Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2019 Barriers Encountered by African American Women Executives in Fortune 500 Companies Sonia Marlene Greene Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Sonia Greene has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Donna Brown, Committee Chairperson, Management Faculty Dr. Marcia Steinhauer, Committee Member, Management Faculty Dr. Sheryl Kristensen, University Reviewer, Management Faculty The Office of the Provost Walden University 2019 Abstract Barriers Encountered by African American Women Executives in Fortune 500 Companies by Sonia Marlene Greene MA, Strayer University, 2003 MBA, Strayer University, 2005 BS, Virginia State University, 1995 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University September 2019 Abstract African American women’s (AAW) presence has increased in the corporate workforce, but this increase has not transferred to a comparable rise in leadership positions. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences AAW faced relating to race and gender differences that influenced their leadership development and limitations on advancement in Fortune 500 corporations. The research problem addressed in this study was the underrepresentation of AAW in senior leadership positions within Fortune 500 corporations and what can increase their representation and retention in senior level positions. The 10 participants included African American women holding senior level positions in corporate America. The concepts of race, gender, and stereotyping derived from intersectionality theory, critical race theory, black feminist theory, and racial microaggression were the foundation for the conceptual framework. The data collected through semistructured interviews were analyzed using the modified van Kaam method. Four themes emerged including race, gender, stereotyping in the workplace, and the lack of AAW led mentorship programs. The findings of this study may contribute to social change by assisting organizational leaders in policy changes to support the concerns of AAW in leadership roles around the lack of diversity and mentoring programs to increase retention and new recruitment. Barriers Encountered by African American Women Executives in Fortune 500 Companies by Sonia Marlene Greene MA, Strayer University, 2003 MBA, Strayer University, 2005 BS, Virginia State University, 1995 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University September 2019 Dedication I first want to give God all the glory and honor for bringing through this journey. I know without him, I am nothing. I stand very strong in my faith, knowing that God will continue to bless me and guide me through all of my life’s endeavors. I dedicate this journey to my loving parents, the last Oswald S. Redmond, Sr. and Barbara L. Redmond. My parents provided a foundation of the spirituality of putting God first in whatever we set out to accomplish. With that foundation, they taught us education would be the key to our success and to never give up on what God has planted deep within our soul. To my support system, my husband; William A. Greene, Sr, and our daughter; Diamond C. Greene. These two have been my pillar of support from the start. They encouraged me never to give up when the going got too tough, and the road was too hard to bare. When times were overwhelming and unbearable, they continued to speak my end into the now of becoming what I have; I’ve worked so hard to become. They would not let me give up on my dream of completing this doctoral journey. And to the rest of my family, I extend the biggest heartfelt thank you. Acknowledgments Thank you, Dr. Donna Brown, my committee chair, for your continued support and believing in me and providing the guidance I needed to get through the dark tunnel of reviews, revisions, and submissions. You helped me discover a hidden talent that I never knew resided within me as a scholarly practitioner. Thank you, Dr. Marcia Steinhauer, my second committee chair and methodologist, for your subject matter expertise. You have been with me since the beginning. As this road traveled has not been an easy one, for me, but with your wisdom and knowledge you helped me to shape and breathe life into my research. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ................................................................................... 1 Background of the Study ............................................................................................. 2 Problem Statement ....................................................................................................... 5 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................... 7 Research Question ....................................................................................................... 8 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................ 8 Nature of the Study .................................................................................................... 11 Definitions ................................................................................................................. 13 Assumptions .............................................................................................................. 14 Scope ....................................................................................................................... 15 Delimitations .............................................................................................................. 16 Limitations ................................................................................................................. 16 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................... 17 Significance to Practice ...................................................................................... 18 Significance to Theory ....................................................................................... 19 Significance to Social Change ............................................................................ 20 Summary .................................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 22 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 22 Literature Search Strategy ......................................................................................... 23 Conceptual Framework .............................................................................................. 24 i Intersectionality Theory ...................................................................................... 25 Black Feminist Theory ....................................................................................... 27 Critical Race Theory ........................................................................................... 28 Racial Microaggression Theory ......................................................................... 31 Literature Review ...................................................................................................... 35 Historical Overview ............................................................................................ 35 Women in Leadership Today ............................................................................. 36 Diversity in Corporate Leadership ..................................................................... 37 Organizational Practices and Policies ................................................................ 42 Corporate Salary Gap ......................................................................................... 44 Glass Ceiling to the Glass Cliff .......................................................................... 47 Race, Gender, and Class ..................................................................................... 49 Coping ................................................................................................................ 52 Stereotyping ........................................................................................................ 55 Summary