Advancement of Women in Higher Educational Leadership

Women are grossly underrepresented in leadership positions in Higher Education. Despite gains over the last several decades, the disparity still exists between women and their male counterparts. Leadership development programs, leadership style, and organizational culture have emerged as common themes in research studies. Continued advancements in these areas have the potential to benefit women as well as entire organizations. This study sought to provide evidence of common themes to benefit women's leadership in higher education and identify potential areas for future studies. Findings from this study indicated experience and perceptions of leadership influence women's leadership development. There was also support from the research identifying the impact of leadership development programs and mentoring on women's leadership career paths. Additionally, this study found effective leadership styles identified by women leaders as servant and transformational leadership. An overall finding with this research was the role organizational culture plays in women advancing within leadership in higher education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]