An Examination of the Suitability of Transactional, Transformational and Situational Leadership Theories in Evaluating the Role of Gender in Determining the Leadership Style: a Comparison and Contrast of Three Leadership Theories

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate suitability of transactional, transformational and situational leadership theories in evaluating the role of gender as a determinant leadership style and organizational performance. These three theories were compared and contrasted and the research findings synthesized to ascertain the theory most appropriate for explaining leadership style within the context of gender. While these theories were posited many decades ago, the study showed that they continue to provide an important framework for leaders in the 21 st century. Transformational leadership theory was however deemed most appropriate across alternate scenarios.