Business Commons^™

Successful African American Women Leaders On Ascending The Corporate Ladder In Stem: A Single Case Study, Malika Nelson-Wicks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A literature gap exists on the experiences of African American women in the United States who successfully ascended the corporate ladder in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The purpose of this qualitative, single case study with embedded units was to explore the opportunities and challenges African American women faced while having successfully ascended the corporate ladder in STEM fields. Qualitative data from six semi-structured interviews, reflective journaling, and archival data on career trajectories and labor statistics of African American women in the STEM industry were collected and triangulated to answer the central research question. This study was grounded …

Senior-Level African American Women, Underrepresentation, And Career Decision-Making, Marquita Barron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2015, 0.2% of African American women were in chief executive officer (CEO) roles and 1.2% were in executive or senior-level roles within a 500 Standard & Poor's (S&P) organization. African American women's lived experiences are underutilized by organizational and human resources (HR) leaders in the development and implementation of recruitment, talent development, diversity and inclusion, and succession planning strategies. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand lived experiences regarding career advancement decision-making strategies for senior-level African American women. The conceptual framework used was social cognitive career theory (SCCT), which addresses the 'what' and 'how' of career …

African American Women Managers' Experiences In Predominantly Black Work Environments, Ray Muhammad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The experiences of African American women managers in predominantly Black work environments and the implication of these experiences on their ability to lead remains unknown. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to gain deeper understanding of the leadership experiences of African American women managers employed in predominantly Black work environments. This study was framed by three key concepts: intersectionality of gender and race, intraracial discrimination, and colorism. The trustworthiness of the study's data was supported by employing methodological triangulation of the study's multiple data sources: semistructured interviews with 10 African American women managers as participants, journaling/ reflective …

African American Women Leaders, Intersectionality, And Organizations, Kena Renee Mayberry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research suggested that African American women (AAW) leaders are overlooked as candidates

for senior level positions in organizations. The problem that prompted this study was the lack of empirical research surrounding the intersectionality of race and gender and how this dual identity informed their leadership development and excluded AAW from the leadership promotion group identified by organizations. The research questions addressed how AAW described their career trajectory, strategies that were used to transform institutional barriers into leadership opportunities, how AAW leaders perceived their dual identity as contributing to their unique organizational experiences, and how AAW leaders perceived their role as …

Barriers Encountered By African American Women Executives, Latasha Denise Cain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, less than 16% of executive leaders in U.S. corporations were women and less than 5.3% of executive leaders in U.S. corporations were African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of 20 African American women in senior executive positions in the Southeastern region of the United States. The goal of this study was to provide business leaders with information to recognize the value of diversity and equality in the workplace. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. The conceptual framework incorporated general systems theory, which highlights the bidirectionality between an individual and his …