Mentorship for Women in Higher Education: an Approach to Workforce Development
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Mentorship for Women in Higher Education: An Approach to Workforce Development A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School Valdosta State University in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of DOCTORE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION in Public Administration in the Department of Political Science of the College of Humanities & Sciences April 2021 Tiffany Bayne Master of Public Administration, Georgia College & State University, 2011 B.A. Political Science, Georgia College & State University, 2009 © Copyright 2021 Tiffany Bayne All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Women are out enrolling men in institutions of higher education as well as filling the staff ranks. Despite the growing presence of women on our campuses, they are not progressing to the topmost leadership roles. The purpose of this study is to identify how mentoring relationships prepare women staff in higher education as leaders. A gap exists in the knowledge community around staff development as leaders in higher education. This project contributes to the knowledge community around women staff development in higher education by exploring the research question: How does mentoring contribute to leadership and workforce development for women in higher education? A phenomenological study utilized semi-structured interviewing to examine the experiences of women staff across three higher education settings, four year universities, community colleges, and technical colleges. The data collected from these interviews were coded and analyzed for themes. v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 Significance of the Study ................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................. 4 Conceptual Framework of the Study ............................................................................... 5 Research Question ........................................................................................................... 12 Research Design ............................................................................................................... 12 Definition of Terms .......................................................................................................... 15 Limitations and Delimitations ........................................................................................ 15 Organization of the Study ............................................................................................... 17 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................... 18 Mentorship in the Workplace ......................................................................................... 18 Staff Development in Higher Education ........................................................................ 36 Women’s Leadership Development in Higher Education ........................................... 43 METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................... 51 Research Design ............................................................................................................... 51 Setting ............................................................................................................................... 52 Participants ...................................................................................................................... 53 Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 55 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................... 60 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 66 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................. 106 vi REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 122 APPENDIX A: PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT MATERIALS .......................... 128 APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT CRITERIA SURVERY FOR INCLUSION ........ 132 APPENDIX C: OBSERVATION PROTOCOL ......................................................... 134 APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW PROTOCOL ............................................................... 136 APPENDIX E: IRB APPROVAL LETTER ............................................................... 140 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Criterion for Sample ............................................................................................ 14 Table 2. Kram’s Mentor-Mentee Relationship Functions ................................................. 20 Table 3. Outcomes of Three Levels of Intimacy in Two Kinds of Relationships ............. 35 Table 4. Criterion for Sample Inclusion ............................................................................ 53 Table 5. Steps for Coding and Analysis ............................................................................ 60 Table 6. Participant Matrix ................................................................................................ 68 Table 7. Early Themes Identified from Significant Statements ........................................ 83 Table 8. Examples of Significant Statements .................................................................... 84 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Mentoring Model for Women Staff in Higher Education .................................... 6 Figure 2. Length of Time of Mentoring Relationships. ..................................................... 81 Figure 3. Participant Interaction in Mentoring Relationship ............................................. 82 Figure 4. Prevalent Themes ............................................................................................... 86 ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this research project represents the hard work and dedication of many. First, I would like to thank my Chair, Dr. Jamie Workman. Dr. Workman took a chance on my project and reached outside of her own department to support this research. She shared with me her passion for Student Affairs and championed my academic pursuit of a professional experience. I also owe a debt to my committee: Dr. Keith Lee, Dr. Cara Smith, and Dr. Chris Ferland. This group of academic scholars represented the true multidisciplinary nature of Public Administration. They leant me their experiences across professional and academics fields as well as their diverse experiences in research design. I am thankful for their supportive and thought-provoking questions toward my research. Another thank you is dedicated to Dr. Holly Fling. This friend and co-worker shared her expertise in the English language, editing many drafts of this research project. She not only shared her skill with me, but she shared the joy of learning about this topic. More importantly, I would not be at this point in the journey without the unfailing support and love of my family. Every time I tried to quit; my incredible husband Doug gently pulled me back to the desk. His quiet but steady spirit filled in the gaps when I simply could not see the end of this journey. To our parents, thank you for all of the encouraging words, the meals cooked, and most of all the free babysitting! This accomplishment is yours. To my sweet babies, Hunter and Avery, you kept me both distracted and motivated. I pray to be shoulders worthy for you to stand on. Finally, to the mentors that inspired and participated in this study. Thank you for taking the time to reach back. Our lives are better because you cared. x Chapter I INTRODUCTION Significance of the Study Women’s advancement opportunities and access to leadership roles in the workforce have shifted in thought from a glass ceiling metaphor to the concept of navigating a labyrinth (Eagly & Carli, 2007). This phenomenon leaves women exploring multiple paths to leadership, often unsure what strategies are successful and without a clear trajectory. Because women’s leadership and access to leadership roles across industries occurs inconsistently and unreliably, much research has been dedicated to understanding how women lead and how women find themselves in leadership positions. This is particularly true in institutions of higher education where women are enrolling at higher rates than men, yet women leaders remain underrepresented in leadership roles. While women make up 57% of enrolled students, only 23% of university presidents and less than 30% of board members are women in these institutions (The White House Project, 2009). The rate at which women are enrolling in institutions of higher education should be creating a clear pipeline to leadership in higher education; the failure of that transition creates a need for intentional study. Tolar outlined the importance of studying women’s trajectory into leadership, “learning how women understand their pathways to leadership informs the conversation and contributes to the scholarship on leadership development, particularly the role of mentoring in that development” (2012, pp. 182- 183). Contributing to the knowledge of women’s leadership 1 development and advancement pathways is imperative to the future of higher education administration.