Exploring the Experience of Women Leaders with Leadership Development in the Contemporary Dynamic Environment

Date
2023-10-11
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Abstract
The purpose of this research was to understand the extent to which women in leadership are being overtly and purposefully prepared to lead in the contemporary, dynamic environments. The research was conducted from a pragmatic paradigmatic orientation and utilized a mixed methods convergent design. Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods resulted in a combined total of 63 participants/respondents with online questionnaire (n=38) of which 13 different individuals did not participate in the interview portion, and semi-structured interviews (n=25). The sample ranged from junior to senior level women leaders within Ontario services industry who were in a leadership role for at least one year and had participated in leadership development. Six major findings emerged from this research: 1. Leadership development where learning includes social interactions positively influenced the experiences and effectiveness of women leaders. 2. Women leaders are intrinsically motivated to learn. 3. Transformational, authentic, and team leadership are valuable leadership styles/approaches within the contemporary environment. 4. Stereotypical expectations and biases in the contemporary workplace influenced the evaluation of leadership effectiveness and perception of gendered leadership. 5. Conducting needs assessment is necessary for designing development programs. 6. Communication skills is most valuable for the contemporary workplace. The Riley’s Model of Women Leadership Development was developed in response to the findings to create a collaborative approach to leadership development design and execution, among designers, providers, organizations, and women leaders who are at the core of the model.
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Keywords
women, leadership, leadership development, effectiveness, gendered, BIPOC
Citation
Riley, A. M. (2023). Exploring the experience of women leaders with leadership development in the contemporary dynamic environment (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.