Understanding leadership barriers, support, and experiences of women in higher education administration

Abstract

In higher education the proportion of women in leadership positions has grown only modestly. Although institutions and organizations have policies and practices aimed at improving diversity and equity, ongoing underrepresentation indicates that barriers, lack of interest, or other unidentified factors influence women's opportunities for achieving leadership positions. To help address the ongoing underrepresentation of women in leadership within higher education, the dissertation is focused on women's experiences as they move toward a leadership position. In this study, the conceptual framework used was Mezirow's Critical Reflection Theory as a primary lens to guide the retrospective story-telling process that was used by the participants. Findings indicated that women's experiences of developing a career path to leadership included sources of barriers, and discouragement, along with support and encouragement.