The study sets out to examine how male and female managers in general and male and female municipal executives in particular are evaluated by the members of the organisation.
The study presented used the methodology of focus group discussion.
The results show that employees clearly had different expectations regarding the characteristics of male and female executives. The most negative image of female executives emerged in the group of men. However, even female office managers tended to mention numerous negative features of women executives, and seemed to prefer men in executive positions.
The research involved four focus group sessions at the municipality in the autumn of 2004, consequently the research results cannot be generalised.
This paper contributes to the limited number of academic literature on female executives in Hungary, and explores the deep prejudices against women in leading positions.
