Gender differences in leaders’ crisis communication: a sentiment-based analysis of German higher education leaderships’ online posts
分析了德国公立大学校长和副校长在新冠疫情期间的在线沟通风格，发现女性领导者更倾向变革型领导且沟通更积极，男性则多用交易型风格，但双方都表现出高度共情。
This study examined the communication styles of rectors and vice-rectors of German public universities during the COVID-19 pandemic to explore the influence of gender on leadership communication. We collected data from social media and university websites; and analysed the language used to identify transformational, transactional, and servant leadership styles. Our results showed that female leaders demonstrated more positive communication than men and a stronger preference for transformational leadership, while male leaders tended to use a transactional style. Additionally, we found that both male and female leaders exhibited a high degree of empathetic concern for their stakeholders, contributing to the overall positive tone of communication. These findings suggest that gender may play a role in how university leaders communicate during times of crisis, highlighting the importance of inclusive and compassionate leadership in higher education.