Gender inequality: Curious Practices

The purpose of this study was to examine how female leaders reflect on a type of curiosity practice considering: a) the role of the asking of questions; and b) how women draw from the asking of questions in contexts of gender inequality. To accomplish this goal, we drew from social practice theory and a typology of questions. With this framework, we analyzed 31 interviews of women leaders from emerging markets across the world. Our analysis shows that female leaders’ reflections regarding the asking of questions, a type of curiosity practice, is instrumental to accessing and using human capital, as well as financial, relational, and symbolic resources. We discuss the implications of these findings in the light of current curiosity theorizing and leadership development.