Leadership Development in Women STEM Students: The Interplay of Task Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, and University Training

This study explores the relationship between task-oriented behaviors, self-efficacy, and leadership emergence in women STEM students, grounded in the context of prototypical leadership theory and self-efficacy theory. Prototypical leadership theory emphasizes the alignment of leadership behaviors wi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Giuliani Coluccio, Sebastián Muñoz-Herrera, Elisa Adriasola, Elizabeth Escobar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/11/1087
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846154351782920192
author Giuliani Coluccio
Sebastián Muñoz-Herrera
Elisa Adriasola
Elizabeth Escobar
author_facet Giuliani Coluccio
Sebastián Muñoz-Herrera
Elisa Adriasola
Elizabeth Escobar
author_sort Giuliani Coluccio
collection DOAJ
description This study explores the relationship between task-oriented behaviors, self-efficacy, and leadership emergence in women STEM students, grounded in the context of prototypical leadership theory and self-efficacy theory. Prototypical leadership theory emphasizes the alignment of leadership behaviors with group expectations, which, in STEM fields, are often task-oriented. The research examines how task-oriented behaviors, such as planning, decision-making, and supervision, influence women’s self-perception of leadership ability and their subsequent emergence as leaders. Our results show a positive relationship between task-oriented behaviors and self-efficacy and a positive relationship between self-efficacy with leader emergence, with academic experience further ngthening this link. As students’ progress through their programs, engaging in more teamwork and leadership tasks, their self-efficacy enhances, leading to stronger leadership emergence. Also, we found an indirect effect from task-oriented behavior to leader emergence via self-efficacy. These findings have significant implications for fostering leadership in women, particularly in STEM. The study calls for educational programs to enhance opportunities for women to develop these behaviors early on, ensuring their growth into leadership roles in STEM fields.
format Article
id doaj-art-c7116d9bcce14a57b82f5dcf9b37c451
institution Kabale University
issn 2076-328X
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Behavioral Sciences
spelling doaj-art-c7116d9bcce14a57b82f5dcf9b37c4512024-11-26T17:51:38ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2024-11-011411108710.3390/bs14111087Leadership Development in Women STEM Students: The Interplay of Task Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, and University TrainingGiuliani Coluccio0Sebastián Muñoz-Herrera1Elisa Adriasola2Elizabeth Escobar3Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, ChileFaculty of Engineering, Universidad del Desarrollo, Concepción 4030000, ChileFacultad de Administración y Economía, Universidad Diego Portales, Huechuraba 8170641, ChileFacultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, ChileThis study explores the relationship between task-oriented behaviors, self-efficacy, and leadership emergence in women STEM students, grounded in the context of prototypical leadership theory and self-efficacy theory. Prototypical leadership theory emphasizes the alignment of leadership behaviors with group expectations, which, in STEM fields, are often task-oriented. The research examines how task-oriented behaviors, such as planning, decision-making, and supervision, influence women’s self-perception of leadership ability and their subsequent emergence as leaders. Our results show a positive relationship between task-oriented behaviors and self-efficacy and a positive relationship between self-efficacy with leader emergence, with academic experience further ngthening this link. As students’ progress through their programs, engaging in more teamwork and leadership tasks, their self-efficacy enhances, leading to stronger leadership emergence. Also, we found an indirect effect from task-oriented behavior to leader emergence via self-efficacy. These findings have significant implications for fostering leadership in women, particularly in STEM. The study calls for educational programs to enhance opportunities for women to develop these behaviors early on, ensuring their growth into leadership roles in STEM fields.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/11/1087women leadershiphigher educationleader prototypestructural equation model
spellingShingle Giuliani Coluccio
Sebastián Muñoz-Herrera
Elisa Adriasola
Elizabeth Escobar
Leadership Development in Women STEM Students: The Interplay of Task Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, and University Training
Behavioral Sciences
women leadership
higher education
leader prototype
structural equation model
title Leadership Development in Women STEM Students: The Interplay of Task Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, and University Training
title_full Leadership Development in Women STEM Students: The Interplay of Task Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, and University Training
title_fullStr Leadership Development in Women STEM Students: The Interplay of Task Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, and University Training
title_full_unstemmed Leadership Development in Women STEM Students: The Interplay of Task Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, and University Training
title_short Leadership Development in Women STEM Students: The Interplay of Task Behaviors, Self-Efficacy, and University Training
title_sort leadership development in women stem students the interplay of task behaviors self efficacy and university training
topic women leadership
higher education
leader prototype
structural equation model
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/11/1087
work_keys_str_mv AT giulianicoluccio leadershipdevelopmentinwomenstemstudentstheinterplayoftaskbehaviorsselfefficacyanduniversitytraining
AT sebastianmunozherrera leadershipdevelopmentinwomenstemstudentstheinterplayoftaskbehaviorsselfefficacyanduniversitytraining
AT elisaadriasola leadershipdevelopmentinwomenstemstudentstheinterplayoftaskbehaviorsselfefficacyanduniversitytraining
AT elizabethescobar leadershipdevelopmentinwomenstemstudentstheinterplayoftaskbehaviorsselfefficacyanduniversitytraining