Female Communication and the Professional Advancement Experience
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Authors
Fogerson, Julie Marie
Issue Date
2019-04-10
Volume
Issue
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Global gender equity measures consistently rank the United States relatively low when it comes to equal opportunity for advancement and leadership positions for women. Leadership roles in architecture and engineering have the lowest parity percentage, with women filling 5.3 percent of managerial roles in these male-dominated industries. A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to reveal common meaning in the promotion process for women in the architecture and engineering fields, examining specifically whether gendered communication has affected interviewees’ experience in reaching higher leadership levels. Uncovering this shared meaning contributes to an explanation for an aspect of the overall gender parity problem. Nineteen women, working in various architectural or engineering roles, with 15 to 30 years of experience, were interviewed. Findings indicate gendered communication is a hindrance to advancement, as well as presents an opportunity, and gender bias relates to and affects aspects outside of communication. Results also supported existing research concerning challenges that stem from the lack of parental leave in the United States, in addition to revealing a particular timing issue for architects and engineers with regard to becoming licensed. Solutions include a diversity and inclusion initiative and implementing a gender inclusive parental leave program.|Keywords: Leadership, gender gap, gendered communication, professional advancement, gender bias, diversity and inclusion, parental leave, engineering, architecture, qualitative, phenomenological
Description
Citation
Publisher
Creighton University
License
Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University and to ProQuest following the publishing model selected above.