behavioral and personal ones, which, in turn, suggests that respondents first of all see a competent professional in his field - a person who does not just represent this or that political program, but planned, strategically correct in its direction.
“If you create an image of an ideal politician, according to the expert community, he will turn out to be purposeful, with political willpower, very decent and honest. He must be a professional in his field, active and energetic. This list preserves the structure of the image, but also forms a framework for its further perception,” the authors note. - The leader’s communication system should always work clearly and smoothly in a two-way manner. A political leader can gain support and recognition through direct contact with society, that is, through ordinary dialogue, without spending large amounts of money on PR campaigns and various PR campaigns. This method is one of the most effective for improving electoral activity and combating electoral absenteeism of citizens.”
Experts see patriotism as an important criterion in today's Russian reality.
“We can say with full confidence that the country needs a patriotic leader. In a leader who will serve the public and national interests of the country, since patriotism represents a significant part of public consciousness, manifested in collective moods, feelings, assessments, in relation to one’s people, their way of life, history, culture, state and system of fundamental values.” , says the report.
Professionally, the ideal politician must be competent, with analytical and managerial abilities. It is important that the ideal politician must have sufficient experience and work experience.
“The study clearly showed that the public has specific requests for an ideal politician. Many indicators and characteristics occupy leading positions, which are noted by the majority. This suggests that the image of a politician among the expert community is far from blurred, but, on the contrary, structurally expressed, logically reflecting Russian political reality,” the study says.
According to the President of the Center for Strategic Communications, Dmitry Abzalov, the presented expert assessment of requests for an ideal politician needs more specificity and division into groups.
Targeting by group is necessary because policies vary. There is public policy - these are parties and specific speakers. There is administrative management - for example, the head of the apparatus. These are all different competencies. There is a segment of technologists who do not know how to speak and will not be able to passionately tell their concept, but they don’t need this, because, for example, they are developing a scheme for managing financial markets,” Abzalov believes. - Each segment has its own part, and it is necessary to track and display it. In general, the problem is posed quite correctly. People go into politics for the sake of a certain strengthening of the direction in which they are engaged, but people must understand that they must change something.
Pierre Casse reflects on the differences between male and female leadership and reveals some of the stereotypes often found on this topic.
Controversial issue
Researchers have long debated the differences between male and female leaders, especially with regard to their core beliefs, values, and feelings. In addition, questions (or disagreements?) remain open about their behavior and ways to achieve corporate efficiency and business success.
It is impossible to assess the key differences between male and female leaders without answering main question- what is good leadership?
Is it possible to say (as many still do) that male leaders are better at handling facts and making objective diagnoses, while women are more adept at managing emotions and interpersonal relationships?
At the risk of being accused of stereotypical thinking, we are still convinced that this is indeed the case. We invite you to read the statements below and decide, based on your own experience, whether you agree with them.
- Men and women do have different approaches to management (Agree - Disagree - Don't know)
- Men struggle for power in a completely different way than women (Agree - Disagree - Don't know)
- Ambitious women who want to climb the career ladder are forced to pay a high price for this (Agree - Disagree - Don't know)
Based on our research and experience, we have drawn the following conclusions.
Yes, men and women perceive and implement leadership differently, according to at least at the beginning of his career. This does not mean that some are more effective than others. It is a matter of matching the natural characteristics of each sex to the requirements of the situation. For example, most often men rely much more on the contribution of each individual employee, and women - on the collective (team) side of the work.
Yes, most men really enjoy power struggles and don't mind bluffing their way to the top, while women tend to be more focused on their competence and achieving expected results. Thus, we see that men are promoted based on their potential and women are promoted based on their achievements.
Yes, ambitious women who want to build a career are forced to adapt to male system values (after all, most organizations are still dominated by men) and are at great risk of losing their feminine feelings, outlook and behavior. But this shouldn't happen! There is no doubt that women leaders need to develop their own approach and find a way to influence the value system of their organizations. They must—for their own benefit and the success of their teams—change their current approach to leadership, management, and collaboration.
Conclusion
We believe that there are indeed research-backed differences between male and female leaders, and this is great for maintaining balance in the workplace. The cumulative benefits of these differences are essential to the success of the organization. Synergy from male and female approaches is the key to effective work. The only question that remains is: Are today's leaders of both genders capable of maintaining and embracing the benefits of visible gender differences in the workplace?
The article was written in collaboration with Nevenkoy Kresnar Pergar, Director of NP Consulting (Slovenia).
Basic goals:
- Increase the representation of women in the State Duma from 13.11% minimum up to 30%
- Increase the representation of women in the Federation Council from 17.05% minimum up to 30%
- Increase women's representation in the cabinet from 6.45% minimum up to 30%
- Increase the proportion of female governors from a minimum of 3.52% up to 20%
*This initiative is part of Alena Popova’s political program
A lot at the middle and lower levels, a little at the highest
There are more women in state and municipal positions in general
The problem of women’s participation in politics is not that there are few of them in state and municipal positions in general, but that they do not occupy leadership positions. The situation is the same in parties, in whose regional branches you can find many women, but only a few of them become deputies of the federal or regional parliament. Women, in fact, are just a service apparatus and provide the decision-making process for men. There are significantly more women in state and municipal positions than men, and this fact is the main argument when this or that official tries to demonstrate the absence of discrimination against women.
According to the leadership of the state, consisting of men, there is no gender problem, since “women in Russia are active participants in political life and have full rights in the political sphere.”
There are very few women in leadership positions
Data from higher authorities give a completely different picture
| Name | Total | Men | Women | Proportion of women |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Duma | 450 | 391 | 59 | 13.11% |
| United Russia | 238 | 193 | 45 | 18.90% |
| Communist Party of the Russian Federation | 92 | 88 | 4 | 4.34% |
| Just Russia | 64 | 56 | 8 | 12.50% |
| LDPR | 56 | 54 | 2 | 3.57% |
| Council of the Federation | 170 | 141 | 29 | 17.05% |
| Cabinet of Ministers | 31 | 29 | 2 | 6.45% |
| Deputy ministers | 141 | 123 | 18 | 12.76% |
| Governors | 85 | 82 | 3 | 3.52% |
| Public Chamber | 166 | 122 | 44 | 26.50% |
| Judges Const. ships | 18 | 15 | 3 | 16.66% |
Comparison with the world
Russian women were almost completely barred from entering politics until 1917. There were no women in the State Duma of the Russian Empire in all four convocations; at that time they did not even have voting rights. After the revolution, women began to be actively involved in politics: women's advice, women's departments in party bodies.
To correct the problem of low representation of women in government bodies of the USSR, quotas were used.
The quota for women was 33% for the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and 50% for local councils.
When quotas were abolished with the collapse of the USSR, the situation reverted back to the traditional patriarchal model. It turned out that behind the façade of the official ideology of gender equality there was a very conservative consciousness that did not manifest itself for all 70 years. In the early 90s, the church and other institutions returned to the scene and began to persistently remind us of traditional gender roles. Although in the first convocation of the State Duma in 1993 there was a faction “Women of Russia” (received 8.13% of the votes in the elections), in subsequent years the movement quickly lost its position. In the 90s, most issues began to be resolved by force, and women in such conditions preferred to concentrate on their private lives. Destruction, redistribution of property, crime, crime, corruption removed women from politics and resource management. In the 2000s, the political system increasingly began to lean towards traditional model in which women are contraindicated from entering politics.
Male monopoly and the rules of the game in big politics
Men created their own rules of the game
and don't want to change them
Men control and support the patriarchal political system, which has been created over many centuries. The election procedure and standards for evaluating politicians developed back in the days of the dominance of masculine qualities necessary for the constant waging of fierce internal conflicts and external wars. The current political system is still based on the idea of winners and losers, competition and confrontation, rather than systematic discussion and compromise. As a result, after the elections and appointments key positions are filled with not the most talented and qualified personnel who would primarily care about the well-being of their citizens.
Men write laws, approve them themselves, and then enforce them themselves. However, it is not laws, but informal rules that are the main obstacle for women on the path to obtaining leadership positions in politics. For example, MP status, used by men not at all for lawmaking in the interests of people, but to redistribute resources for personal interests, fighting competing power groups, protecting business interests, avoiding administrative and criminal liability. The principles that women adhere to in their work prevent men from completing their tasks. With more women in politics, the rules of the job will have to change, and current politicians don't want that. For them, women are an alien destructive element. Not even speaking about, that some politicians are confident in the “imperfection of biological nature» women and are not going to become on the same level with women. Women do not yet have enough confidence and strength to force the system to change. Therefore, they do not participate in making key decisions, do not determine the vector of development of the state, and their opinion is not taken into account.
Male politicians appeal to women as performers of traditional gender roles: women are obliged to solve demographic problems, and not to deal with issues of public administration. Male politicians adopt programs that focus women only on having children. Therefore, all current policies towards women are limited to upholding family values and supporting motherhood. The current government clearly shows that women have only one role and everyone must follow it.
The attitude of politicians to the role of women in society is especially clearly demonstrated by the LDPR program adopted in 2001:
“The LDPR regards as deeply erroneous and harmful the excessive artificial inclusion of women in economic and political life, blurring the lines between social functions men and women. Both women and men must fulfill their primordial duties determined by nature itself. A man should serve as the main breadwinner of the family, and woman - to be primarily the keeper of the home and the continuer of the human race»
How men distribute basic
places between each other
During elections of deputies, the leadership of political parties, consisting of men, places old political heavyweights or owners of large financial resources, with whom there are informal agreements, in the seats of passage. The regional elite, in agreement with the Presidential Administration, selects its candidates for the Federation Council. Basically, these are people who have served the current government for a long time and faithfully and have earned honorable compensation in the form of senatorial status. In the current system, these are overwhelmingly men.
The appointment of ministers, deputy ministers, and governors follows the same principle: the government, consisting of men bound by long-standing obligations, family ties, business interests and agreements, fills all significant positions from its ranks. The larger and richer the region, the fewer women can be found in its legislatures. The more resources a position allows you to manage, the less likely that there will be a woman on it. Women, cut off from big finances, cannot secure such arrangements for themselves.
At the same time, the leadership of the parties and government understands that it is necessary to observe forced political correctness and give a minimum number of posts to women. To do this, for example, parties often choose completely controlled women without a political background (actresses, athletes, TV presenters, etc.), who can be effective during the election campaign, as they are popular among the general population. At the same time, voters do not pay attention to complete absence Such political program candidates have the competencies, knowledge and experience required for office. There are also good chances for women who already have significant experience in politics, but there are too few of them. The rest of the party's women are often placed in positions that are obviously difficult to achieve, with fewer resources allocated to support their campaigns and higher qualification requirements. This situation makes it virtually impossible for new women politicians to be appointed or elected.
This happens in parliament and government, so there is no need to even talk about presidential elections or the post of prime minister. In March 2012, there were five male names on the ballot. Women who ran for president in previous elections ( Irina Khakamada, Ella Pamfilova), were the exception and were not taken seriously by either their male rivals or voters.
The authorities, of course, are trying to explain the current situation by saying that this is the free choice of voters and only the qualifications of candidates are important. According to the current government, women's lack of professionalism is the main obstacle to their advancement in politics. It is really necessary to work on improving the professionalism of women candidates, but they are in no way inferior, and most often surpass men who currently occupy state and municipal positions.
International
Russia's obligations
Russia has signed several international conventions and declarations that oblige our country to increase the representation of women in the highest government bodies. But the current government does not particularly comply with the terms of the signed documents.
Society's attitude towards
women candidates
Supporting women's participation in politics
during social polls
Levada Center survey, March 2014
82% women
53% men
48% women
30% men
Approves women's participation in politics
Why women are needed in higher government bodies
Negative effects of imbalance
Men, with their sole rule, created a significant imbalance in both domestic and foreign policy. This is confirmed by ongoing wars, high costs for the military-industrial complex, an impoverished population, internal conflicts, terrorist attacks, high levels of corruption, irremovability of power, legal nihilism, and constant redistribution of property. The sole power of men relies on the forceful solution of most issues, victory at any cost. A system is established: whoever is stronger makes all the decisions and gets the resources. Intelligence, professionalism and protection of the interests of citizens are not taken into account. The result is huge inequality when 99% survive and pay for everything, and 1% receive preferences and excess profits.
High levels of women's representation will create balance
Women bring additional competencies to the work of government bodies that are not characteristic of men. A woman’s value system, which differs from a man’s, will not harm, but, on the contrary, will make people’s lives significantly better.
Less wars
Women are less likely to use the army to resolve external conflicts and choose less bloody options. They are more peaceful. Women are more likely to oppose increases in the military budget and universal conscription.
Using "soft power" in foreign policy
High degree The bitterness that is now present in the world creates a demand for the humanization of international relations. To increase the country's weight in the international arena, women use it more often not “tough”, I "soft" power: the ability to achieve desired results based on voluntary participation, sympathy and attractiveness of the country's values, as opposed to "hard" power, which involves coercion.
Fewer conflicts in domestic politics
Women more often bypass confrontation and violence when resolving issues within the country. Instead of fighting, they try to negotiate. They use network technology rather than head-on collision. Women are less likely to have an authoritarian management style.
Caring for people
Women, first of all, think about people's living standards: education, healthcare, social security, living conditions, family, culture. Women are more willing to give to people (altruistic), care about people's problems, are more sincere in their actions, are closer to real life problems, take better care of others, are benevolent, love their home and advocate confidence in the future. Women are more emotional, but this helps them feel people better. It is these directions and qualities that are necessary for increasing human capital as the main alternative to the current failed political and economic models.
In March 2015 we were worried about our children and grandchildren
Each person has his own prototypes for inheritance, idols, or simply people whose life stories motivate them to act. In world history there are more than one example of biographies of famous people, after reading which you are inspired to do absolutely anything. Often these are people who lived centuries ago, but there are also our contemporaries. For some they are athletes, for others they are politicians, for others they are successful entrepreneurs. But they all have one thing in common - they are leaders. And even today, when the world is changing rapidly, sometimes several centuries after the death of such figures, their ideas continue to remain relevant and contribute to the unity of people. Isn't this the task of a real leader?
Political leaders
Professional politicians and skilled statesmen have given history the largest number of famous leaders. The reason for this is the specificity of the area, where such people quite often decided the fate of the world, and their names were constantly heard. In addition, success in politics requires charisma, grit, and usually excellent public speaking skills.
Winston Spencer Leonard Churchill(1874-1965) - British statesman, political and military figure, Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1940-1945 and 1951-1955. Journalist, writer, scientist. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The greatest Briton in history, according to a BBC poll in 2002.
W. Churchill is a man of extraordinary energy and erudition. He worked in many ministries and had direct influence on the development of military action plans during the two world wars. Reading his “The Second World War,” you never cease to be amazed at the detail with which the author describes the diplomatic vicissitudes of the late 30s, and on the next page he gives a full technical description of the magnetic mine. As a leader, Churchill took an active part in everything and was interested in everything that directly or indirectly related to government. He was an excellent speaker - his speeches on the radio during the war (for example, the famous “It was theirs”) best time") attracted huge audiences, instilling optimism and pride in Britain. Many of the British politician’s speeches remain examples of oratory, and some phrases have become catchphrases.
« Success cannot be guaranteed, it can only be earned»
Franklin Delano Roosevelt(1882-1945) - American statesman and politician, 32nd President of the United States, the only president in the history of the country to be elected to the highest public office 4 times in a row. The author of the New Deal economic program, which helped the United States emerge from the Great Depression, as well as one of the consistent inspirers of the idea of creating the UN.
F. Roosevelt is an example of a leader capable of uniting a variety of people in difficult times to achieve a common goal. Confined to a wheelchair due to an illness, this politician managed to assemble a team of many specialists and achieved support in Congress for reforms aimed at improving the economy. The Roosevelt administration gave refuge to many Jewish refugees from Germany after the Nazis came to power there. Possessing extraordinary courage, determination and strong character, this figure had a huge influence on international politics in the 30s - the first half of the 40s. XX century.
« Happiness lies in the joy of achieving a goal and thrills creative effort»
Nelson Rolilahla Mandela(1918-2013) - 8th president and first black president of South Africa, a famous fighter for human rights and against apartheid. He was convicted for his activities and spent 27 years in prison, from 1962 to 1990. Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1993, honorary member of more than 50 international universities.
N. Mandela is a great example of transactional leadership. Having devoted his life to the idea of achieving equal rights for the black population of South Africa with whites, he advocated peaceful transformations, but did not hesitate to prove he was right by carrying out acts of sabotage through the efforts of the armed wing of the African Army. National Congress(ANC). After winning the presidential election in 1994, N. Mandela appointed his main political opponent from the National Party, F. de Klerk, as first deputy, wanting to complete the settlement process that began in the 90s. Today this politician is one of the most authoritative fighters against HIV-AIDS.
« If you have a dream, nothing will stop you from making it come true as long as you don't give up.»
Margaret Hilda Thatcher(1925-2013) - Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1979-1990. The only woman to hold this position, as well as the first female prime minister of a European state. Author of tough economic measures to improve the economy, called “Tet-cherism”. She received the nickname “Iron Lady” for the tenacity with which she pursued her policy and for her constant criticism of the Soviet leadership.
M. Thatcher's leadership style, which best characterizes her leadership qualities, was close to authoritarian. She is a typical businesswoman: reasonable, logical, cold to emotions, but at the same time having a feminine perspective on the problem. The determination with which the Falklands War was fought marks her out as a confident politician, and the letters she herself signed for the family of each victim mark her as a mother. The conflict with the IRA, casualties, attempts on the lives of the prime minister and her husband, difficult relations with the USSR - this is an incomplete list of what M. Thatcher had to face. How she dealt with these challenges, history will judge. Only one fact is interesting - the Iron Lady was indifferent to feminism, trying with her whole life to show that there is no discrimination, and in order to achieve something it is enough to be better than everyone else.
« If you want something to be said, ask a man about it; if you want something done, ask a woman»
Examples of Business Leaders
Business, unlike politics, this is an area where the word “success” is used in relation to famous people much more often. Everyone wants to be successful, and this partly explains the popularity of books written by famous businessmen. Leaders in the economic sphere are often bold innovators, risk-takers and optimists who can captivate people with their ideas.
John Davison Rockefeller(1839-1937) - American entrepreneur, philanthropist, the first dollar billionaire in human history. Founder of Standard Oil, the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research and the Rockefeller Foundation, which was involved in philanthropy, donating huge sums to fight disease and education.
J. Rockefeller was a competent manager. In the early days of his oil company, he refused to pay salaries in cash, rewarding employees with company shares. This made them interested in the success of the business, because everyone’s profit directly depended on the company’s income. There are many not very pleasant rumors about the further stage of his career - the takeover of other companies. But turning to the facts, we can judge J. Rockefeller as a religious leader - since childhood, he transferred 10% of his income to the Baptist church, donated to the development of medicine and Christian communities, and in his interviews he repeatedly emphasized that he cared about the welfare of his compatriots.
« “Your well-being depends on your own decisions.”»
Henry Ford(1863-1947) - American inventor, industrialist, owner and founder of the Ford Motor Company. He was the first to use an industrial conveyor for car production, thanks to which Ford cars were for some time the most affordable on the market. He wrote the book “My Life, My Achievements,” which became the basis for such a political economic phenomenon as “Fordism.”
G. Ford, without a doubt, was one of those people who had the greatest influence on the industrial development of the world in the twentieth century. O. Huxley in his dystopia “O wondrous new world“The beginning of consumer society is associated with the name of Ford, whom the world of the future considers to be a god. G. Ford's management decisions were largely revolutionary (an increase in wages almost doubled allowed him to gather the best specialists), which was dissonant with the authoritarian leadership style, which was manifested in the desire to make all decisions himself and completely control the work process, confrontation with trade unions, as well as anti-Semitic worldview. As a result, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy by the end of the industrialist's life.
« Time doesn't like to be wasted»
« Everything can be done better than it has been done so far»
Sergey Mikhailovich Brin(b. 1973) – American entrepreneur and scientist in the field computer technology, information technologies and economics. Developer and co-founder of the Google search engine and Google Inc. A native of the USSR, he now ranks 21st on the list of the richest people on the planet.
In general, leading a modest lifestyle and not being a public figure, S. Brin is known as one of the world's most respected experts in the field of search technologies and IT. Currently managing special projects at Google Inc. S. Brin advocates for the protection of the right to public access to information, freedom and openness on the Internet. He gained particular popularity among the Internet community after speaking out against radical anti-online piracy programs initiated by the US government.
« It doesn't matter whether I'm rich or not, I'm happy because I enjoy what I do. And this is actually the main wealth»
Stephen Paul Jobs(1955-2011) – American entrepreneur, developer and co-founder Apple companies, NeXT and the animation company Pixar. Led software development for iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone and iPad. According to many journalists, Jobs is the “father of the digital revolution.”
Today, the name Steve Jobs is as successful a marketing symbol as a bitten apple. Biographies of the Apple founder sell millions of copies, thanks to which the company's products also benefit. This, to some extent, is what Jobs is all about: the success of his company and products is a merit not only of quality, but also of a set of actions planned to the smallest detail in marketing, sales, and support service. Many criticized him for his authoritarian management style, aggressive actions towards competitors, and the desire for total control of products even after they were sold to the buyer. But is it not because of this that “Applemania” became a real cultural trend of the early 21st century?
« Innovation distinguishes the leader from the catch-up»
Leadership in culture
Without going into a philosophical debate regarding the influence of mass culture on the civilizational development of mankind, we note the fact that it is the leaders in this area who most often become the subject of adoration and inheritance, understandable and simple, the same as an ordinary member of society. The reason for this is the very mass nature of the concept of pop culture and its accessibility.
Andy Warhole(1928-1987) - American artist, producer, designer, writer, collector, magazine publisher, film director, cult figure in the history of the pop art movement and modern art in general. Warhol is the world's second best-selling artist after Pablo Picasso.
The influence of E. Warhol with his works as a hymn to the era of mass consumption had a huge impact on the development of culture in the 60s. and remain so to this day. Many fashion designers consider his services to the fashion world simply titanic. The artist’s name is strongly associated with such concepts as a bohemian lifestyle and outrageousness. Undoubtedly, even today, Warhol's works do not lose their popularity and remain very expensive, and many cultural figures continue to inherit his style.
« The most beautiful thing in Tokyo is McDonald's. The most beautiful thing in Stockholm is McDonald's. The most beautiful thing in Florence is McDonald's. There is nothing beautiful in Beijing and Moscow yet»
John Winston Lennon(1940-1980) - British rock musician, singer, poet, composer, artist, writer. One of the founders and member of The Beatles. Political activist, preached the ideas of equality and brotherhood of people, peace, freedom. According to a BBC study, he ranks 8th in the ranking of the greatest Britons of all time.
J. Lennon was one of the most famous spiritual leaders and inspiration for the hippie youth movement, an active preacher of the peaceful resolution of any conflicts existing in the world. A large number of young musicians admired his talent and activities. Lennon was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to world culture and social activities. The group’s work, as well as their solo career, had a huge impact on the development of the culture of the twentieth century, and the songs rightly occupy places in the list of the best works ever written.
« Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.»
Michael Joseph Jackson(1958-2009) - American entertainer, songwriter, dancer, composer, choreographer, philanthropist, entrepreneur. The most successful performer in the history of pop music, winner of 15 Grammy awards and hundreds of others. Listed in the Guinness Book of Records 25 times; Jackson's albums have sold about a billion copies worldwide.
M. Jackson is the man who took the music industry and choreographic performances to a whole new level. The number of fans of his talent is measured by millions of people from all over the world. Without exaggeration, this man is one of the most significant personalities of pop culture of our time, who largely determined its development with his life and work.
« You can have the greatest talent in the world, but if you don't prepare and work according to plan, everything will go to waste.»
Sports leaders
Sport- one of the spheres of mass culture. To achieve success in this area, you need to have talent, stand out with physical or mental abilities, but there are often cases when success was achieved by those who persistently pursued the goal through exhausting training and complete dedication. This makes sport a subject of idealization, because it knows most of all examples when a boy from the Brazilian slums or a person from a family of disadvantaged African emigrants reached the top, becoming an idol for millions of the same children around the world.
Edson Arantis do Nascimento(better known as Pele) (born 1940) – Brazilian football player, entrepreneur, football functionary. Participant in four FIFA World Cups, 3 of which Brazil won. The best football player of the 20th century according to the FIFA Football Commission, the best athlete of the 20th century according to the International Olympic Committee. He is one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine.
The success story of the football player Pele most closely matches the title description of a boy from the slums. Many of the Brazilian’s achievements remain unique to this day; almost all children who kick a ball in the yard know his name. For admirers of his genius, the example of Pele is not only an example of one of the greatest football players, but also a successful businessman and public figure who turned a childhood hobby into his life’s work.
« Success is not an accident. It's about hard work, perseverance, training, study, sacrifice and most of all, love for what you do or learn to do.»
Michael Jeffrey Jordan(born 1963) is a famous American basketball player and shooting guard. One of the best basketball players in the world at this position. Multiple NBA championship winner, two-time Olympic champion. Today he owns the Charlotte Bobcats bookmaker. Especially for M. Jordan, Nike developed the Air Jordan shoe brand, which is now popular all over the world.
According to research published in an article titled "The Jordan Effect" in Fortune magazine, the economic impact of the brand called "Michael Jordan" was estimated at $8 billion. M. Jordan is a cult figure for basketball, American and world fans of this game. It was he who played a huge role in the popularization of this sport.
« Boundaries, like fears, most often turn out to be just illusions»
Muhammad Ali(Cassius Marcellus Clay) (born 1942) is an American professional heavyweight boxer, one of the most famous and recognizable boxers in the history of world boxing. Sports personality of the century according to the BBC, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, philanthropist, excellent speaker.
One of the most famous boxers of the “golden era of boxing,” Muhammad Ali is an example of how a talented person, even after losing everything, continues to work hard on himself, again reaches the top. His three fights with Joe Frazier are among the best boxing matches of all time and, without a doubt, are known to all fans of this sport. Even after his career ended, Muhammad Ali remained one of the most recognizable athletes of the 20th century; many books, newspaper and magazine articles have been written about him, and more than a dozen films have been made.
« Worrying all the time about past mistakes is the worst mistake»
Military leaders
Today, thanks to the rapid development of technology, including military technology, there is not much room left in history for a military genius. But even a century ago, the fate of individual states and the world as a whole sometimes depended on commanders and military leaders.
Alexander III the Great of Macedon(356-323 BC) - Macedonian king from 336 BC. e. from the Argead dynasty, commander, creator of a world power. He studied philosophy, politics, ethics, literature from Aristotle. Already in antiquity, Alexander gained the reputation of one of the greatest commanders in history.
Alexander the Great, whose military and diplomatic talents are beyond doubt, was a born leader. It was not for nothing that the young ruler gained love among his soldiers and respect among his enemies at such a young age (he died at 32): he always kept himself simple, rejected luxury and preferred to endure the same inconveniences in numerous campaigns as his troops, did not attack at night, was honest in negotiations. These features are a composite image of the characters from books and films that we all loved in childhood, heroes idealized in world culture.
« I owe it to Philip that I live, and to Aristotle that I live with dignity.»
Napoleon I Bonaparte(1769-1821) - Emperor of France in 1804-1815, great commander and statesman, military theorist, thinker. He was the first to separate artillery into a separate branch of the military and began to use artillery preparation.
Individual battles won by Napoleon were included in military textbooks as examples of the art of warfare. The emperor was far ahead of his contemporaries in his views on tactics and strategy of war, and government. His life itself is evidence of how one can develop a leader within oneself by making this a life goal. Without being high birth, without standing out among his peers at military school for his special talents, Napoleon became one of the few cult personalities in world history thanks to constant self-development, unprecedented hard work and extraordinary thinking.
« A leader is a merchant of hope»
Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov(1802-1855) – Russian naval commander, admiral. He circumnavigated the world in the team of M. P. Lazarev. Defeated the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop during the Crimean War. Recipient of many awards and orders.
The leadership qualities and skills of P. S. Nakhimov were most fully demonstrated during his leadership of the defense of Sevastopol. He personally toured the front lines, thanks to which he had the greatest moral influence on the soldiers and sailors, as well as the civilian population mobilized to defend the city. The leadership's talent, multiplied by his energy and ability to find an approach to everyone, made Nakhimov a “father-benefactor” for his subordinates.
« Of the three ways to influence subordinates: rewards, fear and example - the last is the surest»
Reviews, comments and suggestions
The above list of outstanding leaders from various fields is only a small part of the material in this direction. You can express your opinion or write about a person who is an example for you using the form below.
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Alla Chirikova
Chirikova Alla Evgenievna - Doctor of Sociological Sciences, chief researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
What is behind the low permeability of power structures for women? Gender stereotypes or the reluctance of women themselves to pursue a career in power? Male CEO bias? Features of corporate culture or conservatism of government institutions? Why is it easier for women to succeed in business than in politics? A comparative analysis of the situation in Russia and France made it possible to identify general trends and features of gender asymmetry in the power structures of the two countries.
Over the past decades, there has been ongoing debate about why there are so few women in the highest hierarchy of power around the world. According to analysts, the representation of women in leadership positions in the executive branch is on average different countries the world is at the level of 8-10%, and only in Scandinavia this figure is significantly higher and amounts to 25-40%. Women are better represented in parliaments than in the executive branch, with their share varying from 21.2% in European countries to 41.4% in Scandinavia. Traditionally, gender researchers tend to interpret this fact as the presence of a “glass ceiling” that is difficult for women to overcome. Is there a “glass ceiling” in Russia and France, and if there is, what is it and how can we overcome it?
In Russia, according to the Register of Public Positions of Federal Employees, at the turn of the century men occupied 94% of the highest, 85% of the main and 68% of leading positions, while women were in positions that did not involve decision-making. Thus, a group of “senior” workers, represented by the heads of dependent structural divisions, their deputies, consultants and advisers, consisted of half women. The proportion of women is even higher in the “junior” group, where they amounted to 80.6%. Over the past decade, the representation of women in structures Russian authorities has grown a little. However, it is still premature to talk about changing the existing order, when women predominate at the lower levels of power and their number decreases as they move up the hierarchical ladder.
Subjects Russian Federation Despite all the regional differences, they generally repeat the trends that have taken hold at the federal level.<Очень долго>The share of women in regional government structures remained consistently low, amounting to 6–9%. At the city level, women are better represented than at the regional level. However, among city mayors their share does not exceed 8–10%. In terms of the scale of women's representation in the legislative branch, France occupies a median position between the countries of northern and southern Europe. In the 2000s. the share of women has increased significantly in parliament (18.5% in 2009 compared to 12.5% in 2002), in local representative bodies, and in high positions in the executive branch. However, despite the fact that women are widely represented among civil servants (58%), only 12% of them are in senior positions. This raises the question: what is behind the low permeability of power structures for women? Gender stereotypes or the reluctance of women themselves to pursue a career in power? Is it the bias of male leaders or the desire to exclude women from leadership positions? Features of corporate culture or conservatism of government institutions? Since similar phenomena are observed in different countries, I would like to understand which of the listed barriers are a purely national phenomenon, how they operate in different political systems and how surmountable they are.
We tried to find answers to the questions posed in a study in which two national cases were compared - Russian and French. The comparative analysis expanded the boundaries of the study and made it possible to identify general trends and features of gender asymmetry in the power structures of the two countries.
As part of our research, the “Russian case” was examined using the example of two regions: the Tambov region and the Perm region. During the study, interviews were conducted with women leaders at the regional and city levels of government, administrative personnel officers and regional experts. The choice of subjects of the Russian Federation as a research field was determined by the polarity of the regions. The Tambov region is an agricultural region with a traditional patriarchal way of life characteristic of it. Economically, this is a weak territory, dependent on federal budget revenues. The Perm region, on the contrary, has rich natural resources and a diversified economy. Among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the region is known for its developed political culture and democratic traditions. Despite all the differences between the regions, there is a certain similarity in the representation of women in power: in the Tambov region and the Perm region, women occupy senior positions in the executive branch, but are poorly represented in regional parliaments. Russian data were compared with interview materials obtained in France from women politicians, as well as men, heads of administrative and party structures.
Purpose of the study consisted of studying real practices of promoting and securing women in senior leadership positions in the system of executive and legislative power in Russia and France. The leadership styles of men and women in government and business were analyzed separately. In Russia, the object of study was the regional level of government; in France, state power was analyzed. The conclusions of the study were constructed on the basis of materials from the author's interviews, as well as analytical materials obtained by French and Russian researchers in different years.
Research objectives
During the study, we analyzed the following processes:
a) analysis of the types of career advancement of women leaders in the executive and legislative branches of various levels in Russia and France;
b) analysis and description of barriers to the advancement of women in power using the examples of Russia and France;
c) assessment of differences in leadership style in government and business between men and women in Russia and France.
Assumptions, information base and research methods
Distinctive feature this study is the desire to identify general and specific trends in the entry and retention of women in senior positions in the systems of executive and legislative power in Russia and France. In the process of work, two types of analytical data were used: materials of official state and regional statistics; materials from interviews with women leaders of the executive and legislative branches. The Russian situation was analyzed based on materials from 45 author interviews in two Russian regions. The French case was studied based on research materials previously conducted by French scientists, as well as 12 author interviews conducted by Natalya Lapina, one of the project participants in France (Paris).
The design of the study was based on the assumption that official statistics make it possible to record processes occurring in power at the macro level, while interview materials allow us to evaluate microstrategies for getting and keeping women in power.
The use of in-depth interview techniques made it possible to examine the processes taking place in government from the inside; assess the extent to which trends visible in statistical materials are reflected in the subjective assessments of respondents.
At the same time, attention should be paid to the methodological limitations of this study, which were difficult to avoid primarily due to the unequal availability of respondents in Russia and France. As a result, the “Russian case” was studied using the example of regional authorities, while in France interviews were conducted with politicians and civil servants representing the highest level of government (lower house of parliament and ministries). In addition, in terms of volume, the materials of the field research conducted in France are inferior to those in Russia, as a result of which it was not possible to obtain a full level of comparisons for all the issues studied.
In-depth interview method allowed us to build a conversation with respondents, taking into account not only the goals of the research being conducted, but also the interests and capabilities of the person who agreed to the interview. In terms of speech style, target orientation and non-rigid structure, the interview made it possible to get as close as possible to the system of meanings of those people with whom it was conducted. This type of interview, in which blocks of main topics are highlighted, makes it possible to maximize the respondent’s advantages, considering him not only as an “informed person,” but also as an expert in the field of the problem being studied. Despite the possibility of deviations from the interview scheme, we tried to obtain as fully as possible those assessments that seemed fundamentally important according to the design of the study.
When analyzing the interview materials, we used not only the model of “typing positions” of respondents, but also made an attempt to analyze the diversity of approaches. This made it possible to see the problems being studied in a complex manner and to assess the limits of variability of the situations and positions being studied.
1.1. The path to power: an accident or a career project?
Among researchers of Russian government, there is a widespread idea that the occupation of leadership positions is determined by the proximity of the appointee to the top officials of power. As a result, in order to get into power, it is not enough for a person to have professionalism, but it is necessary, firstly, to understand what the first person expects from him, and, secondly, to remain loyal to the team, even if its actions differ from his own ideas .
Does this opinion correspond to the real state of affairs? How do women find themselves in top positions of power today? Is their career advancement the result of a conscious choice or a consequence of a decision made at the top? What motivates women when they agree to take leadership positions in power: ambition or the desire to do their job well, to prove to themselves and others that they can do it no worse than men? How different are the models for promoting women to leadership positions in Russia and France?
Analytically, based on the materials of the interviews, we can identify at least three possible models for the advancement of women in Russian and French government: gradual growth model, parachute model, inheritance model. The first two models are common in both Russia and France, the third model is typical for the French case. The first model is gradual growth model implemented in both the executive and legislative (representative) branches. Within the executive branch, it involves the gradual conquest of zones of influence through professionalism and efficiency of managerial steps. The condition for its implementation is successful and long-term experience of working within the structures of the executive branch. Applicants advancing within the framework of a gradual growth model, as a rule, are dependent on the choice of a leader and do not show career zeal even if they have pronounced professional achievements. Initiative on the part of senior managers is never accidental, and the decision on a high appointment must be “earned” by all previous activities. “Every new movement I made horizontally or vertically always followed an initiative proposal from the outside. Basically, I am a follower. But proposals don’t come out of nowhere. Throughout my life, I did not start with a leadership position, and then gradually grew to it. Each time I was unable to find the next step on my own.”, - the vice-mayor of a large city notes in an interview.
This model is also implemented within the legislative branch. In this case, a career is made gradually - "step by step".
In France, the gradual growth model is also in demand. We are talking about the careers of professionals who, thanks to their qualities, move up the career ladder in the executive branch. However, unlike Russian women, French women have a conscious career-oriented strategy, which can be implemented thanks to clearly operating mechanisms for personnel selection and promotion in the public service. In representative government, the model of gradual growth is implemented using the nomination mechanism. This mechanism turns out to be effective for women representing civil society structures. Among them are many people employed in the social sphere (doctors, teachers, nurses, social workers, educators). First, activists are promoted within political parties and public organizations, elected in local and regional elections and, if successful, later become deputies of the National Assembly or Senate. This is how P. Crezon, a member of the French National Assembly from the French Socialist Party, evaluates his path into politics: “In order not to be disappointed in politics, it is better to start your political career “from below”, with small things. First I was a member of the municipal council (since 1977), then deputy mayor. I passed a long way, before my party colleagues asked me to stand as a candidate for parliamentary elections". The nomination mechanism assumes that a political career is made slowly - over fifteen to twenty years.
Second model - parachute model- built on attracting candidates for high positions in the executive branch from outside. It assumes that applicants have developed social capital in the form of connections and acquaintances, as well as management experience or public recognition. Unlike the gradual growth model, this model is characterized by rapid implementation. In Russia, the condition for “parachuting” to a high position is a trusting relationship with top officials. This is exactly how women ministers who knew each other well were appointed to ministerial positions in the Russian government.<тогдашнему>President D. Medvedev on joint work on national projects. In the Perm region<теперь уже бывший>Governor O. Chirkunov appointed women known to him from working together in commercial structures to ministerial posts. In modern Russia, “parachuting” into the executive branch from business is quite common. In the Perm Territory, the main role was played by the fact that the governor made a career in business. He invited colleagues who had proven themselves well in their previous work to work for the government, despite the fact that they had no experience working in government structures.
In France, the term more often used to refer to the executive branch appointments, while parachuting implies an offer to stand in an election in which victory for the candidate is virtually guaranteed. Formally, appointment to a high position in the executive branch is open to women who have graduated from prestigious educational institutions, such as the National School of Administration or the Polytechnic School, which train senior personnel in public administration. But in practice, informal relationships (friendships; entering the close circle of the first person) play a large role in the appointment process. The French elite differs significantly from the Russian one. Firstly, the segment of the state elite in France is homogeneous, which is ensured by similar conditions of socialization, education and career advancement of its representatives. Secondly, professional and social capital in France must be supported by political capital. “Make a political career outside the party,” admits female politician , - almost impossible". This is how S. Royal, a candidate in the presidential elections (2007) from the FSP, came into big politics.<…>Minister of Justice R. Dati. Women themselves prefer this path into big politics to participate in elections, but experts emphasize its unreliability, since the appointment always depends on the decision of the men in power.
Inheritance model assumes that political capital is transferred within the family or its close friends. For women, this promotion model works primarily in France. Here, belonging to the family of notables gives the heir the opportunity to either be elected in local, regional or national elections, or opens the way for him to the executive branch. The experts interviewed include political heirs<бывшего>Minister of Health and Sports R. Bachelot<-Наркен>, whose father was a deputy;<бывшего>The first secretary of the FSP, now the mayor of Lille, M. Aubry, daughter of the famous French socialist J. Delors; the son of President N. Sarkozy, who made a career within the ruling Union for a Popular Movement party. The inheritance model in modern France, according to analysts, is used less and less. In politics, the proportion of “individual women” who are promoted to high positions solely due to their business qualities, and not the support of their immediate environment or family, is increasing, to use P. Rosanvallon’s expression.
In Russia, where new political institutions have emerged recently, the model of inheritance is just emerging. Nevertheless, the process of the elite transferring their power by inheritance is becoming noticeable. Here's what one of the respondents thinks about this: “Many areas of influence in government are inherited. I won't name names. But we know for sure that there is a deputy in the regional Duma who owns a significant part of the business in a car service center; his nephew is a deputy of the City Duma. Our City Duma is an “orphanage”. Influential fathers sit in the regional duma, and sons or nephews sit in the city duma. Thus, entire networks are built through which power is maintained.”. Unlike France, in Russia the inheritance model is most often implemented through the male line, while women prefer business to politics. Nevertheless, cases of inheritance through the female line are recorded, although today this is rare, and we are talking about the inheritance of political capital, not a position.
An analysis of interview materials shows that in Russia, firstly, women’s access to power remains quite random and, secondly, career growth is not the result of the targeted efforts of women themselves, but a consequence of a decision made by a leader, most often a man. The dependence of career growth in power on the immediate supervisor is so great that women’s own intentions are simply not taken into account. Often the situation develops in such a way that those appointed do not have the right to refuse the boss. No less important for a woman is not only the authority of the leader, but also inner understanding the functions that she will have to perform in her new position. Women who were successful in the gradual growth model were more likely to talk about the critical role of professional skills that helped them overcome the established practice of appointments. “The glass ceiling exists in government, but I didn’t specifically break through it. I came to work as a supply manager in the city administration, and gradually worked my way up to deputy vice-mayor, although I didn’t specifically set such a task, I worked and that’s it. Men tend to recommend men for leadership positions. Therefore, in order for a woman to be in a high position, she must be truly professional.”, says the vice mayor. However, no matter how much women themselves insist on the importance of professional capital, we must not forget about their personal qualities and the education they received. Over the past two decades, Russian regions have been living in a state of uncertainty, and this, in turn, places increased demands on the forecasting skills of managers. The research materials indicate that those women managers who do not have strong character, professional curiosity and a penchant for solving difficult problems, cannot remain in power, even if they managed to rise to a high level in the power hierarchy for some time.
In Russia it is difficult to talk about the dominance a certain model advancement to power. However, we highlight three defining points:
1. Today in our country the bureaucratic path to the top prevails, whether we are talking about the gradual cultivation of candidates for high positions within bureaucratic structures or co-optation in them. The result of such a policy, as many researchers note, in Russia in the 2000s. was the strengthening of the positions of the bureaucratic segment of the elite.
2. One of the most characteristic features Russia is a transition to the power of business representatives. In the near future, this trend is likely to develop further, since the promotion of successful personnel from business to government structures is considered by the current Russian leadership as a way to solve the problem of personnel shortages.
3. Parties in Russia have not become an effective social elevator. In our study, this feature emerged especially clearly, if only because the main object of our study were representatives of the executive branch of government, which is not formed according to political principles. In the future, this situation may change, because The authorities are making efforts aimed at turning parties into channels of vertical mobility. This is exactly how we should view the new procedure for nominating candidates for the gubernatorial post from the party that won the regional elections, as well as the creation by United Russia of its own personnel reserve.
In France, initially, when promoting to high positions in politics, informal mechanisms were in effect (friendships, family connections, entry into the close circle of the top person). With the adoption of laws on equal access of women and men to elected and public positions, formal mechanisms for the advancement of women into politics and power began to be established. Today in France various social elevators operate simultaneously. Some experts argue that the most effective of them is the civil service, motivating their position by the fact that the main principle of the civil service is equality in career advancement for men and women. This thesis is confirmed by statistics: in 2005, 61% of women and 39% of men were accepted into the civil service. Others name the institution of political parties as the best social elevator.
If we compare the advancement of women into power in Russia and France, both similarities and differences stand out. As in Russia, in France, women’s path to power is predominantly built according to the “long career” scenario. This is evidenced by the fact that the average age of female deputies of the lower house of the French parliament, according to experts, is higher than the age of men. If we talk about the differences, the main thing is that French women are more active in building their political careers, and in their advancement to the top they are less and less dependent on men. The share of women who enter politics through active work in civil society organizations and party structures, the French expert believes, will increase. This is facilitated by the new election legislation and the proportional voting system adopted in regional and local elections. “The advancement of women in politics is a gradual increase. The more women sit on municipal and regional councils, the more women will appear in politics, and this will eventually lead to the election of new female deputies to the National Assembly.”, says one of the French respondents.
Russian women make their careers largely by chance, without a clear willingness to fight for their place in the sun. The lack of institutional conditions guaranteeing women's representation in the legislative branch leads to the fact that this particular branch of government is the most closed to women. However, women themselves, like Russian society as a whole, do not perceive the current situation as unacceptable. Organization survey "World Public-Opinion.org"(2008), showed that in Russia only a third of the population (35%) considered it very important that women have rights fully equal to men, and 17% believed that this was not very important (for comparison, in France, opinions were distributed as follows way: 75% and 2%). This is partly why Russian women have not yet managed to turn the situation around and increase the level of their representation in government structures.
1.2. Barriers to women's advancement into power
French and Russian researchers, analyzing the obstacles to the advancement of women into power, focus on the persistence of cultural and gender stereotypes in society and the socio-psychological limitations of women themselves, which prevent them from pursuing a career. To what extent do existing ideas correspond to actual practices? What do women themselves think about this? Do they want to occupy the highest positions in power?
Our analysis allows us to say that those identified in earlier studies, incl. in our own, ideas about what exactly provokes the closedness of power structures for women leaders should, on the one hand, be expanded, on the other hand, rethought under the influence of changes taking place in the structures of modern Russian power. Barriers to entry into power can either differ or coincide when we are talking about two levels of power: representative and executive.
Representative power. In Russia, if we follow the interview materials, the most serious obstacles for women when elected to regional legislative bodies are:
High level of competition;
Weak representation of women in the region's business elite;
Lack of development of channels for the advancement of women into the legislative branch;
Sociocultural stereotypes of voters' electoral behavior;
Weak activity of women themselves.
The most serious barrier to the advancement of women into the legislative branch of the regional level, according to women deputies and experts, is competition from men engaged in business and having serious financial resources. Here is what one of our respondents, who works in the office of the regional parliament, thinks about this: “It should be understood that the Legislative Assembly is a competitive environment, a club of influential people. Deputies value their presence there. Many issues besides legislative ones are resolved here. Deals are made, mutually interesting business projects are born. Weaker players will not be allowed here, they are simply not interesting to anyone.” The validity of this position is confirmed by the fact that in the 2000s. the social composition of legislative assemblies in Russia has changed significantly: representatives have left them social sphere(doctors, teachers, social workers), and their places were taken by business representatives, who today make up from 65 to 85% of deputies. A situation is emerging in which the legislative branch reflects the structure of the region’s business elite. And it follows from this that until women become significant economic actors at the regional level, it will be quite difficult for them to advance to the regional legislative branch. This opinion is shared by Tambov expert V. Penkov: “Knowing the structure of small and medium-sized businesses, I can say that until women actively enter business, they will not have leverage for political influence. We can hardly expect a spontaneous entry of women into politics.”.
At the same time, changes are already taking place: women are present in both business and politics, although so far in small cities where the level of competition is low. Whether this process will eventually spread to regional capitals, and after them to regional parliaments, time will tell: “Today the process of women entering business and power has already begun. Let's take the chairmen and deputies of city councils. Among the chairmen of district councils of womenQuite a lot of people showed up, but their status was low. They were allowed there only because it is a non-competitive niche for men.”, - Professor of Tambov State University, political scientist D. Seltser is convinced.
An equally important factor for Russia is the reduced political activity of women themselves, as N. Bayandina, head of the department of interaction with the media of the Legislative Assembly of the Perm Territory, insists: “Women themselves are not as active as they should be. There are no visible active women in the region. The Perm region is an industrial region; all important enterprises have always been headed by men. With the advent of business, this tradition began to gradually erode, but is still strong. Women have not yet shown and proven to the elite that they can be worthy players, including in politics.”.
The reduced representation of women in the regional legislative power is often explained by gender stereotypes of voters, incl. women who are not ready to vote for female politicians. Some experts tend to interpret the reluctance of the electorate to allow women into power as envy of other people's successes and the mental limitations of women voters. “Voters actively participating in elections are women. They are the first to remove women from the lists. The motivation for rejection varies and is usually irrational. Firstly, there is irritation from someone else’s success, and secondly, the female audience, which has a decisive influence on the results in municipal elections, consists of people aged 35 to 60 years. The advancement of women in politics is not part of their value system. Thus, women refuse to choose women. Biological sex becomes a “ceiling” in politics.”, - V. Penkov continues his thoughts.
A serious obstacle to the advancement of women in politics and power is the limited channels of recruitment into the legislative branch. Party channels still do not work, although the parties themselves, and especially the “party in power,” claim to be the status of “elite incubators.” A channel such as public organizations remains weak. A mechanism for attracting women with experience in the city duma to the legislative power of the region has not been formed. Why is this happening? According to respondents, parties and social movements are not yet engaged in cultivating women leaders. “Women's public associations are not fulfilling their task of growing leaders and promoting them to power. I don't see such a goal for them. Here in the 1990s. There were well-known organizations that dealt with social problems at the local level. But they did not set themselves the task of growing their leaders. Growing the women's movement is a very serious problem. We don't have young leaders,"- says T. Margolina, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Perm Territory. Similar assessments are made about political parties. Participants in the study note that women are attracted to parties, as a rule, at the stage of the election campaign, but then later unknown reasons do not qualify for the race finals. “If you analyze the lists that were proposed in the elections of deputies to the regional Duma according to the proportional system, then there were more than enough women there. They were declared as an element of election campaigning on the lists of the LDPR, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, United Russia, and Rodina. But as soon as it came to counting the chickens in the fall, only roosters appeared on the lists.”, says the expert.
It can be assumed that over time, party and public organizations will serve as social elevators. Moreover, today there are parties thanks to which women are moving into power. “The party resource is becoming more and more significant, which is why many women are joining parties today. The easiest way for a woman to advance is within the Democratic Party. United Russia or the Liberal Democratic Party have different principles, although today they have more women elected to the State Duma. It's not easy for women in the party. For example, in Perm, there was one active woman at the origins of the creation of United Russia, but the party leadership is now gradually pushing her aside.”, says one of the respondents. Some study participants do not hide the fact that for them, work in party structures can become an “alternate airfield” in the event of failure in the elections. “The framework for women in the party is expanding, although there are few women in the leadership bodies. It seems to me that it is easier for women in the party to express themselves and advance. I even decided for myself: if next time I don’t stand for election, I’ll get involved in party building, and then I’ll go to the zemstvo assembly,”- says the head of the district.
In the future, parties will need to be more tightly regulated to be open to women, some experts say. “It is necessary to create strict legislative conditions for political parties, which could become a real mechanism. After all, when the top ten list of party candidates is formed, women are practically not represented. The movement into the party of business sweeps away women along the way, as well as men from the public sector, who do not have the necessary resources. It is necessary to formulate clearer conditions for women to come into power.”“, T. Margolina, quoted above, is convinced. However, it should be recognized that in Russian conditions, state intervention in the activities of parties and non-profit organizations has already turned into serious problem. Consequently, additional regulation of their activities can hardly be considered as a recipe for attracting women into social and political life.
Other participants in the study also spoke about the need to adopt legislation ensuring equal access for men and women to elected positions. But at the same time, respondents did not have a common vision of the measures that could be taken. The majority of women politicians and experts surveyed are not in favor of the legislative introduction of quotas. Some even believe that in practice this measure could lead to a deterioration in the quality of the Legislative Assembly. “There is a possibility of increasing women in party lists, but quotas cannot be avoided for this. These may be internal party directives. But with formal quotas, the quality of deputies will clearly suffer. That's why I'm against it."- one of the male experts expresses his opinion.
A serious obstacle to the advancement of women to higher positions in power is the absence in modern Russia of a mechanism for promoting politicians who have made a career at the grassroots, in particular city, level to regional power. As a result, women who have experience political activity at the city level, cannot move to the regional government level. A logical question arises: why does this happen? Experts believe that women lack the initiative to make such a transition. But the women deputies of the city duma themselves emphasize that the regional duma is "This is a rich people's club", where the path is closed for them.
In general, in Russian regions, seats in the regional parliament remain the most difficult for women to achieve. Suffice it to say that only one woman deputy sits in the regional parliament of the Tambov region and the Perm region. City representative government is more open to women. Our research revealed a greater internal readiness of women to work at this level of power. Some study participants explain this “a sober assessment of one’s capabilities”, others - a good knowledge of the urban environment and the daily problems faced by residents. In relation to women who came to the city representative government from business, there is a pragmatic interest: it is the city level of government that provides them with the proper level of protection, because most often women represent small and medium-sized businesses. So far, getting into the regional legislative branch is too expensive, and most importantly, does not correspond in scale to the level of problems faced by women entrepreneurs.
Executive power. Women from the executive branch also recognize that barriers exist that hinder their entry and growth into the highest executive authorities of the region and city. First of all, this is the inertia of power institutions, in which the fate of a woman’s career is most often determined by higher-ups, who do not always favor female leadership: “The ceiling of a woman in power is determined by higher management, namely how the boss in his little world treats a woman as an employee. If his attitude is normal and it doesn’t matter to him whether his colleague or subordinate is a man or a woman, then everything is fine. What if it’s different? It all depends on the specific boss. The growth of women in the administration depends on the position of the governor. The fate of women in leadership positions in the center depends on the policies of the president. Every ceiling depends on whoever props it up with the top of their head.”
As in the case of representative power, a mechanism for promoting personnel from the city to the regional level has not been formed in the executive power. This should not be surprising: in the post-Soviet period in the Russian regions, fierce confrontation between governors and mayors of regional capitals, often of a personalized nature, did not subside. In this situation, it is difficult to imagine that the regional authorities would “open the door” for people from the competing team. The current situation has an extremely negative impact on personnel potential, since the most businesslike, aggressive and advanced applicants, not seeing prospects for themselves in the region, leave to work in Moscow or occupy their own niches in business.
Other obstacles that women point out are paradoxical in nature: women themselves do not strive to grow upward, on the one hand, and on the other hand, they are unable to unite to protect against “male” chauvinism in power: “Why can’t we get to the top? The first answer is that we are all happy with everything. The second option is that conditions have been created within the government where all women survive alone. It's very difficult for us. However, I am sure that as soon as we begin to form women's support networks, men will immediately identify this through their informal channels and consider it a conspiracy. They are strong in intrigue. If women start intrigues in power, then shout the guard. It’s possible that this is what stops each of us.”.
Experts, in turn, connect this not with a “conspiracy of men,” but with the inability of women to come to an agreement with each other and a painful perception of the success of their comrades, whom women themselves perceive as rivals: “It’s more difficult for women to come to an agreement among themselves. Women perceive other people’s success as their own failure.” However, not all analysts are so critical of female psychology. Some of them believe that the reason here lies somewhat differently, for example, A. Puchnin,<экс->Chairman of the Election Commission of the Tambov Region states: “There is no conspiracy according to which men do not want to let women into power. Maybe it was there once, but now it is not there, now the site is open. The only thing that is missing is a system for promoting women into power; there are no quotas. I'm against him. Must act natural selection, in which women are quite capable of winning. But natural selection is an element of chance. The motivation for appointing women to power is completely different.”.
Whatever external barriers to the advancement of women into power we analyze, the question remains open: what heights in power would those women who already occupy leadership positions want to achieve? And would they like to be at higher levels of the power hierarchy? The study suggests that women are more likely to be focused on to maintain their position in power than to increase them. The explanation for this is simple: the load is too high and the scale of activity is too wide. Often, study participants cited a lack of experience as hindering their career ambitions. “Today I am Deputy Prime Minister, before that I worked as Minister of Social Development. But if they asked me if I wanted to be a governor, I would answer “no.” Because you need to be able to calculate forces over distance. Now I don’t feel such strength in myself.”, says one of our respondents. It is characteristic that women have the greatest doubts about the post of governor, which requires enormous exertion of physical and moral strength, which women think they do not have. In addition, women honestly admit: life is not limited to work, there is much more to it. “It’s better to let a man be the governor. The load is very high. The woman has a clean physical limitations to occupy the highest position. Moreover, the woman is simultaneously burdened with a family. The governor needs incredible mobility. Only a trained man can withstand this, and even then not just anyone. I do not need it. In addition to your career, you also need to maintain your health. There are other interests that are no less important than work. You must be able to maintain internal harmony; life at work is not limited,”- a high-ranking leader argues his position.
Some of them call work in power a sacrifice and do not want to betray their personal beginning: “I find it difficult to plan for the future. But any step up is necessarily a sacrifice. Your personal life. Your space. With your affections. It's always a choice. Although, if I want, there will be no special obstacles for me at our regional level. Today the level I have is enough for me", says one of our respondents.
There are also women who motivate their reluctance to grow further, to higher levels, by age, although it is possible that such a statement hides other, more complex motives, for example, a reluctance to compete with their leader for power: “I’m not rushing anywhere. I don't have excessive ambitions. I am not a competitor to my manager. I can't say that I'm not ambitious, but why do I need it? To change one shoulder strap for another, you need to have a reserve of age. Everyone decides for themselves how much to work and how much to rest. I’m 58 years old, I don’t set such goals for myself, because I assess the situation quite realistically,”- says an influential woman politician, deputy chairman of the city representative body.
Another high-status official cannot give a rational explanation for her reluctance to rise above a ministerial position, honestly admitting that she does not want this: “It seems to me that I have a certain limit to my capabilities. Do not want and that's it. You asked me, and without thinking I answered:“ No” . It’s hard for me to say why I don’t want to. Today I am quite satisfied with my level and what I have. To some extent, I am ready to start over all the time. But until it is presented to me as an inevitable necessity, I will not want to do it.”
There are also women who consider themselves to be professional specialists and deliberately narrow the space of their influence within the boundaries of a particular industry: “I think it’s much better for a woman in her career to remain professional and limit herself to a specific industry. There may come a time when you find yourself on the wrong team. By remaining in a professional position, you are always assessed more objectively, you are much more in demand,”- says one of the regional government ministers.
An analysis of the obstacles that arise on the path of women's advancement into politics and power in Russia and France indicates their comparability. In France, over the past decades, the attitude towards women politicians on the part of mass sections of voters has changed. However, this does not mean that the traditional sentiments of the electorate have been completely eliminated. In a number of interviews, the theme of “female anti-feminism” was raised, when French women voters refuse to vote for female politicians and are especially critical of those who have made a career in power. “Sexism manifests itself not only in the behavior of men, but also in the behavior of women themselves in relation to women holding high positions of power. I remember the demonstration of agricultural workers when the minister Agriculture There was Edith Cresson. Then women took to the streets with posters: “Edith, you are better in bed than in your ministerial post.”, recalls one of the study participants.
French women also face certain difficulties within party structures. “I believe that the election of women deputies is not a problem of voters, but a problem of political parties, which are still falling short in this matter,”- says French parliament member P. Crezon. Male politicians spoke about the fact that women are not always adequately perceived within party structures. Member of the Central Committee of the French Communist Party (PCF), R. Martelly, is convinced that it is very difficult for French women in a male party environment: “It’s difficult for women in the party to move up. In France, the “macho” folk culture, which is characterized by admiration for strength, still persists. In politics, this applies to this day: you need to be able to fight back, to be strong. Nevertheless, today women manage to rise up the party hierarchy, although it is difficult for them. Much remains to be done in terms of changing cultural attitudes. We are still far from solving these problems.”
A certain exception is the French ultra-left parties, in which women traditionally occupy leadership positions. A. Krivin, who led the Communist League for many years, spoke about the absence of manifestations of sexism within the Trotskyist movement in his interview: “Sometimes during meetings of the General Directorate, women, who make up half of the leadership, demand that the discussion be suspended and leave for consultations in order to develop a consolidated position. Women forced men to accept these conditions. Today, none of us would dare to object. Any sexist reaction is strongly opposed within the League. This became possible thanks to the struggle of women for their rights. And I think that’s very good.”
The system of elections based on majoritarian constituencies is recognized as a barrier to the advancement of women into power in France. “Political parties still do not recognize the legitimacy of women in elections in single-member constituencies, this is due to the fact that for many years the same male candidates have been running in the same constituencies. The winner in a majoritarian district is the strongest candidate, i.e. the one who has the most resources. Women tend to have fewer resources than men.” Some political parties are trying to compensate for the unfavorable situation by allocating a fixed portion of parliamentary constituencies (PEC) to women. We are talking about “complex” constituencies, in which conducting an election campaign takes a lot of effort and time. “There is an order in the FSP - there is“ women's districts” . Today they account for 40% of the total number of districts throughout France. These are not the best districts, and sometimes they are simply impossible to win. The selection of “women's constituencies” was made on purpose: if this were not the case, then only men would become candidates for deputies. This was an internal party decision, made possible due to the fact that there are very strong women in our party who have been fighting for women’s rights for many years,”- a deputy from the FSP shares his thoughts.
The unfavorable situation in parliamentary elections is balanced by the advantages that French women managed to achieve in elections under the proportional system. According to the law, party lists must have an equal number of male and female candidates. However “This legislative norm, - says French politician, Trotskyist A. Krivin , is hypocritical: if you do not comply with the norm, you must pay a fine. It’s like the Kyoto Protocol - you can pollute the environment, but you pay money for it.” Practice shows that many political parties do not comply with legal norms, preferring to pay a fine.
Women are more often elected in elections that are not highly regarded by male politicians, primarily in elections to the European Parliament, as well as elections to municipal councils. Political parties, political scientist M. Sinno notes in this regard, easily nominate women in municipal elections, however, as soon as it comes to elections to the National Assembly or Senate, the number of obstacles increases.
Is it possible to achieve gender balance in government bodies by introducing a quota mechanism? Like their Russian colleagues, French women politicians demonstrate a contradictory attitude towards the principle of quotas, although they admit that the law on equal access to elected positions has significantly increased the representation of women in the French legislature. “Women's careers will now advance more quickly thanks to quota laws. Ideally, I would like things to unfold naturally so that the men and women who make up the human race will themselves come to understand the need for equality in politics. Quotas are not the best solution to the problem. Although today mayors will no longer be able to say that “we have no women.” When lists were being prepared for municipal elections, women were everywhere. Quotas apply only to the proportional electoral system. And it will take time for this system to be applied in the elections to the National Assembly and Senate,”- P. Crezon reflects on the French political system.
Many high-ranking women in France do not share the quota principle. For example, he is opposed<бывший министр иностранных>Affairs of France M. Al<л>io-Marie. Like many of her successful colleagues, she believes that a woman should establish herself in politics based on her abilities and personal qualities, and not on the basis of gender quotas. Representatives of French business are also against quotas, nevertheless recognizing that without quotas it is very difficult for a woman to move up the career ladder both in government and in business.
So, in Russia and France, barriers to the advancement of women in politics and power remain. However, these barriers differ in their height, and most importantly, in both countries, society and government have different attitudes towards their existence. Despite the existing barriers, serious efforts have been made in France over the past decades aimed at eliminating obstacles to the advancement of women into politics and power (election legislation, party activities). In Russia, society and the authorities continue to ignore the accumulated problems and do not take conscious steps to remove the accumulated contradictions. Party channels for promoting women to power remain weak; Informal practices and behind-the-scenes agreements, as a result of which women are not included in the finalists in regional elections, remain dominant, which, in essence, closes the legislative branch of government to women.
Along with external ones, France and Russia have strong internal restrictions on the advancement of women in power. They are associated with the upbringing of girls, who are prescribed traditional female norms behavior; low self-esteem of women; excessive fear of not being able to cope with the assigned tasks; women's lack of interest in their own career growth. It will take time to raise a generation of women who are more confident and, most importantly, self-sufficient. In France, politicians and intellectuals are thinking about these problems, and society is concerned about them. In Russia, a new type of woman is being formed spontaneously, mainly in the business environment.
The analysis carried out allows us to conclude that the barriers to entry and advancement of women into power in Russia and France are largely similar. However, French women have advanced much further than Russian women in defending “equal opportunities” with men. In Russia, when considering the possibilities of mitigating the barriers to women's access to power, the factor of reducing competition for places in power, which experts talk about, deserves special attention. It makes power selectively more permeable to women, but barriers such as overload and fear of failure still remain for women. Barriers could largely be mitigated if public organizations were involved in developing personnel, if the system of promotion from the municipal level to a higher regional level had not been destroyed, and if women themselves had shown greater interest in career growth.
1.3. Peculiarities of male and female leadership: are gender differences really that big?
There has long been a discussion in the scientific community about the differences between women's and men's management styles. J. Rosener, a researcher at the California State University School of Management, who studied the characteristics of women's style of leadership in a company, states: “The first women managers accepted the rules of behavior characteristic of men, and this led them to success. However, the second wave of female top echelon managers achieved success not by using a masculine style, but by creating and developing their own specific feminine management style. Women managers of the second generation achieve success not in spite of, but thanks to character traits and behavioral traits that were previously considered feminine and unacceptable in leaders.” The statement of this fact demonstrates in the best possible way that women not only master the already established technologies of successful management, but also develop their own, which are adequate to the conditions in which government and business exist. A study conducted by the International Women's Forum found that there are both differences and overlaps in management styles between men and women.
Traditionally, women attribute their power not to status, but to such personal characteristics as increased intuition, the ability to establish contacts with people, and hard work. In this regard, the assessments given by high-ranking women in power during our research are no exception. “Women are more diligent and rational. They do the hardest painstaking work in power. Men are lazier and more often than women allow themselves to do nothing at work.” The study shows that psychologically, women are more inclined to collective decision-making than male managers and are more willing to stimulate employee participation in a common cause. “I prefer a consensual management style. I will gather everyone, listen to all opinions, and then decide. The coordinating style is now the most effective", - one of the respondents is convinced. If we continue the line of advantages, women are more willing than men to share information, believing that such an exchange creates an atmosphere of trust in the team. Women managers encourage employees to assert themselves, which motivates them to effectively complete assigned tasks. Many women managers who took part in the study emphasized the contribution of their subordinates to the success of the common cause. At the same time, they often downplayed their own role. Moral support of subordinates and their encouragement -important features female management. Involving subordinates in decision making is not the only method of female leadership. Experience shows that when this method does not work, women successfully make decisions alone.
As the interview materials show, women list their strengths as their ability to perform painstaking, demanding work. increased attention and diligence at work. “A woman, more than a man, has the desire to get to the bottom of every detail and do a lot of things herself. This provides certain benefits later. When you have a result, you know how it was achieved. In this case, not only the time is reduced, but the brain is also trained. But a man is not interested in this.” The point, however, is not only a matter of commitment to the little things, but also the ability to see a finer grid of problems, mastery of softer ways of solving them. “A woman is softer, she can create a more flexible system, vital and sustainable in its essence”.
However, attention to detail as a virtue of women's management is not recognized by all women managers. Some of them are convinced that this is more likely a shortcoming that reduces managerial potential. These respondents are convinced that women cannot afford the highest positions of power: “Men delve less into things and make decisions faster. Women do it more slowly, they sometimes get bogged down in trifles. They clearly lack strategic thinking, and in power they need strategy and principles. Women, by their nature, are subject to doubt; they are very afraid of mistakes. This slows down the process. I am convinced that the head of the administration and his deputies are a male role. A man copes with this better".
The study participants also include disadvantages of female management: increased emotionality, although one can join the opinion of expert V. Penkov that all managers need intuition and emotionality: “Intuition and emotionality are important, everyone needs them, both men and women. But when intuition dominates everything else and as a result a million torments arise, then this does not benefit the matter. Emotionality is also very valuable and necessary. But when the emotional crowds out the rational, it’s not good. Knowing women, business representatives and government officials, I understand that success is achieved by those who find some kind of middle ground.”
Some study participants rightly believe that searching for disadvantages and advantages based on gender is an unpromising task. “Differences in management between men and women should not be seen as advantages or disadvantages. Everything depends on the degree of internal freedom. It seems to me that the importance of gender specificity is overestimated. In general, I don’t find a gender component in my work.”, - convinced the head of the Department of Internal Policy of the Administration of the Perm Territory S. Neganov.
Research by E. Michel-Alder actually confirms the stated point of view. She, based on scientific data, was one of the first to propose not to draw strict distinctions between male and female management. Despite the fact that the role of a manager has historically been assigned to a man, the researcher is convinced that a woman does not blindly copy the male management style, but creates her own style based on the use of the traditional role functions of mother, sister, and assistant. A study we conducted several years ago actually confirmed the conclusion that the specifics of male and female leadership should not be overestimated. Effective management has no gender. In order to achieve success, a leader must have a dual repertoire of management technologies - both male and female. Moreover, if a manager has a distinctly masculine or feminine leadership style, then the likelihood that he will achieve success in management is less than if he implements a mixed management style.
The earlier conclusions were confirmed in the course of this study. The frequency of statements indicating that biological sex is not so important in leadership has increased significantly over the past five years. If previously one quarter of the respondents held this point of view, now more than half of the respondents were convinced that dividing management into male and female was hardly legal. “I wouldn’t divide professionals into women and men. For me there is a concept of a smart or stupid person. For a manager, it doesn’t matter what his biological sex is. When you work in a team, you don’t pay attention to whether it’s a man or a woman, you just have partners, the work goes on. It’s important: you can work with this person or you can’t.” Some of the respondents directly said that sometimes they lose their inner sense of their own gender when making decisions: “I internally feel like both a man and a woman, although my intuition is clearly feminine”, - notes a young woman high-ranking executive.
It is important that when describing women in power, respondents recall not only the presence of masculine traits in the mental structure of a female leader, but also the acquisition of feminine traits by men. “Brutality,” according to men themselves, can not only help, but also hinder management, when high flexibility is needed, sometimes it provokes unpleasant feminine traits ( “Whims are associated with women. But they are also characteristic of men in power. The boss expects, after one year of ineffective management, to descend into whims." Some experts go even further, testifying that in government and business, more and more men are appearing in leadership positions, whose psychology and methods of achieving success are a psychological mixture of male and female character traits: “ I know many men with feminine characteristics who achieve success. I can name dozens of such names in business and in government. They demonstrate complaisance, submissiveness, excessive emotionality, and buffoonery. They know how to win someone over, understand the state of another, and then take advantage of all this, getting their own benefit. They are tenacious. Biological gender in power and business is gradually being erased. These areas need people with different psychological skills - both men and women at the same time", one of our experts is convinced.
Is leadership in power different from leadership in business? Can women business leaders be successful by moving into positions of power? Is it possible that these leadership niches require different psychological traits in women? The interview materials make it possible to assume that, despite the existing differences, leadership in government and business is of a similar nature, although management in government is even more complex and interesting task than business management. " Power is more complex than business. In business, the tasks are more specific, but working in government is more interesting. True, the result in power is very stretched and the responsibility is different. There is less transparency, although there is a lot of talk about it“, - the vice-mayor of one of the regional capitals is convinced. Despite the existing difficulties and the remoteness of the result, power attracts women no less than business. " I am seriously attracted by the need, with all the bureaucratization of power, to make completely different decisions in different areas per unit of time. In government, management tasks are an order of magnitude higher than in business.“says a former top manager of a large trading company, and now a minister of the regional government. Some of the women who came to power from business are convinced that power is more open to experiment and innovation than business, so it provides an opportunity for internal growth. However, along with the advantages, power has its disadvantages, which make work in this area more difficult than in business. There are two such main shortcomings: the clumsiness of power and a weak focus on results.
But it is not only the speed of decision-making and the focus of people on results that distinguishes government from business. One of the most significant differences is the difference in the subculture, in the methods of personnel selection, in the requirements for efficiency: “ The authorities make demands on corporate spirit and loyalty. Business requires an efficient economy: it exists to make money, and if there is no income, no one needs such a business“, - one of the entrepreneurs is convinced, who looks at power from her professional niche and does not find any advantages in it compared to business. I agree with the position of the business representative<экс-министр регионального развития>Perm region P. Blus: “ The government is inferior to business in terms of performance. The business has a clear goal setting and efficiency, even the ability to measure it. The authorities don't have it».
Despite the fact that each of the niches has its own advantages and limitations, some experts rightly remind that the separation of power and business as spheres of management today is at best unlawful, but it is still easier for a woman to fit into business than into power. " The traditional distinction between the spheres of government and business is erroneous. Power today is business. The government has more than enough dividends. How is government different from business? In business, with all the complexities of formalities and informalities, a certain competitiveness is ripening. There is no competition in the sphere of power. And women are more successful in a competitive environment».
French entrepreneurs are also convinced that it is not easy for a woman to manage both business and power. That is why the excessive rigidity of women in power and business is more likely a forced response to the rigidity of the task, and not a feature of the character of a woman leader: “I would not push the story regarding the specifics of female leadership. Moreover, I would not argue that a woman is a softer leader.”, says O. de Tuen, entrepreneur, leader and creator of the Women's Forum.
Current French politicians join the opinion of the business representative, emphasizing that there is no special type of female leadership: “You shouldn’t think that women MPs are always better than men. Sometimes they are much worse than men, sometimes they are simply unbearable. However, like men". A high-ranking French official shares a similar position: “I really love working with women, especially when they are beautiful and smart. But I don’t agree that they work differently than men.”.
At the same time, let us note some features that distinguish Russian women leaders from the French. In interviews, Russian women, as noted above, talked about allowing themselves to use their femininity. They use femininity to make sure that they are not known as a “man in a skirt,” which is something they really don’t want. “I sometimes involve female coquetry. We must not forget that you are a woman. And this helps me, it can be an additional argument. A woman should be different, diversity is very important so as not to be branded as a woman with a sledgehammer.”. Often, Russian study participants admitted that they could demonstrate weakness in the interests of the cause. In France everything is different. Whatever image the French female leader or politician strives to create, she will never allow herself to show weakness: “In France this is unthinkable, because women won their positions in a fierce struggle.”. And besides this, a woman is in a responsible position “wants to show that she is capable of performing political functions, that she is a professional. We are in the highest spheres of power. People here generally respect the established rules.".
Thus, the differences between leadership in government and business are more pronounced than gender differences themselves. Power as a sphere of management, according to respondents, is more interesting than business, but it has significant structural limitations - low pace of decision-making, reduced efficiency, weak focus on results, which the majority of respondents regard as a less competitive environment in which clannishness continues to dominate. But something else is important here: no matter how great the institutional differences between government and business, women who come from business to power and have leadership potential are no less effective in government than in business. An analysis of the leadership styles of men and women in government and business makes it possible to verify that the specificity of female leadership compared to male leadership exists, but it should not be overestimated. There are much more reasons to say that effective management in power is increasingly losing the features of biological sex. Effective managers today are forced to master a dual repertoire of management technologies, and they cope with this task quite well. The advantage of female management continues to be its reliance on intuition, the ability to work with a “fine-grained network of problems,” and attention to people.
Conclusion
It is not easy to compare political life in Russia and France. France is a country with long-standing democratic traditions, a well-established party system and a developed civil society. Formally, all this exists in Russia. But at the same time, the parties have little in common with classical political parties; some of them were created by the state bureaucracy in order to maintain the existing political regime; elections are held using administrative resources and “dirty technologies”, and civil initiatives, like any opposition activity in general, are met with rebuff from the authorities. The lack of development in modern Russia of institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women into politics and power leads to the fact that Russian women more often “follow” the situation, and their entry into power is the result of a confluence of favorable circumstances, rather than a well-thought-out career strategy. In France, the existence of open political institutions and well-functioning social elevators gives a woman the opportunity to consciously build her personal strategy for moving up the career ladder, which is an absolute advantage. In the Western world, France ranks average in terms of women's representation in power structures. Russia lags behind France not only in the representation of women in government, but also in the degree to which society understands gender issues. The deafness of society, political institutions and political actors themselves to the topic of gender inequality in our country is obvious.
In France, political parties play a special role in the formation of the political elite. Political activity is the most important condition advancement of women into power. Most women politicians in modern France began their careers in party structures or civil society organizations. In Russia, the institutional conditions for the advancement of women into politics and power are just beginning to take shape. The function of the vertical mobility mechanism is being mastered by political parties, primarily United Russia and A Just Russia. In the process of party building, attracting women becomes a successful PR move, allowing parties to create an attractive, more “human” image. “United Russia” and “A Just Russia” were created by the bureaucracy, and the “selection of personnel” in them is carried out according to a bureaucratic principle. Among women deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, persons with a “nomenklatura background” predominate. Among them there are few representatives of civil society, youth and women's organizations. It is difficult to imagine that parties created according to bureaucratic principles will have a serious and creative discussion of the problems of gender inequality in politics. Neither the party leadership nor the women politicians themselves are ready for this, for whom, apparently, the topic of introducing quotas is not relevant. Democratic parties are more open to women and discussion of problems of gender imbalance, but they are not represented in the current composition of the Russian parliament. All this allows us to say that the majority of Russian women politicians have not yet formed as political actors - they do not have a socio-political project behind them that they could and would strive to implement.
Notes:
Kochkina E. Political system of advantages for male citizens in Russia, 1917–2002. // Gender reconstruction of political systems / ed.-comp. N. Stepanova, E. Kochkina. St. Petersburg: Aletheya, 2004. P. 495. [Kochkina E. Politicheskaya sistema preimutschestv dlia grazhdan muzhskogo pola v Rossiyi, 1917–2002. // Gendernaya rekonstruktsiya politicheskikh sistem / ed. N. Stepanova, E. Kochkina. SPb.: Aleteya, 2004. S. 495.]
Aivazova S. Russian elections: gender reading. M.: OJSC Moscow Textbooks and Cartolithography, 2008. P. 225. [Аivazova S. Rossiyskiye vibory: gendernoye prochteniye. M.: JSC Moskovskiye uchebniki i Kartolitografia, 2008. S. 225.]
Chirikova A., Krichevskaya O. Woman leader: business strategies and self-image // Sociological research. 2000. №11.
Femmesetpouvoirex écutifdanslemonde.URL:http://centre-histoire.sciences-po.fr/centre/groupes/femmes_politiques.html
An example of such inheritance is the appointment to the post of deputy governor and then representative of the administration of the Oryol region in the Federation Council of M. Rogacheva, daughter of the former governor of the Oryol region E. Stroev (resigned in 2009). The “heiress” of the former mayor of St. Petersburg A. Sobchak is his widow, L. Narusova,<экс-сенатор>from the Republic of Tyva.
Gaman-Golutvina O. Political elites of Russia. M., 2007; Gaman-Golutvina O. Russian elite during the presidency of V. Putin... P. 72–96.
Conseil conomique et social, Op. cit. P. 197–202; Royal S., Touraine F. Si la gauche veut des id es. P.: Bernard Grasset, 2008.
Aivazova S. Russian elections: gender reading. P. 234. [Аivazova S. Rossiyskiye vibory: gendernoye prochteniye. S. 234.]
<В настоящее время>The "Communist League" was transformed into the Anti-Capitalist Party. - Approx. auto
In 2004 alone, the pro-presidential Union for a Popular Movement paid a fine of 4.2 million euros, the FSP - 1.6 million euros, and the FKP - 123 thousand euros.
Sinneau M. Quel pouvoir politique pour les femmes? Etat des lieux et comparaisons européennes. In: Les femmes dans la prise de décision en France et en Europe / Sous la dir. de Gaspard F. P.: Harmattan, 1996. P. 95.
Chirikova A.E., Krichevskaya O.N. Woman leader: business strategies, self-image // Sociological Research. 2000. No. 11; Michel-Alder S. Women's leadership style. Lecture. Higher commercial school. MVES - M., 1991.
Rosener J.B. Ways Women lead // Harvard business rev. 1990. Vol. 68. No. 6. P. 74–85.
Women in business / edited by N. Pavlova. M.: INION RAS, 1993. P. 39.
Michel-Alder E. Women's leadership style. Lecture.
Chirikova A.E. Woman and man as top managers of Russian companies // Sociological Research. 2003. No. 1.
Suffice it to say that during the parliamentary elections of 2007, the highest representation of women was recorded in the lists of democratically oriented parties: Yabloko - 26%, SPS - 25%. See: Aivazova S. Russian elections: gender reading. pp. 38–39. [Аivazova S. Rossiyskiye vibory: gendernoye prochteniye. S. 38–39.]
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