Female political leadership styles as shown on Instagram during COVID-19.

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the leadership styles of fourteen elected female politicians in executive government positions, as communicated through the official Instagram accounts that were in use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven of them are, or were, heads of government, six are or were mayors, and one is the president of an autonomous region in Spain. These women are Angela Merkel (Germany), Jacinda Ardern (New Zealand), Sanna Marin (Finland), Mette Frederiksen (Denmark), Erna Solberg (Norway), Katrin Jakobsdottir (Iceland), Tsai Ing-Wen (Taiwan), Anne Hidalgo (Paris), Virginia Raggi (Rome), Ada Colau (Barcelona), Claudia López (Bogotá), Claudia Sheinbaum (Mexico City), London Breed (San Francisco) and Isabel Díaz Ayuso (Madrid Region). A comparative content analysis of 2,330 units was conducted over a 6-month period. The study analyses the hard or soft leadership style conveyed by the women politicians selected in relation to four variables political ideology, generational affiliation, level of government and techniques used in communication. The results show that the values of the variables affect leadership styles;therefore, the assumption that all female politicians have a single leadership style is erroneous and related to gender stereotyping. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] Este trabajo realiza una exploración de los estilos de liderazgo comunicados en las cuentas oficiales de Instagram por catorce mujeres políticas electas en cargos gubernamentales ejecutivos, con actuación durante la pandemia de la COVID-19. Siete son o han sido jefas de gobierno, seis alcaldesas, y una presidenta de una comunidad autónoma en España. Ellas son Angela Merkel (Alemania), Jacinda Ardern (Nueva Zelanda), Sanna Marin (Finlandia), Mette Frederiksen (Dinamarca), Erna Solberg (Noruega), Katrin Jakobsdottir (Islandia), Tsai Ing-Wen (Taiwan), Anne Hidalgo (París), Virginia Raggi (Roma), Ada Colau (Barcelona), Claudia López (Bogotá), Claudia Sheinbaum (Ciudad de México), London Breed (San Francisco) e Isabel Díaz Ayuso (Comunidad de Madrid). La técnica de investigación utilizada es el análisis comparado y de contenido aplicado a 2.330 unidades de análisis durante un periodo de seis meses. El estudio analiza el estilo de liderazgo duro o blando comunicado por las lideresas con relación a cuatro variables ideología política, pertenencia generacional, nivel de gobierno y técnicas usadas en la comunicación. Los resultados evidencian que los valores de las variables afectan a los estilos de liderazgo, por tanto, la suposición de que las mujeres políticas tienen un único estilo de liderazgo es errónea y atiende a un estereotipo de género. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Comunicar is the property of Grupo Comunicar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)