Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Management

This research aims to look at the changes and inequities that minority women face in the financial services industry, specifically African American Women in Organizational Leadership. This research focuses on the differences and behavioral impact of these leaders, as well as the lack of representation at the “C-Suite” level, to better understand some of the challenges and barriers they faced that were unique from those faced by their peers, as well as success factors that allowed them to advance to senior-level management positions. Many consumers will unwittingly come across a section titled “Diversity and Inclusion” while browsing the websites of today's leading banks. Almost every bank in the world has made it a requirement to promote this relatively new policy, which aims to ensure that employees of all genders and backgrounds have an equal chance of being hired and progressing through their organizations in a fair manner. We've seen some progress in women's representation in corporate America over the last five years. Since 2015, the number of women in top leadership positions has increased. This is especially true in the executive suite, where female representation has increased from 17 percent to 21 percent. Although this is a step in the right direction, parity is still a long way off, particularly for women of color, who are underrepresented at all levels. Women's representation gains will eventually stall unless significant changes are made early in the pipeline. Women have a significantly harder time advancing in their careers than males due to gender bias. Gender bias, on the other hand, isn't the only roadblock to women's career advancement. Women whose social identities differ from the dominant workplace expectations—that is, women who are not White—face additional challenges, including navigating more precarious situations, being forced to conform to cultural norms that may contradict their social identities, and encountering biases other than gend (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Diana Bilimoria (Committee Chair); Yolanda Freeman-Hildreth (Committee Member); Corinne Coen (Committee Member); Paul Salipante (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Management; Womens Studies

MFA, Kent State University, 2019, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

It is apparent that there is a lack of female creative leadership in the design field. There is a movement to correct the ratio, but it is taking time. This thesis searches for the reasons why there are relatively few female creative directors in the design field. How can we retain the existing female talent in the industry as we look towards a more diverse working team? This thesis examines methods that could be employed to develop young talented designers coming through the mix. Previous research has shown that there is a lack of female creative leadership in the design field. This study analyses interviews with four people in the creative community to gain in-depth insight and real-world knowledge within the design field. Discussion with participants included their past and present experiences, both in their family/home life and work life as professional creatives. Secondary research was carried out investigating how these participants were being addressed globally in the work place both inside and outside the creative industry. It sought to determine the importance of a diverse workforce in the creative industry. The study examined perspectives from current creative industry leadership, the steps being taken to address the situation and the effectiveness of these initiatives.

Committee: Ken Visocky O’Grady MFA (Advisor); Sanda Katila MFA (Advisor); Jessica Barness MFA (Advisor) Subjects: Communication; Gender

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2011, Leadership and Change

For this research, I explored contemporary resistance strategies that Black women executives in the corporate world use to oppose negative behaviors by others associated with their race and gender. The dissertation reviews scholarship about the major role the convergence of race and gender play in the day-to-day existence of Black women. Historically, negative images and beliefs have influenced the treatment of Black women in society. These same thoughts and images affect Black women executives in today's workplace. African-American women continue to see limited advancement to senior levels within the corporate organization, even though diversity programs abound. As leaders in the corporation jump higher hurdles to achieve executive level positions, Black women continue to be invisible in corporations. Using biographical inquiry, I explored resistance by Black women corporate executives to negative images. I identified specific acts and motifs of resistance in the workplace through questions designed to elicit career life histories through their personal stories. A final purpose was to connect the worlds of the corporate and the academic by sharing the career life history motifs from the interviews with Black women professors whose scholarly pursuits and interests are in the area of critical race and gender studies. I wanted to hear their suggestions for the practical application of this information toward further development and transference of knowledge in this area. The electronic version of this dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Committee: Philomena Essed PhD (Committee Chair); Laurien Alexandre PhD (Committee Member); Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Member); Stella Nkomo PhD (Other) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; Black Studies; Business Administration; Ethnic Studies; Gender; Gender Studies; Management; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Organizational Behavior; Personal Relationships; Social Psychology; Womens Studies