Are Male Muslim Leaders More Effective Than Female Muslim Leaders in Maldives Regardless of Their Religiousness

This study explores the moderating role of gender on the relationship between religiosity and effective leadership among leaders of both genders in Maldives. Maldives is a hundred percent Muslim nation, and Islamic Shariah is the law. While women reserve the privilege to hold public office and to practice public functions statistical data indicates a notable underrepresentation of females in leadership positions due to the rigid perception of gender roles embedded in society. Earlier studies conducted in the Maldivian setting suggested that the conservative interpretation of Islam disadvantaged women. Thus, the first objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between religiosity and effective leadership and secondly to identify the moderating role of gender on the relationship between religiosity and effective leadership. To achieve these objectives, a sample of 157 useful data was collected from 250 questionnaires distributed to leaders across various domains in the Maldives. The study employed a purposive sampling method from both genders, aged between 30 to 70 years. Out of the two hypotheses tested, results indicated the acceptance of the first hypothesis, establishing a significant relationship between religiosity and leadership. However, the second hypothesis was not supported where gender moderates the relationship between religiosity and effective leadership. This suggests the importance of religiosity in the effectiveness of leadership. Regardless of gender, adherence to a higher level of religiosity contributes positively to leadership effectiveness. Thus, for leaders in Maldives, if they want to be effective leaders, they must be religious regardless of their gender.