Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Dr. Leann Stadtlander

Abstract

AbstractThis basic qualitative study was conducted to explore the authentic leadership experiences of women as they navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic, including the challenges they faced, the decisions they made, the lessons learned, and what they would do differently in the future. The conceptual framework used in this study was the role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders and humanistic motivation theory, which were used to examine the gender disparities that pose challenges for female leaders. The research involved conducting online conference interviews with nine individuals. Volunteers met the following selection criteria: identified as a female with five or more years of experience at the executive level, with titles equivalent in responsibility to Director, Controller, Assistant Vice President, Vice President, up to C-Suite, and responsible for a minimum of five direct reports; and were executive women in a U.S. organization that was not part of a health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic through 3rd quarter or more. The interviews were analyzed through coding and the development of themes. The study’s findings included four major themes: crisis leadership, fear of the unknown, empathy, and work and life balance. The study’s insights may be used to promote positive social change through increased opportunities for women to assume leadership roles in diverse industry organizations, creating a more balanced and equitable professional landscape.

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