JOURNEY TO THE TOP: MARGINALIZED INTERSECTED IDENTITY EFFECTS ON AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S CAREER ADVANCEMENT

Abstract

The study aimed to provide organizations with the information needed to develop and incorporate strategies and policies that would increase opportunities for advancement among African American women to the benefit of organizational performance and bottom lines while providing guidance to seeking top-level career advancement in higher education. Study 1 adopted a qualitative approach, with interviews of 13 African American female leaders. Seven themes resulted: perceived characteristics needed by Black women for success in securing a leadership role; experiences of the barriers from the intersectionality of gender and race; sources of motivation and inspiration; leaders, women, colleagues, and other professionals who understand the struggles; motivational influences of goal progress; motivational influences of outcome expectations; and motivational influences of social support network. To build on Study 1, Study 2 aimed to understand the factors influencing perceived career success for 91 recently graduated African American female professionals. Five research questions asked about the explanatory power of motivation and inspiration, social support at work, perceived discrimination, resilience, and self-efficacy. Two research questions used stepwise multiple linear regression to examine the social support, perceived discrimination, and the influence of these variables on career motivation, self-efficacy, and resilience. The findings of Study 1 revealed the support and factors that helped the participants overcome hindrances. These factors formed Study 2, indicating that each independent variable helped explain career success for recently graduated African American female professionals. The findings showed barriers and facilitators for African American women at both ends of the leadership pipeline: those who achieved leadership positions and those just beginning their careers.