How is co-leadership enacted in the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand : a 152.800 thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Management at Massey University
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Date
2016
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Massey University
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Abstract
This research report explores the enactment of a gender-balanced co-leadership throughout
the organisation of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. This small-sized political
organisation has had representatives in parliament since 1996. Its experimental model of a
male and a female sharing positions arose out of the social movements of the baby boomer
generation. Gender-balanced co-leadership was devised as an exception to the norm of a
single leader (frequently presented as a heroic man). The metaphor of theatre is used to
frame a description of the stage-managed performance of Green Party political co-leaders. I
show how co-leaders have been portrayed over the life span of the party as if they were
characters in play. The re-presentation of co-leaders is illustrated by images, primarily taken
from the party magazine. Experiences of the enactment of this co-leader model are
interpreted through five interviews with key informants who have all held formal positions of
authority within the organisation. I provide an auto-ethnographic account as a party insider
illustrated by snapshots. The Green Party’s co-leadership model has endured over 25 plus
years. By virtue of longevity it has demonstrated a viable way of sharing position power
between two genders in a political party. Sharing positions in this organisation requires a
significant investment of effort to maintain the desired presentation of the relationship. The
lead actors are constrained to conform to the stage-setting. Parliamentary politics imposes
isomorphic forces of order and hierarchy. The enactment of co-leadership has become
increasingly gender stereotypical. Gender-balanced co-leadership is an experiment that has
become a conventional routine.
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Keywords
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, Management, Political leadership, New Zealand, Teams in the workplace, Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Business and economics::Business studies