University of San Diego Digital USD Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2016 Understanding Women Leaders in a Male-Dominated Profession: A Study of the United States Marine Corps' Women Generals Marianne S. Waldrop University of San Diego Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations Part of the Military History Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Digital USD Citation Waldrop, Marianne S., "Understanding Women Leaders in a Male-Dominated Profession: A Study of the United States Marine Corps' Women Generals" (2016). Dissertations. 60. https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/60 This Dissertation: Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital USD. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNDERSTANDING WOMEN LEADERS IN A MALE-DOMINATED PROFESSION: A STUDY OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS’ WOMEN GENERALS by Marianne S. Waldrop A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2016 Dissertation Committee Lea Hubbard, Ph.D. Cheryl Getz, Ed.D. Robert Donmoyer, Ph.D. University of San Diego © Copyright by Marianne S. Waldrop All Rights Reserved 2016 ABSTRACT Contemporary organizations are increasingly realizing that future success requires a significant shift in leadership due to globalization, flattened organizational command and control structures, rapid technology growth, and the shift from manufacturing to service industries. Specifically, current leaders and scholars have begun to recognize the importance of employee diversity within organizations, and in particular the critical need to tap into the underutilized half of the population—women. Yet, the efforts to recruit, develop or retain women has been minimal, leading to metaphors such as glass ceiling and labyrinth, which characterize the institutional, social and personal barriers women encounter when seeking high-level leadership positions. While many women have pushed past these barriers, the current body of literature tends to focus more on the challenges that serve to hold women back. As a result, there are few studies of highly successful women in high-level leadership positions, and even fewer of those that have examined successful women in male-dominated career fields such as the United States Marine Corps. Although the organization is noted for rigid institutional barriers and pervasive gender bias, women have been able to achieve the highest positions of responsibility within the the Corps’ general-level ranks. This exploratory case study/cross-case analysis examined the career trajectories of eight of the ten women Marines who achieved the rank of general, revealing the complexity of navigating success in the male-dominated context of the Marine Corps. An exploration of personal, organizational, and cultural influences revealed three themes consistent across the women generals: a willingness to settle for short-term career goals, the privileging of their Marine identity, and a strong affinity with the core values of the Corps’ culture. Beyond this, the women generals attributed their success to an array of differing strategies, motivations, and decisions. As Brigadier General Reals concluded, “There is no magical path or yellow brick road” leading to success of women in the Marine Corps. This inquiry not only offers a rare glimpse into the careers of successful military women, but also provides greater understanding of some of the factors that support and challenge leadership achievement for women more generally. DEDICATION My study of successful women in the Marine Corps is in tribute to my parents, Colonel Floyd “Cy” H. Waldrop, USMC (Ret.) and Mary Ann Waldrop who always supported me. My father, who passed in 2003, was my greatest inspiration and was the role model for my life: basketball player, golfer, and Marine. Although I may be a bit biased, my dad continues to be the best Marine officer that I have ever known. He once questioned my decision to go into the Marine Corps while in Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in college, suggesting that the U.S. Navy would have more opportunities for women; I boldly retorted, "Dad, you didn’t settle for less, so why should I???!" That was the end of the debate. As for my mother who passed away 21 months after my father, she was an ardent Marine Corps supporter, wife, and cheerleader for all the other Marines in her life (and there were many)! She was the daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law of Marines. I owe my success to their example, their commitment and passion for our country and the U.S. Marine Corps, and my inborn love for the same. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people I would like to thank who made this landmark study a reality. This examination and research would not be possible without the willingness and enthusiasm of the eight women Marine Corps generals who participated in this study. It was an honor and privilege to be the first to study the collective group of the 10 most successful women in the Marine Corps. Major General Tracy Garrett was essential to my success in completing this research. Her willingness to act as a liaison for me was crucial to my access to these women generals. Furthermore, I would like to thank the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation for generously bestowing me with their support through the General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., Memorial Dissertation Fellowship in illuminating the stories of the Corps’ women generals and filling a significant gap in Marine Corps literature. My accomplishment in completing this study was aided by many wonderful people. First, I would like to thank my committee of Drs. Lea Hubbard, Bob Donmoyer, and Cheryl Getz. Lea Hubbard was my committee chair who served as my academic coach, maintaining faith in my writing and analytic ability even when I had lost it. Bob Donmoyer was my continual cheerleader and also my trusted methodologist. Cheryl Getz, along with Dr. Terry Monroe, encouraged me to think big, suggesting to me early in the program that women Marine Corps generals were “mine” to study. Second, if it were not for my trusted friend and admired colleague, Dr. Tricia Rhodes, this study would yet to be finished. I credit her unfailing loyalty, compassion, enthusiasm for me and my work, and most importantly, her editorial skill for my ability to finish on time. Third, Heather Gibb is credited for reminding me of my sense of humor and the vii program’s deadlines. Finally, I thank Sergio Rodriguez for his willingness to help me produce the historically valuable appendices to this dissertation. It is imperative that I express my gratitude for the friendship and comradery that my fellow students shared with me during this journey: Juan Roche, Jessica Williams, Rubina Bhatti, Mara Vicente-Robinson, Jenny Jones, Andria Shook, Elizabeth Castillo, Elaine Lewis, and Rafael Tovar. Each of them knows our unique connection and bond. I also want to express my gratitude to Kathryn Bingham for being my carpool partner for the three years we attended classes on campus. On a personal note, I wish to thank family and friends. My hope is that they already know my appreciation of their role in my accomplishments and the gift that they were to me. I am grateful for my sister, Dr. Judy Waldrop-Williams, and her enthusiastic interest in my study and enduring emotional support as well as her guidance and encouragement. And finally, I wish to thank my golfing friends, Debbie Rossi and Melinda Balkom, and those from Rancho Bernardo Inn Women’s Golf Club for their patience and understanding regarding my absence on the links since starting my dissertation. I will be out there again, soon! viii PREFACE I am the third of four generations to have served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and of these, am the only woman. At the age of 10, I proclaimed to my retiring U.S Marine Corps colonel father that I wanted to grow up to be a U.S. Marine Corps officer just like him. Twelve years later in 1987, after participating in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, I was commissioned a Marine Corps second lieutenant. I feel tremendous pride in my service of over 24 years in the Marines. My career spanned some critical milestones and advancements for women Marines, including being allowed to deploy with their units to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, serve aboard U.S. Navy combatant ships, and qualify as Marine Corps pilots. Although the prohibitions against serving aboard ships and flying in the Marine Corps were not lifted early enough to expand my own service options, opportunities have significantly increased for the young women who were commissioned after me. These policy changes, along with changes in social and cultural attitudes regarding women’s capabilities, have improved women Marine’s opportunities and enabled them to serve in a more egalitarian manner alongside their male counterparts. Despite the prohibitions under which I served, I became an intelligence officer, deploying to combat zones in Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, and ultimately achieving the rank of colonel, a senior level rank rarely reached by any Marine, much less a female one. My interest in this study was born out of both frustration and curiosity. First and foremost, I was continually frustrated in reading the literature on women leaders. Whether it came from academia or was a product of the popular press, the storyline was ix the same: Women have made little progress in ascending to the top of organizations over the last half century. Almost inevitably, women were portrayed as victims of oppression who were marginalized by the barriers they faced in a wide array of organizations and institutions, and in society as a whole.