Gendered nature of managerialism? Case of the National Health Service

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to argue that managerialism, as applied to the public sector, contributes to a gendered organisational culture that disadvantages female career progression. Design/methodology/approach The research was qualitative in approach and involved face‐to‐face interviews with male and female, clinical and non‐clinical managers (n=31) in Scotland's health service. Findings The main finding is that public sector managerialism, and consequent transactional and stereotypical masculine styles of management, inhibits female career progression. Practical implications Managerialism as currently applied in the public sector creates certain inefficiencies by limiting the potential of women, which has implications for female career progression in the public sector, succession management and the sustainability of services. Originality/value The paper adds to a growing body of evidence that stereotypical masculine styles of management create an organisational culture that affects female career progression. Furthermore, the paper will be of value in understanding the factors that impact on female career progression within the public sector, which is of importance given that the majority of public sector employees in the UK, particularly in the health sector, are female.

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