Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Anne Hacker

Abstract

Women continue to face stereotypes and barriers with their advancement to leadership positions. Nonetheless, there is an increasing number of females in leadership roles partly due to programs and policies for the advancement of women, causing several women to aspire to and take up top leadership positions in the public sector. In Saint Lucia, women hold about 70% of the senior management positions that were once dominated primarily by men. However, little is known about the role of women in public administration in Saint Lucia. This qualitative study aimed to understand the perceptions of male and female leaders relating to the role of women in public administration in Saint Lucia. The theoretical framework for this generic qualitative study was the gendered organization theory. Data were collected from five male and seven female public service leaders selected via purposeful sampling to gather descriptive data using semistructured interviews. The data were coded manually and categorized using thematic analysis. The results identified five broad roles of women in public administration in Saint Lucia: social development, leadership, change management, collaboration, and meeting the needs of the citizenry. The positive social change implication is in promoting understanding of the ability of women to perform significant roles in public administration, providing evidence to support the wider acceptance of female leaders, creating an enabling environment to empower women aspiring to leadership, and enhancing their independence and ability to provide for their family. The study should attract future research as comparative studies at another location or the further assessment of gendered roles and how they impact public administration.

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