Advancing Women in Leadership Journal
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Women in Sport Leadership: Fifty Years Since Title IX
Get PDFWomen in athletic administration in secondary public schools in Texas remain a significant minority to their male counterparts despite nearly fifty years since the passage of Title IX. This qualitative research study used narrative inquiry to investigate the factors leading to success among female athletic administrators in secondary education Creswell’s (2013) method for coding information and identifying themes. The study results are organized by the four research questions. The findings include the importance and value of professional organizations for the personal development and networking opportunities for women. Work-life balance was noted among all the participants and the executive directors of the professional organizations as the largest factor for women leaving the industry. Desirable feminine traits, experience and connections, and influential male mentors and advocates were cited by the research participants as key factors to their personal advancement. Recommendations for practical application include partnerships between professional organizations and school districts to review key concerns as they relate to the recruit and advancement of women in athletic administration. This study provides suggestions for advancing women in athletic administration in Texas school districts including: removal of barriers, opportunity for training, district environment of readiness, professional organization support, and prioritization of work-life balance and family needs
Thriving and Striving: The Paradox of Leading and Following for Women Mid-level Administrators in the Community College
Get PDFIn this qualitative study, I explored the meaning that ten mid-level women administrators ascribe to the experience of being both a leader and a follower within the community college sector. Previous research indicates that mid-level women administrators are under-valued as leaders and followers despite their capacity and influential connectivity up, down, and across the organizational chart. Participants discussed their experiences through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and described the perceived effects of those experiences on their leadership and followership practices. Three overarching themes emerged from the transcript analysis of the narratives: leading with purpose; complications of following; and navigating an adverse work environment. Implications from the findings suggest that community college leaders at all levels will benefit from shared leadership professional development, interrogation of implicit gender bias embedded with the institution, and the reduction and removal of race-based microaggressions among faculty, staff, and administrators. By understanding the leading and following experiences of women in mid-level administrative positions in the community college, this study contributes to a broader inclusion of leadership beyond the privileging of senior-level positions
Female Superintendents and Negotiations: A Phenomenological Study of the Influence of Gender in the Midwest
No full textIn this qualitative study, the researcher examined 11 female superintendents’ experiences of negotiations. Six themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews: I am a Woman in a Man’s World (Still), Negotiating for Myself is Uncomfortable, The School Board Holds the Cards, Experience and Salary Data are Key, Fairness is Important, and Female Leaders Need Support. Recommendations are provided to bolster support and preparation for women’s participation in negotiation. Recommendations are also provided for future research to continue the exploration of female superintendents’ experiences of negotiations
Dichotomy of Perception: An Analysis of Faculty Perspectives on Affirmative Action in the University of Missouri System
Get PDFDiscrimination in admissions and faculty employment has been a problem in academia throughout this nation’s history. The Civil Rights Movement led to political and legal remedies for this problem, among them anti-discrimination provisions in admissions (Title VI) and employment (Title VII), and affirmative action (Executive Order 11246), which all provided substantial gains for underrepresented groups in higher education (Travers & Rebore, 1995).
Long known as the “marketplace of ideas,” universities have in recent years had the reputation of providing equity for all students and faculty. Yet, affirmative action, a primary tool by which to promote equity in higher education, is being challenged in the courts and legislatures of states such as California, Texas, Florida, and Washington. In addition, this study was conducted at a time when the Missouri General Assembly was considering legislation, similar to initiatives in other states, which would “…abolish minority preferences in the State’s system of public employment, education, and contracting…” (Garnier, 1998).
This study examines faculty employment data to determine what it reveals about trends in faculty hiring based upon gender. This study also examines faculty perceptions of the impact of affirmative action on employment practices in the University of Missouri System
Career Trajectories of Women Faculty Who Became Academic Administrators
Get PDFWomen faculty often view academic leadership as incompatible with their work-life balance, detracting from research and teaching commitments, resulting in a loss of autonomy and an abandonment of discipline, promoting change in their relationships with colleagues, and placing an increased emphasis on budgeting, regulations and compliance (DeZure et al., 2014). Many researchers suggest that institutional culture works against leadership development for faculty, making the transition from faculty to administrator unlikely (Barden & Curry, 2013). It is increasingly important to identify the key factors that make the difference for women faculty to assume these roles. As such, in this study qualitative methods were employed to examine the experiences and career trajectories of 16 academic women who held tenured, fully promoted faculty positions prior to becoming administrators. The researcher found evidence to support future recruitment and retention in higher education leadership
Women in School Leadership: A Case of Community Secondary Schools (CSSs) in Rural Tanzania
No full textThis study intended to find out the reasons for women teachers’ under-representation in leadership positions in rural community secondary schools in Tanzania as only 18.7 % of women are heads in 2013 in the country. The first objective was to find out the barriers for women teachers to occupy leadership posts in rural community secondary schools. The second objective was to assess the techniques used by women who are in leadership positions to occupy such posts which could help other women. This is a qualitative case study which consisted of 77 participants (7 women heads, 68 teachers, 1 REO and 1 DEO). The methods of data collection were interviews (with heads of schools, REO and DEO) and focus group discussion with teachers. Data was analysed thematically. The result shows that there are few women in leadership due to lacking support from family to the society level. Furthermore, poor working environments, witchcraft and superstitious beliefs were also observed to scare female teachers away from taking leadership posts in rural areas. Inappropriate procedures for appointing heads of secondary schools also cause women to be few in leadership. This calls for serious affirmative actions like sensitization programmes on gender equality which should be embedded in the education curriculum to make children aware from low level of education about the importance of having women leaders in secondary schools. Also, teamwork is needed to unlock the hegemonic culture that dominates Tanzanian societies
The Invisible Labor for Emerging Women Leaders: A Critical Analysis of Literature in Higher Education
Get PDFWomen faculty often view academic leadership as incompatible with their work-life balance, detracting from research and teaching commitments, resulting in a loss of autonomy and an abandonment of discipline, promoting change in their relationships with colleagues, and placing an increased emphasis on budgeting, regulations and compliance (DeZure et al., 2014). Many researchers suggest that institutional culture works against leadership development for faculty, making the transition from faculty to administrator unlikely (Barden & Curry, 2013). It is increasingly important to identify the key factors that make the difference for women faculty to assume these roles. As such, in this study qualitative methods were employed to examine the experiences and career trajectories of 16 academic women who held tenured, fully promoted faculty positions prior to becoming administrators. The researcher found evidence to support future recruitment and retention in higher education leadership
Activism among Feminist Academics: Professionalized Activism and Activist Professionals
No full textThe purpose of this study was to explore the strategies that networks of feminist faculty women use to improve the climate for women on their campuses. To do so, I presented a review of the literature that examines the nature of activism among women in the academy. This scholarly framework reinforced the need to additional research, like this study, to better understand how courageous academics mobilize and work for an equitable campus climate. By analyzing interviews, documents, and observations of meetings, I was able to get a richer picture of how two feminist faculty organizations advance their activist agendas. The stories that emerged from the data told two related, but differing stories of how academic women pursued their activist goals. In addition, their stories provided meaningful examples for other successful academic women who want to improve the climate for women on their own campuses and suggested that there is still more to be learned about the nature of activist work in the academy
The Career Path and Profile of Women Chief Academic Officers in Public Community Colleges
Get PDF"...it would appear that for women a variety of credentials and experiences have become the medium of exchange."
The position of chief academic officer (CAO) is complex and demanding. The holders of this office are generally recognized as the highest-ranking academic administrator of their institution and are charged with directing its academic mission. They are looked to for leadership, vision, and wisdom. This position is also the one most commonly held prior to assuming a presidency of an institution of higher education (Plotts, 1998; Ross & Green, 1998; Twombly, 1986). Vaughan (1989) reported that 50% of the presidents in community colleges held the CAO position immediately prior to the presidency. Twombly (1988) also confirms the importance of the CAO position in the career path leading to the community college presidency. Given their impact on the academic programs of their institutions and the likelihood that they will advance to the presidency, investigations into the career paths of these academic professionals are warranted
Two Women Professors Search for Tools to Teach Social Justice
Get PDFOne of the promises of higher education is that instruction cultivates critical thinking and insight into social reality, and, ultimately, contributes to a more just society. The disappointment is that coursework does little to help students begin the process of critically examining their own thinking, feelings, and desires. The purpose of our study was to discover how university coursework acquaints students with the issues of democratic community and social justice, to help them begin to examine the issues more critically, and provide students with an impetus to work for change in their communities.
The study was initially conducted in one course in the college of education’s educational leadership department during the summer semester 2003. It then continued during the fall 2004 semester in four courses: two courses in the Department of Educational Leadership with two sections of Social Foundations of Diverse Communities. The other two courses were in the bachelor’s of general studies program: ProSeminar in Critical Skills and Diversity in the Workplace.The study asked the following questions:
1. In one semester of coursework designed to acquaint students with issues of social justice, do students experience a change in their:
Definition of social justice?
Recognition of practices relevant to social justice in their organizations?
Sense of responsibility for contributing to change in the distribution of justice?
2. What specific type of pedagogy promoted movement toward change?