Insights on the topic of women in leadership from the perspective of women from Lapland

This thesis by business administration students at the Business Academy in Tornio investigates whether perceptions of female leadership affect women's applications for, and selection to, managerial positions, from the perspective of women in Lapland, Finland. It explores perceptions of women leaders, personal factors influencing women's paths into leadership, and the impact of perceptions on career progression.

The study finds that prejudice and negative attitudes towards women can be a barrier to entering informal social networks, that organisations may not recognise or be willing to recognise women's skills (with recruitment tending to focus on male candidates), and that women's self-criticism of their own skills, alongside challenges balancing family and work, can affect their career progression into management.

The thesis concludes that promoting women's leadership remains a topical issue requiring systematic attention from the early stages of managers' careers and at all stages of recruitment to advance gender equality.