Business Commons^™

Mentoring Women Entrepreneurs: Perceived Needs And Benefits, David W. Whitlock, Ashley J. Hampton, Kitty Campbell

Journal of Business & Entrepreneurship

Women entrepreneurs are a rapidly growing demographic. Mentoring is a recurring theme in the literature as a valuable contribution in helping women entrepreneurs succeed. The roles of mentoring as well as the literature of mentoring relationships is presented, followed by a study in which the demand and perceived benefit for mentoring was conducted among women currently engaged or self-identified as aspiring small business owners and entrepreneurs. Women who participated a conference for female entrepreneurs, jointly sponsored by Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center, were surveyed. The survey consisted of five sections: the first gathered respondent’s …

Work Life Balance: Organizational Leadership And Best Practices To Overcome Burnout For Female Realtors, Carmen Sarkis

Theses and Dissertations

Women Realtors in residential real estate have a difficult time avoiding burnout and are commonly ineffective in achieving work life balance (WLB). This qualitative, phenomenological research study focused on understanding the issues of WLB and burnout which female Realtors faced, and best strategies in overcoming these issues. There were four main research questions and a total of 12 interview questions which were used as a method to collect data for research purposes. Fifteen participants who met the criteria of inclusion as discussed in Chapter 3 participated in this study, and were located using LinkedIn, and the National Association of Realtors. …

A Look At Contributing Factors That Affect Female Underrepresentation In Management, In The United States, Nushine W. Hosseini

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines contributing factors that affect female underrepresentation in management, in the United States (U.S.), within the U.S. workforce. The primary variables of interest are intrinsic motivation, work life balance and organizational climate support, which have typically not been reviewed in depth, in prior research.

Using a framework of varied theoretical approaches, this research studies the relationship between the above-mentioned constructs and gender effect, as related to interest in career advancement opportunities and female leadership underrepresentation within organizations.

The results of this study further validate existing research and highlights the importance of establishing programs, geared towards shifting mindsets and …

Dames Paving Pathways To Directorships. A Study About Female Leaders In Art Museums In The United States, Mechele Manno

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine and describe the career pathways of female art museum directors in the United States

Methodology: This phenomenological study described lived experiences of eight female art museum directors with over five years of directorship experience from museums with operating budgets over $10 million and in states that receive the highest private funding: CA, DC, IL, MA, NY, OH, PA, and TX. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews using a scripted interview guide in research categories: a) motivation; b) career advancement; c) barriers; and d) support.

Findings: All major findings were …

A Seat At The Table: A Phenomenological Study Of The Gap In African American/Black Women With Nonprofit Executive Leadership Roles, Angela J. Griffin

Educational and Organizational Learning and Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of African American/Black women leaders in the nonprofit business sector in the Pacific Northwest. The intent was to understand how their experiences of inequitable opportunities in the workplace prohibited them from attaining and retaining executive leadership roles. A qualitative, transcendental phenomenological approach was used to explore the career pathway trajectory for African American/Black women in the nonprofit sector, to capture the essence of their experiences navigating inequities along the leadership pipeline. To examine their experiences, critical race theory and social cognitive career theory provided a multifaceted viewpoint of African …

A Phenomenological Study Of Factors Influencing Senor Female United States Marine Corps Officer Retention Decisions, Angel Rae Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study showed factors that influenced senior female U.S. Marine Corps' (USMC) officer retention decisions. The qualitative study was based on the interpretivism research philosophy and Mobley's model of turnover and employed a phenomenological research design to identify themes regarding participants' perceptions of their lived experiences involving their professions and factors that affected their mandates to remain on active duty. The study included 11 women volunteers who had either earned membership in General Officer (GO) ranks or were competitive for within the USMC as a colonel (CV); they were recruited through purposive sampling, and data were collected through interviews. Data …

Factors Of Women-Founded High-Growth Technology Startup, Renee Gillard

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify and describe critical startup factors of high-growth technology startups as identified by women founders in Seattle, Washington.

Methodology: This mixed-method study identified and described 15 women founders of high-growth technology startups in Seattle. Participants were chosen based on specific criteria and recommendations of a sponsor and expert panel. Interviews were conducted with the participants and they completed an online survey.

Findings: Ten major findings emerged from the data. Founders fostered a strong network of professional and personal relationships to help develop and solidify their identity; they also …

Experiences Of Subtle Sexism Among Women Employees In The National Park Service, Audrey Marie Ashcraft

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although blatant sexism persists in the workplace, there is a subtler type of sexism that is not often discussed. Some of the harmful outcomes that concern organization employees and leaders include decreased job satisfaction and morale, increased stress and turnover, damaged workplace relationships, barriers to career development for women, and decreased feelings of safety in law enforcement employees. Subtle sexism is often disguised as friendliness or chivalry, and therefore is difficult to detect, so it is often ignored or trivialized. The harms are cumulative and compound over time. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to gather data about …

Gendering Migration Determinants: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Professional Immigrant Women From India, Noreen Ohlrich

Theses and Dissertations

The economic contributions of highly qualified (HQ) labor migrants from developing countries fuel the global talent race. The problem is that little is known about the women in this sought out talent pool. This phenomenological study addressed this neglected gendered dimension by exploring how professional Asian Indian women experienced the following aspects of international migration: (a) gendering international mobility, (b) women and the race for global talent, (c) policies and the labor market, (d) cultural stigma, (e) brain drain versus diaspora networks, and (f) the Asian Indian woman paradox.

Professional Asian Indian women from greater Frankfurt am Main, Germany were …

Exploring The Lives Of Women Who Lead, Susan Cloninger

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Scholars have identified various reasons for the underrepresentation of women in the upper echelons of organizations.This study used grounded theory methodology enhanced by situational analysis to explore how American women at senior levels in large organizational contexts engage and negotiate the totality of their situation.Utilizing a predominately White, married, middle to upper class, heterosexual sample, this study sought to understand how women create and consign meaning around their experiences; how they experience the fluidity and boundaries of multiple identities; and how they experience the entanglement of macro, meso, and micro societal forces.It explores relationships among factors participants named as influential …

Understanding Women Leaders In A Male-Dominated Profession: A Study Of The United States Marine Corps' Women Generals, Marianne S. Waldrop

Dissertations

Contemporary organizations are increasingly realizing that future success requires a significant shift in leadership due to globalization, flattened organizational command and control structures, rapid technology growth, and the shift from manufacturing to service industries. Specifically, current leaders and scholars have begun to recognize the importance of employee diversity within organizations, and in particular the critical need to tap into the underutilized half of the population—women. Yet, the efforts to recruit, develop or retain women has been minimal, leading to metaphors such as glass ceiling and labyrinth, which characterize the institutional, social and personal barriers women encounter when seeking high-level leadership …

An Exploration Of The Use Of Photovoice-Inspired Techniques To Facilitate Narrative Leadership In A Small Group Of Middle-Aged Women, Michelle M. Zive

Dissertations

Leadership often is defined as a persuasive relationship. Over the last two decades, narrative leadership has been viewed in the Leadership Studies literature as a source of persuasion. Narrative leaders use stories to impact others in both large-scale political and social movements, as well as in large-scale organizations. Even as this has been happening, the field also has begun to re-conceptualize leadership as a group rather than an individual process, a view of leadership sometimes characterized as shared leadership. There is limited understanding of whether narrative leadership operates in shared leadership situations and a dearth of literature about specific techniques …

A Delphi Study Of The Potential Influence Of Women In Stem Careers, Sharyn Elizabeth Mlinar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American businesses are working with educational institutions to attract women into technical and scientific professions. However, less than one quarter of the people working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are women. The educational system as-a-pipeline model is not supplying business with skilled workers, specifically female STEM employees. Organizational change must occur and this process begins with the organization's leadership. Guided by the the conceptual frameworks of Kotter & Rathgeber and Kouzes & Posner, this Delphi study asked 54 female professionals, in various locations across the United States, about what influenced them in their education and career choices. Responses …

How Women’S College Student Involvement Contributes To Their Career Aspirations And Navigation For Success In Technology Startup Organizations, Heather Doshay

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between women’s (co)curricular student involvement in college and their career outcomes in technology startups. This study focused on the ways in which past student involvement shaped women’s future career aspirations and helped them navigate their present career situations to achieve success. The study extended Astin’s Student Involvement Theory by considering how student involvement impacted career outcomes.

The qualitative methodology incorporated nine semi-structured interviews with recent college graduates turned professional women in startups working in the San Francisco Bay Area. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes and analyzed using …

A Mixed Methods Study: Dimensions Of Cross-Cultural Professional Success: Experiences Of Western Women Living And Working In Eastern Cultures, Tami J. France

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

In this world of global interconnectedness women continue to develop cross-cultural careers and their experiences impact and influence global scholarship and practice. Through this study, the relationships, resources, and characteristics that support female expatriate success were explored, with additional focus on the role of mentor and coach relationships. The mixed-methods study was conducted using a sequential approach to research that began with one-on-one semi structured interviews with ten professional women from the United States and Canada working or formerly working in China and Hong Kong. A survey was designed based on the interview findings. Professional women from western countries working …

Women Directors On Public Company Boards: Does A Critical Mass Affect Leverage?, Cindy K. Harris

Business and Economics Faculty Publications

This study examines the relationship between corporate leverage (the ratio of total debt to total assets) and gender diversity on US public company boards, with particular focus on boards that have at least 25% women directors. Using this critical mass of women eliminates from consideration boards with lesser female representation, whose female directors may be marginalized in their contributions to board functioning and decision-making. I hypothesize that when boards have this minimum threshold of gender diversity, the influence of risk-averse female directors will impact board decisions related to financing, resulting in lower debt ratios when compared to boards with no …

Progress For Women And Leadership In Qatar, Susan R. Madsen, Linzi Kemp

Susan R. Madsen

The purpose of this study was to research the state of affairs in Qatar in terms of the presence (or absence) of women in senior business leadership positions generally, and also where they are located within organizations (e.g., board members, chief officers, vice presidents, top management, division or unit heads). It is based on data mined from a major database in the Middle East North Africa (MENA), that tracks information about public and private companies in that region.

Women And Leadership In Bahrain, Susan R. Madsen, Linzi Kemp

Susan R. Madsen

Most leaders in public, private, and social sectors across the globe now acknowledge the importance of developing both men and women for formal leadership positions, and scholars (e.g., Bass, 1990; Bennis, 1989) have conducted leadership studies for decades in various disciplines (e.g., education, management, psychology) to better understand how to effectively do this. Within the human resource development (HRD) field, Kowske and Anthony (2007), Ardichvili and Manderscheid (2008), and Madsen (2009, 2012a, 2012b) have specifically highlighted the importance of studying leadership development within the United States of America and beyond. Yet, studies coming from any discipline about developing women leaders …

Opportunities And Challenges Of Shifting Identities For Women Leaders In Higher Education, Susan R. Madsen

Susan R. Madsen

It is clear that there are differing cultures, contexts, and complexities among the various groups within higher education, creating a “great divide” on many campuses across the globe. This includes the divide between current faculty and faculty who have transitioned into administration. This panelist has conducted in-depth research on the lived experiences of women university presidents in developing the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies throughout their lives that are required for success leadership in higher education. Within this larger study, data were collected, using the phenomenological research approach, on the educational backgrounds, employment positions, career paths, and related struggles and …

Female Leadership Of Today In The United Arab Emirates, Susan R. Madsen, Linzi Kemp, Moh El-Saidi

Susan R. Madsen

This paper is based on data mined from a major database in the MENA region that tracks information about public and private companies. The paper, with nearly 1000 organizations analyzed, outlines the state of affairs in the UAE in terms of the presence of women in senior leadership positions.

Leadership Programs For Women In Higher Education, Susan R. Madsen, Karen A. Longman, Jessica Daniels

Susan R. Madsen

The purpose of this abstract is to propose an AHRD conference symposium that will focus on leadership programs for women in higher education. This would be the first of four presentations, and will set the stage for a symposium that would be based on articles that will be published in a February 2012 Special Issue of Advances. I have discussed this with the Editor-in-Chief of Advances and the 2012 AHRD Conference Program Chair and received approval for this submission.

Women Managing Women: A Good Idea?, Wendy Cook, Nancy Graber Pigeon, James L. Nimnicht

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Business

As women continue to move into the workplace and into managerial positions, the wage gap for female employees is not improving. In this study, we examine the effect of having a female manager on the wages and hierarchical growth of female employees. Findings suggest that female employees may be better served by working for male managers.

Mormon Women In Leadership: The Influence Of Their Religious Worldview, Susan R. Madsen, Valerie Hudson

Susan R. Madsen

This paper will focus on the impact of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) worldview on women in leadership. The presentation will focus on four areas: (1) why examine the LDS worldview; (2), the LDS worldview concerning mortal progression, (3) the LDS culture, and (4) leadership development for LDS women.

Leading Large-Scale Social Change: Women And Higher Education In Utah, Susan R. Madsen, Cheryl Hanewicz, Doug Gardner

Susan R. Madsen

One of the most challenging types of leadership today involves influencing societies toward social change. The purpose of this session is to present the details of one complex, large-scale project created to lead efforts within Utah to understand and then motivate more young women to attend and graduate from college.

Work-Life Issues And Strategies For Women Leaders Across The Globe, Susan R. Madsen

Susan R. Madsen

Exploring the work-life issues and strategies for women leaders across the globe can provide valuable insights for scholars and practitioners in understanding similarities and differences among cultures. This paper reports on a portion of the data collected from four qualitative studies (e.g., Madsen, 2008) conducted between 2005 and 2009. The general purpose of each study was to explore the “lived experiences” (Van Manen, 2001) of women leaders in developing the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies required for successful leadership. Hence, the overarching research question for each study was as follows: What are the lived experiences of women leaders in developing …

Empowering Women Across The Globe: Advocacy, Education, And Leadership Development, Susan R. Madsen

Susan R. Madsen

Empowering and developing women has become a popular topic of discussion in the literature and for all kinds of organizations (public, private, social sector) around the world. This includes dialogue concerning the inclusion of more women’s voices in local, regional, country, and worldwide roles and issues. Although progress has been made to have more women in leadership positions from the grassroots to CEO levels, the work has just begun. Developing more women of influence requires work in three areas: advocacy, education, and leadership development. The aim of this symposium is to share research findings and insights in these three areas …

Using Organization Development For A Major Social Change Effort With Women And Education In Utah, Susan R. Madsen, Cheryl Hanewicz, Susan Thackeray

Susan R. Madsen

A critical issue right now in the state of Utah relates to women and higher education. Many leaders and citizens within the state have expressed concern that Utah is below the national average when it comes to women enrolling and completing postsecondary degrees. Although many speculate regarding the causes and challenges at the heart of this broader phenomenon, Utah stakeholders are unclear when it comes to the deeper complexities of this issue in the lives of the young female citizens within the state. The purpose of this paper and conference presentation is two-fold: first, to outline a complex, dynamic case …

Preparing More Hispanic Women For Effective Workplace Learning, Nicolle Johnson, Susan R. Madsen

Susan R. Madsen

Scholars and practitioners are interested in college attainment as an area of inquiry because post-secondary graduation is linked to increased life-long learning desires and skills as well as other benefits that will influence the effectiveness of future workplace training, development, and educational opportunities. For example, Pascarella and Terenzini (2005) stated that college not only influences employment and earnings but it also impacts moral, psychosocial, and cognitive characteristics in addition to attitudes, values, and quality of life. Cerna, Perez, and Saenz (2009) also argued that the various forms of capital (e.g., social, economic, cultural, and human) that students have when entering …

Stories Of Resistance: Black Women Corporate Executives Opposing Gendered (Everyday) Racism, Cheryl D. Jordan

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

For this research, I explored contemporary resistance strategies that Black women executives in the corporate world use to oppose negative behaviors by others associated with their race and gender. The dissertation reviews scholarship about the major role the convergence of race and gender play in the day-to-day existence of Black women. Historically, negative images and beliefs have influenced the treatment of Black women in society. These same thoughts and images affect Black women executives in today’s workplace. African-American women continue to see limited advancement to senior levels within the corporate organization, even though diversity programs abound. As leaders in the …

Chinese Women Administrators In Higher Education: Developing Leadership Throughout Life, Susan R. Madsen

Susan R. Madsen

The development of leadership has been a critical concern of many organizational leaders in various sectors (public, private, and social) across the globe. To better understand this complex phenomenon, researchers (e.g., Bass, 1990; Bennis, 1989) have been conducting leadership studies for decades in various disciplines (e.g., education, management, psychology). Yet, studies in these disciplines on developing women leaders are just emerging as an important focus of researchers and practitioners in many countries throughout the world. In many regions it has become evident that the process of developing women leaders is particularly multifaceted and challenging. There are numerous complexities inherent in …