Abstract:
Research has shown that people perceive a good leader in terms of masculine characteristics
(Butterfield and Grinnell, 1998; Powell and Butterfield, 2011; Powell, Butterfield, and
Parent, 2002; van Engen and Willemsen, 2004). However, recent researchers and thought
leaders argue that leaders and managers should be androgyny, a person who has strong
masculine and feminine qualities (van Engen and Willemsen, 2004).
The main research questions this exploratory study addresses were what the young Sri
Lanka voters consider as the ideal characteristics in their political leaders and whether
their choice in the election matches the ideal characteristics. Whilst the image of the
leader does play a part (Butterfield and Prasad, 1989), it should however be noted that
factors such as campaign issues, campaign strategy, the opponent, and economy play a
role in the determination of the election of a President (Butterfield and Prasad, 1989).
