Dr Valerie Stead and colleagues from Roehampton and Bradford Universities have been shortlisted for the Global Equality and Diversity Awards (GED) Research Award, which is due to be presented at an awards ceremony in London at the end of November.

The seminar series, which concluded in June, brought together leading international researchers, journalists and lobbyists with the aims of: raising awareness and understanding of gendered stereotypes of women and their effects; challenging the gendered construction of women leaders in the media; and identifying future research agendas for academics and practitioners in management and business.

As a result of work on the seminar series, the team have also produced a book for the International Leadership Association Women and Leadership series called ‘Gender, Media and Organization: Challenging Mis(s)Representations of Women Leaders and Managers’, as well as several forthcoming journal articles. Dr Stead is also developing further research in this area, including a recent article in Organization Studies entitled ‘Constructing Women’s Leadership; Representation in the UK Press During a Time of Financial Crisis”.

Dr Stead said: “The Media is a global power that reflects social views and is fundamental in shaping who we think should and can be in positions of influence and power. Examining media representations of women professionals and leaders therefore plays a critical role in understanding how progress towards gender equality in the workplace is stalled or advanced. We are honoured to be shortlisted for this award that recognises the significance of our research in this area.”

The GED awards are now in their fourth year and recognise outstanding individuals and organisations developing and adopting new approaches to equality and diversity in business.