One of these differences is that female leaders, on the average, are more democratic and
participative than their male counterparts (Eagly & Johnson, 1990; see also van Engen & Willemsen, 2004). Men, more than women, adopt a top-down, “command and control” style. Although
female managers are not generally more interpersonally- or communally-oriented than male managers,
this tendency emerged to some extent in less male-dominated roles, where the tendency for
women to be more participative than men strengthened as well. It thus appears that women adopt
more culturally feminine leader behaviors when their role is not strongly male-dominated.