Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sexual Exploitation: The Crisis And Eradicative Solution, Tonnie Adams Bracey

Student Capstone Projects

French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I find this to be true in our current era of the digital age. Although technology has gifted a newly improved and vast method of making worldwide connections and broadening our perceptions and views, a change in how we communicate has conveniently presented itself, but the historic pattern of how we handle these new advancements have indeed stayed the same.
Smart phones are a mainstream vessel employing the world with a plethora of information while giving all sorts of people access to individual’s lives …

Millennial Latina Non-Profit Leaders: Exploring Self-Sabotaging Behaviors And Their Journey To Reclaiming Their Power, Tatiana Mendoza-Larreynaga

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by Millennial Latina nonprofit C-Suite leaders and explore the impact of these behaviors on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by Millennial Latina nonprofit leaders to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: Employing a mixed method sequential explanatory design, the research involved eight Millennial Latina nonprofit leaders, utilizing convenience and snowball sampling. Data collection included electronic Likert scales to quantify self-sabotaging behaviors and interviews to explore lived experiences. Analysis sought to identify prevalent behaviors and strategies for overcoming …

Women In Leadership Positions In Higher Education: Challenges, Opportunities, And Strategies For Success, Maria Bowen

M.S. in Leadership

This research project is aimed to identify the challenges and barriers women face in higher education while striving to obtain leadership positions and provide possible solutions to resolve the gender gaps found in higher education’s leadership. A literature review was conducted, which informed questions that were asked in an interview setting. Interviews were conducted with leaders that identify as women in higher education and sought to provide personalized accounts of the researched trends. Ultimately, despite higher education being perceived as a progressive industry and having legislature in place to combat gender disparities, leadership positions are not reflective of gender distribution …

Leading And Mentoring Women In Stem: Mitigating Gender & Microaggressions, Lilicia Bailey, April Curry

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

Microaggressions, behaviors that can be nonverbal or verbal, can occur when individuals “communicate negative, hostile, and derogatory messages to people rooted in their marginalized group membership (based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality).” This statistic, according to the Institutional Transformation program at the University of New Hampshire,¹ is in alignment with what researchers indicate regarding microaggressions, asserting that they can be “intentional or unintentional” can occur daily, and are unacknowledged (Making the Invisible Visible: Gender Based Microaggressions, n.d.).

We consider the various types of microaggressions, specifically those based on gender, and assess the effect it has on women in leadership …

Black Women And Theoretical Frameworks, Laschanda Johnson

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

Despite the upsurge in the number of woman students as well as novice faculty /administrators, there are still too few women leaders to inspire the shifting demographics. The growing number of female undergraduate students in most parts of the world has created the erroneous perception that gender equality in higher education has been attained. While women's contribution to higher education has increased, the attainment of leadership positions is practically unknown from the global perspective. Given that higher education is becoming a more complicated global enterprise, gender equality in leadership is not only an issue of impartiality but also a need …

Women Parliamentarians In India Since 1991: Challenges And Opportunities, Vatsala Bhusry

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

India gained a new economic orientation in 1991 following the policy of economic liberalization. It offered the opportunities to close the gender gap in various fields including the political field as visualized in the original goal of the Indian constitution. However, there is an acute underrepresentation of women at the national political level and there is a lack of evidence-based research studies to analyze this gap. This study maps the political trajectories of 13 elected women leaders holding offices at the national level since 2019. To better understand the challenges and opportunities at both macro and micro levels they came …

The Journeys Of Women In Local Elected Office: From Community Engagement To Making Meaningful Contributions, Andrea Marr

Dissertations

Women remain underrepresented across every level of elected office in the United States. More than 30 years after the supposed “Year of the Woman,” women hold less than 30% of the elected positions in local, state, and federal office. In the past, researchers attributed the paucity of women in office to structural barriers, including sexism in the electorate, fundraising difficulties, and discrimination by party gate keepers. A growing body of research, however, attributes the dearth of female politicians to a lack of political ambition among women and to gender socialization that prevents women from seeing themselves as political leaders.

The …

The Lived Experiences Of Women Postdrug Court: A Phenomenological Study, Cantrell Ward

Ed.D. Dissertations

Despite a negative stigma about drug treatment courts, researchers have indicated that drug courts are essential to reducing recidivism and helping offenders reintegrate into various communities. Although there is extensive research concerning recidivism in men, less is known about recidivism in women, leaving a gap in the literature on formerly incarcerated women and their experiences completing drug treatment court, the role of familial support system, and recidivism. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand how previously incarcerated women who had completed a drug treatment program described the role of family support systems in preventing recidivism. Five formerly incarcerated women who …

The Role Of Gender And Curiosity On Transformational Leadership: A Mixed-Methods Study, Brooke Colleen Mott

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Environmental leaders are tasked with finding innovative solutions to dynamic environmental challenges. Leaders must gain and use new knowledge and experiences that motivate resolving gaps in one’s knowledge (i.e., curiosity) and thereby find forward-thinking solutions. Although curiosity is an integral part of human existence, it may be experienced in various ways. Studies have shown that men and women may possess different leadership styles. Nevertheless, the influence of curiosity on leadership between genders has not been as readily explored. Women exhibit unique characteristics for successful leadership in many contexts, but they are often underrepresented in natural resource management overall. Characteristics of …

Argentine Women’S Narratives Of Leadership, Ileana Andrea Mocciola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated and examined the narratives of Argentine women leaders while obtaining and exercising leadership positions. This research was based on narrative theory and the feminist standpoint theory. Argentine female participants (N = 10) were subject to interviews that overall lasted 600 minutes and were conducted through the Zoom platform. Fifty-five pages of single-spaced transcripts were analyzed and studied. The results of this study revealed that Argentine women face major challenges when it comes to tokenism, exclusion, mentorship, and stereotypes that prevent and limit them from reaching and succeeding in leadership positions.

The Lived Experience Of Hmong Women In Leadership Roles, Nou Vang

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of Hmong women who have achieved leadership positions.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of 12 Hmong women who have ascent to leadership roles through personal, face-to-face, in- depth, open-ended questions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for emergent themes. Related artifacts from the participants, along with the participant interviews, were collected to triangulate data. Research findings were a result of the correlating themes based on the qualitative data analysis and research question.

Findings: The findings of the study indicated that …

Phenomenological Study: The Perceived Impact Of The Intersectional Barriers Created By Gender And Race On African American Females’ Advancement To A Senior Executive Service Within The Federal Government, Nicole Oliver

Dissertations

Purpose. This phenomenological study aimed to investigate the perceived impact of intersectional barriers created by gender and ethnicity on the advancement of African American females to the Senior Executive Service (SES) corps of the United States federal civil service. Additionally, the study sought to identify strategies used by African American females to overcome these barriers because of intersectionality and advance to the SES corps of the United States federal civil service.

Methodology. This qualitative phenomenological study used a convenience sampling method to select eight African American females who have advanced to an SES position in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. …

Exemplary Senior Navy Female Leadership: A Study Of How Navy Female Leaders Use The Grit Characteristics Courage, Conscientiousness, Long-Term Goals, Resilience, And Excellence Versus Perfection To Create Extraordinary Results Within Their Organizations, Cache' Hapner

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how exemplary senior Navy female leaders used five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological method to describe how eight senior Navy female leaders use five characteristics of grit to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations. Respondents were purposively chosen. The researcher collected data through interviews, transcripts, and artifacts that were triangulated and coded for themes using NVivo software.

Findings: Exemplary senior Navy female leaders use …

The Southern Baptist Convention’S Perception Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Compared To African American Pastors’ And Leaders’ Lived Experiences, Jeffrey J. Wallace

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The study of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is complex and multilayered. Similarly, the study of DEI within an ecclesiastical and ecumenical Christian movement like the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has its challenges. Challenges and tensions surrounding the SBC, relating to women's leadership issues, the infiltration of partisanship and politics in the pulpits, racial injustice flashpoint moments, and the lack of ethnic diversity in a crucial leadership position have impacted the overall lived experience of African American pastors and leaders. This phenomenological study explored the Southern Baptist Convention's perception of diversity, equity, and inclusion compared to African American pastors’ and …

A Multidimensional Grounded Theory Study Of Personal Confidence Among Female Theological Educators, Claudia Dempsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In recent decades, several notable studies have revealed that women do not generally experience the same level of confidence as men. This is significant for women because of the debilitating implications of underconfidence. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was, therefore, to explore common antecedents and deterrents of confidence so as to provide a theoretical framework related to the phenomenon of underconfidence among female theological educators while also providing insight into the multidimensional nature of confidence. The selected audience of this study were Christian female educators teaching within theological schools accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). …

She Leads Business Education: A Phenomenological Study On The Career Development Of Female Deans Leading Aacsb-Accredited Business Schools In America, Rachel Staples Guettler

Theses and Dissertations

As women advance into leadership roles in America, there is a demand for career development research to deepen understanding of strategies for overcoming obstacles and maximizing opportunities. This study investigated 13.4% of the population of female Deans of AACSB-accredited business schools in America through qualitative inquiry. During this study, 157 of 540 American business schools with AACSB accreditation were led by female Deans. A female perspective was interpreted through the framework of Career Development Theory revealing the internal and external forces impacting career development chronology, experiences, contexts, behavioral patterns, beliefs, and leadership of women who have become Deans. Gender-related and …

Women Entrepreneurs' Work-Life Integration And Coping Strategies In China, Susan Pattis

Theses and Dissertations

This study applied a qualitative and phenomenological research methodology to interview 20 women entrepreneurs from Beijing, China. The study aims to understand how their past experiences, present expectations, and future hopes have impacted their work-life integration strategies. The 20 participants were randomly selected through an expert gatekeeper and a snowball-rolling technique. In this explorative study, the researcher used Giele's (2008) life course theoretical framework and Weber and Cissna-Heath’s (2015) coping strategy instruments by asking the twenty participants to share their sociodemographic backgrounds and answer 27 life course questions covering periods of early childhood, childhood and adolescence, current adulthood, and future …

Against All Odds: The Successful Leadership Journey Of A Saudi Woman In A Male-Dominated Stem Corporation, Maha Aldaajani

Theses and Dissertations

Huda Al-Ghoson became the first Saudi woman in an executive leadership position at Saudi Aramco, defying gender discrimination in a male-dominated corporate. This dissertation examined Al-Ghoson's groundbreaking journey and its implications for Saudi women, addressing the scarcity of information on successful Saudi female leaders' strategies and experiences. The literature review explored gender-related theories, Transformational leadership theory, and Full-Range leadership theory. A qualitative exploratory single-case study design was employed, with Huda Al-Ghoson as the focal point. The research questions were: (a) as a Saudi woman in a top leadership role, how does Al-Ghoson perceive her ascension to leadership in a male-dominated …

Motivated And Determined & Making A Difference As Executives (Mad & Made) In The Entertainment Industry: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Female Entertainment Industry Executives’ Challenges And Paths To Elevation, Angela M. Killens

Theses and Dissertations

Since the birth of the United States and the enslavement of Africans in America, Black women have had to navigate challenges in various industries to elevate toward, and excel in, positions of power. From grade school to the workplace, Black women have had to contend with racism, discrimination, and inequities that have been impediments despite their level of education and experience. With little literature specifically documenting the experiences of Black women who work on the corporate side of the entertainment industry, the data acquired from this qualitative phenomenological study provides insight into these women’s lives. The study discloses some of …

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 …

Female African American Deans’ Rise To Success: Navigating And Conquering Self-Sabotaging Behaviors By Taking Back Their Power, Davina Bailey

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-method study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by female African American Deans in higher education and to explore the impact these behaviors had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by female African American Deans in higher education to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This sequential explanatory mixed-method study explored the lived experiences of nine female African American deans who acknowledged they had experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their careers. The researcher distributed an electronic Likert scale survey to the participants to identify the most …

Exploring The Underrepresentation Of Women Coaches In Canadian University Sport, Hayley Finn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Currently, there are disproportionally few women who hold coaching positions within Canadian university sport. To investigate the gender gap, this dissertation explores the institutional practices that inform women coaches’ working realities. Applying Smith’s (1987) institutional ethnography as a mode of inquiry directed the exploration towards the everyday practices and processes that inform experience, to better understand current barriers and supports in place. In this study, particular attention is given to social relations, which Smith (2005) calls the relations of ruling that coordinate activities and experiences of individuals within organizations. Institutional ethnography aims to explicate these relations of ruling by exploring …

Shattering Your Own Glass Ceiling: The Self-Sabotaging Behaviors Of Secondary Female Principals And Strategies Used To Overcome Them, Ashley Sandor

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by female secondary principals and to explore the impact these behaviors have on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies used to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: An explanatory mixed methods design was used to uncover the perspectives of 10 female secondary principals in Northern California who have experienced career impacting self-sabotaging behaviors and to examine strategies that exemplary female secondary principals use to overcome their internal barriers. The quantitative phase included a 51-item online survey about self-sabotaging …

Understanding Integral Peace Leadership In Practice: Lessons And Learnings From Women Peacemaker Narratives, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Miznah Omair Alomair

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Integral peace leadership is an emergent framework that creates space for just change by challenging violence and aggression while building positive systems and structures. This article utilizes a deductive qualitative analysis strategy to critically examine the proposed concepts of integral peace leadership to determine their saliency for peacebuilding practice. Utilized to study these concepts are 10 Women PeaceMakers’ narratives. Results indicate that 25 of the 35 concepts studied across four quadrants were relevant in the women’s peace leadership work, with an additional six concepts revealed. The analysis demonstrates that the concepts of integral peace leadership are present in the work …

An Examination Of Female Officers’ Career Advancement In The U.S. Military, Glenda A. Gill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is little research about the gender-related barriers female military officers face when working to advance in the ranks even though there continues to be research about gender bias and discrimination when pursuing leadership and management positions. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of veteran female officers who advanced in rank in the U.S. military. Secondarily, the purpose was to: (a) determine if women experienced role congruity barriers, while advancing in rank and (b) determine if women experienced role congruity when they attempted to advance in rank to elite-level leadership positions. In this study, …

The Professional Struggles Of Contemporary Korean Women: Origins And Consequences Of The Glass Ceiling, Liat Miller

Master's Projects and Capstones

The status of women globally, though improved in recent decades, remains an unresolved issue. The labor market, in which women must contend with the glass ceiling phenomenon, is an indicative microcosmos of a larger issue—the persistence of discriminatory attitudes toward women. The case is even more profound in East Asian contexts, such as South Korea. The existing literature is limited and focuses on either specific aspects of the glass ceiling or particular industries in Korea. This paper explores the origins and interconnected causes of the glass ceiling in Korea, which include Confucian philosophy and values. Moreover, by analyzing testimonials of …

Leading During Covid-19: Women In The Agricultural Industry, Kathryn Gardner

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is no doubt COVID-19 has forever shaped the way our organizations operate, and leaders emerge in times of crisis. However, women uniquely face challenges and obstacles in the workplace during non-pandemic circumstances that were amplified in the past year as the lines between work and life were blurred. Literature and historical evidence show that women face significant barriers and bias compared to their male counterparts when pursuing leadership roles. This study sought to identify how women in agriculture, a male dominated industry, have encountered circumstances of obstacles or bias in their careers as leaders, as well as how they …

Empowering Action Against Femicide: A Case Study Of Turkey An Integrated Literature Review, Ashley Simon

Thinking Matters Symposium

The primary purpose of this integrative literature review is to explore the relationship between culture and femicide within Turkey to empower action against femicide. Femicides within Turkey are on the rise, as a study done by Sage Journals in 2009 reported that 42% of Turkish women between the ages of 15 and 60 experienced some form of physical or sexual abuse from their husband or partner. Currently, there has been an onslaught of articles released that more and more women are being abused throughout the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research will explore cultural aspects that allow for women’s …

Perceived Organizational Support For Women’S Advancement And Turnover Intentions And Career Advancement Aspirations. The Mediating Role Of Job And Employer Satisfaction., Marta Squadrito

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine whether the lack of organizational support for women’s advancement decreases female supervisors and managers’ aspiration to advance their careers and increases their turnover intentions and, the mediating effect of job satisfaction and employer satisfaction on the relationship between support and advancement aspirations and turnover intentions.

The antecedents of turnover intentions have been widely studied in the literature, while the antecedents of career aspirations, especially women’s, have not been a focus of much scholarly attention. Based on a review of the literature and drawing upon social exchange theory, and social cognitive theory, it …

Addressing Allyship In A Time Of A “Thousand Papercuts”, Rangita De Silva De Alwis

All Faculty Scholarship

In 2020, a team of students in the class on Women, Law and Leadership students interviewed 100 male law students on their philosophy on leadership and conducted several surveys on allyship and subtle bias. Complementing the allyship interviews, the class developed several survey instruments to examine emerging bias protocols and stereotype threats among a new generation of leaders at Penn Law from a diverse demographic. This exploration looked at individual patterns of conduct, institutional policies and organizational behavior that could combat a new generation of structural and systemic biases. Thirty years after the landmark study by Lani Guinier, we look …