Running head: DBA PROSPECTUS

DBA Prospectus

Student: Victoria Robinson Victoria.robinson2@waldenu.edu Qualitative & Case Study Research for Business Analysis DDBA 8991-2 Dr. Bari Courts

Walden University December 25, 2010

DBA PROSPECTUS Abstract Gender equality has been an issue in society for many years. An environment where women and men share power and influence creates a democratic society and contributes to economic growth by promoting skills and creativity. To achieve gender equality, men and women must share equally in the distribution of power and influence; have equal opportunities for financial independence through work or entrepreneurship; and enjoy equal access to education and the opportunity to develop personal ambitions (United Nations Population Fund, 2008). Promoting gender equality is essential for the empowerment of women. The implementation of nationwide awareness-raising campaigns in many states have begun to promote women's human rights and to combat negative attitudes on gender stereotypes (Amani,

2010). In many instances, women do not receive workplace mentoring, support, encouragement, or feedback in the working environment that would support their professional advancement. Sperandio (2010) explained that each workplace has informal attitudes and behaviors that may support or discriminate against women. The intent of this research is to explore the lived experiences of the barriers to women's progression to senior positions in the corporate arena.

DBA PROSPECTUS Foundation of Prospectus The Walden University designed the Doctorate of Business Administration Doctoral Study to provide a scholarly, research-based response to an issue, business problem, or practice possibly contributing to social change (Courts, 2010). The doctoral prospectus consists of three sections with the first section outlining the business problem or issue at hand. The second section includes detailed information concerning the actual purpose of the study. Lastly, the third section entails a review of the findings and provides an overview of how the study addressed the issue under research. The Civil Rights Act enacted in 1964, was to eliminate employment discrimination against persons because of their race, religion, sex, or national origin (Workplace Fairness, 2010). Nearly 50 years later, there is still a strong resistance to enforcement of these laws

especially towards women. Limits on promotion to top-level management positions still occur in society today. To achieve gender equality, men and women must share equally in the distribution of power and influence; have equal opportunities for financial independence through work or entrepreneurship; and enjoy equal access to education and the opportunity to develop personal ambitions (United Nations Population Fund, 2008). Amani (2010) suggested, women consistently lag behind men in work force participation and entrepreneurship, often earn less than men for similar work, and have less access to credit and lower inheritance and ownership rights than men do. Section 1: Initial Problem This proposed research will explore the barriers women face in the workplace in terms of advancement. Only 3% of Fortune 500 companies have a woman as CEO, five SEC commissioners are women, the head of the White House Council of Economic Advisers is a

DBA PROSPECTUS woman, Senators, and three women are the heading up the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (Scherer, 2010). Generally, women are not in top positions in corporations, because of the belief that women cannot perform, as well as, men in the corporate world (Scherer, 2010). According to D'Souza (2007), no longer do women have a problem with the issue of entry point of business careers; however, there is serious concern in the area of advancement. Behavior is hard to change unless there are incentives to change, and this is a reason why progress is slow towards equality for women in the corporate world (Rose, 2010). The reality of the situation is that there is opposition for equality in the workplace for women despite programs to promote equality. Rose (2010) stated women do not receive equal pay, nor do they climb as high as men do on the corporate ladder. Even though equal pay has been the law since 1963, women continue to earn less than men with similar skills, education, and experience (American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations, 2010). Full time women workers earn on the average 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn (American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations, 2010). Employees should be evaluated based on merit and not gender, but this does not happen often enough. Women may feel they have fewer opportunities for career advancement opportunities than men with the same skills and qualifications (Stillman, 2008). This is evident by the overwhelming reality that men hold the majority of CEO and high-powered positions. According to Catalyst (2005), women make up more than 45% of the U.S. workforce but only lead seven Fortune 500 companies and ten Fortune 501-1000 companies. The challenge is to change how society perceives women in the workplace. Organizations must educate their managers and executives about the influence of stereotyping and ways to override automatic tendencies to stereotype (Catalyst, 2005).

DBA PROSPECTUS Background of Problem

The roles that men and women play in society are not biologically determined -- they are socially determined, changing and changeable (United Nations Population Fund (2008). Accordingly, historical data reveal that men have had a longstanding dominance of power and influence in society as women continue to be restricted physically and intellectually when compared to men (Toussaint, 2005). There are evident physiological differences between men and women, sometimes justifying the unequal treatment of women on all levels of human interaction (Toussaint, 2005). Often times, women have been viewed as the housekeeper while the man has been viewed as the provider and the protector. According to Toussaint (2005), these views continue to define different social roles for men and women as the physiological differences limit women in their choice of careers, their intellectual maturity and credibility, and their ability to be effective contributors to the advancement of human society. A woman experiences interruptions such as childbearing in their working careers; therefore making the wages they can command in the market slightly discounted (Rose 2010). Catalyst (2005) believes these stereotypic beliefs spill over into the workplace, posing an invisible and powerful threat to women in leadership positions. Catalyst (2005) further explained that gender stereotypes portray women as lacking the very qualities that people usually associate with effective leadership. As such, the same opportunities given to men elude women in terms of advancement in the corporate arena. Exploring different strategies may possibly help eliminate gender stereotypes. Top-level executives need to be proactive in regards to discrimination as this practice can become very costly. Unfair treatment disrupts the working environment, as well as, lowers morale among employees.

DBA PROSPECTUS In this regard, women will have to take more initiative in their quest to become executives, which will require persistence and perseverance. D'Souza (2007) contended the promotion of managers often depends on the skill of negotiating authority and whether or not others support or undercut their efforts. The male dominant world of management requires women to change their linguistic style to command-oriented in order to be perceived as strong, decisive, and in control (D'Souza, 2007). Problem Statement The general business problem is that professional women are not advancing in the

workplace environment at the rate that professional men are advancing. According to Goudreau (2010), only 3% of the worlds top 1000 companies have women chief executives. This issue of limited workplace advancement for women can be a defined as a learned behavior and is stereotypical (Workplace Fairness, 2010). As illustrated, Tlaiss & Kauser (2010) conveyed female managers perceive their career progression to be affected by practices and organizational culture, while mentoring and tokenism were shown to be less critical. The world continues to progress towards gender parity. In 2008, an estimated 52.6 percent of women worked in the labor force, compared to 77.5 percent men (Amani, 2010). Additionally, most women are still responsible for taking care of the home and caring for ill relatives, which also present barriers to pursuing educational goals and career advancement. According to Amani (2010), women are more likely than men to work low-paying and lowstatus jobs. Amani (2010) asserted gender wage-gaps are estimated to be between 3 to 51 percent, with a global average of 17 percent. Women receive less pay than males in nearly all job categories and are more likely to be laid off in economic crisis (Workplace Fairness, 2010). As a result of the global economic crisis, more women are being pushed into vulnerable jobs

DBA PROSPECTUS with limited or no safety net that guards against income loss during economic hardship (Amani,2010). The specific business problem is that women do not receive workplace mentoring, support, encouragement, or feedback in the working environment that would support their professional advancement. According to Stillman (2008), a quarter of female workers feel, they have fewer opportunities for career advancement opportunities than men do even though they have similar skills and qualifications. A survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com revealed 18% of women feel they receive less training than the men and 17% of women say they are not afforded the same degree of workplace flexibility (Stillman, 2008). According to Sperandio (2010), qualifications, required work experience, promotion procedures, and job descriptions may help or hinder women's progress to leadership. Sperandio (2010) explained that each workplace has informal attitudes and behaviors that may support or

discriminate against women. Women with family care giving responsibilities feel disadvantaged at times because some employers are insensitive to this issue. The intent of this research is to explore the lived experiences of the barriers to women's progression to senior positions in the corporate arena. The "glass ceiling" restricts the movement of most women into most managerial positions. Ibarra, H. & Hansen, M.T. (2009) believed the glass cliff theory, happens when women are appointed to poorly performing companies, therefore, few women reach the top. Adams (2009) argued through socialization individuals adopt norms and values that define their leadership execution. Societal attitudes toward the education of women, their domestic responsibilities, and ability to provide leadership contribute to female careers involving leadership (Sperandio, 2010). Women at the table enlarges the context of what society values

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and the solutions put forth begin to reflect the concerns, ideas, and values women share (Daniels, 2009). According to Daniels (2009), the context opens up from focusing on womens issues to the larger framework of the societal agenda. The corporate world is in need of a womens perspective on issues, which will create a balance in leadership and greater progress. The impact of womens leadership is imperative because women must become agents of change. If more women step up to leadership position, they can change the world. Section 2: Purpose Statement This purpose of this qualitative method and phenomenological research design is to explore the lived experiences, understandings, and beliefs about workplace advancement to positions of power among women in the greater Pittsburgh area. The qualitative research design is appropriate to use in this proposal because it is the most appropriate way to elicit quality responses from professional women in the workplace environment. After obtaining informed consent, participants will be identified and recruited for interviewing purposes. The target population will consist of approximately 15 women in organizations with members who are professional women, as well as, small business owners living in the Pittsburgh area. The primary method of data collection will be from short storytelling from an internet website such as Survey Monkey to determine the similarities, differences, and challenges in workplace environments. In addition, participants will tell stories about their success in reaching professional positions at this time in their career. Moreover, they will share their challenges and opportunities they experienced during their journey. They will also reflect on the moments of mentoring, of receiving guidance and support. The data collected will answer the research questions by enabling the participants to express their real feelings and analyze the results to get real meaning.

DBA PROSPECTUS Nature of Study

The nature of the study will be a qualitative approach, since a quantitative method would not be appropriate in story telling analysis. Brown, Denning, Groh, and Prusak (2005), emphasized that storytelling is the single most significant way to communicate change in organizations. Telling stories is critically important in research, because it allows people to engage their emotions, visualize events, and understand concepts. The phenomenological nature of the research will afford the researcher the opportunity to explore the human experience and shine light on the participants perception of the issue. Tesch (1984) believed the general design for research consists of three phases, which include tentative conceptualization and general exploring of dimensions, checking leads, and confirmation of prototypal description. Phenomenological research deals with conscious experiences and provides meaning for empathetic understanding. The qualitative nature of the study will contribute to social change by reducing the numerous workplace barriers that preclude upward mobility for women. There is a disproportionately high male representation in many professional hierarchies, especially in the corporate world compared to women (Wilkinson, 1995). Women in leadership are good business. The talents women possess can contribute to social change as they bring their passion and background to the boardrooms to improve life for themselves, organizations, and society. Tarr-Whelan (2009) believed real change starts to happen when womens representation at the top reaches 30%. The corporate world needs women to help make the tough decisions and balance leadership. Few women make key decisions in high places but not enough to have a significant impact. Changing who makes the decisions will change the solutions adopted years ago.

DBA PROSPECTUS Research Question The researcher interviewed an administrator for the City of Pittsburgh with the topic for discussion relating to why professional women do not advance in the workplace environment at the rate that professional men advance. The primary research goal desired from the interview was to uncover the root cause and contributing factors of gender inequality. The purpose of this qualitative method and phenomenological research design is to explore the lived experiences, understandings, and beliefs about workplace advancement to positions of power. Section 3: Overview of Findings A good researcher will make sure that the evolving theory has validity with the accompanying data. From this phenomenological qualitative research study, patterns emerged and data was coded and themed accordingly. The major themes outlined included advancement for women, barriers, mentoring, encouragement, and exploration of lived experiences. These themes correlate with the research question of why professional women do not advance in the workplace environment at the rate that professional men advance. Data Collection

Creswell (2007) defined the process of data collection as a circle of interrelated activities aimed at gathering good information to answer emerging research questions (p. 118). These interrelated activities include locating a site or individual, gaining access and making rapport, sampling purposefully, collecting data, recording information, exploring field issues, and storing data (Creswell, 2007, p. 117). Good research involves analysis plus synthesis, which involves detective work that shows the patterns in data (Ellerby, 2009). The person selected for this interview was chosen because she has been in the professional arena for many years. She has held various positions, which has afforded her the

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opportunity to experience different case scenarios. The interviewees background is relevant to my topic because she is a woman, in a management position, and finding it difficult to advance from her current position. All criteria were met by the interviewee, as she has been a City of Pittsburgh employee for ten years and has worked in several departments in this time frame. Appropriate consent form and confidentiality agreements were signed in relation to the study. Accordingly, the interviewee participated voluntarily with much interest in the subject matter. The data was collected by a face-to-face interview. The length of the interview was approximately 20 minutes. The nature of the interview consisted of open-ended questions in a very relaxed atmosphere. A tape recorder was used in the audio recording process. This transcribing process was done after completion of the interview by listening to the recording as well as going over the notes that were taken during the interview. The entire twenty-minute interview was transcribed and summarized with coded themes accordingly. Data Analysis Data analysis in qualitative research consists of preparing and organizing the data for analysis, then reducing the data into theme through a process of coding and condensing the codes, and finally representing the data in figures, tables, or a discussion (Creswell, 2007, p. 149). As patterns emerge, the researcher codes and categorizes the data to develop a theory. A good researcher will make sure that the evolving theory has validity with the accompanying data. According to Creswell (2007), the processes of the data collection, data analysis, and report writing are interrelated and usually act simultaneously in a research project (p. 149). Good research involves analysis plus synthesis, which involves detective work that shows the patterns in data (Ellerby, 2009). Ellerby (2009) stated synthesis may present itself as a gut

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feeling that something is right or true after examination of the data and its patterns. The data was analyzed using a short list of codes and selecting chunks of data from the interview transcript and placing this data in hierarchical order. The analysis process to synthesize and summarize the data after coding was done to identify the true insights and core truths about the patterns developed during the interview process to build research output. Concluding Statement Tarr-Whelan (2009) argued that the United States would become a beacon for the world when women become equal partners in decision-making. Closing the leadership gap between genders is a win-win situation for everyone. According to Tarr-Whelan (2009), women's values and vision will bring in new ideas and create a more balanced and productive work environment, a revitalized social compact, and demonstrable positive effects on the bottom line in business and government. It takes a committed leadership to accomplish favorable change in a society. According to Lentin (2004), leaders must learn to shift from a control and command style to one of facilitating and mentoring for companies to remain sustainable. The study will contribute to social change by providing unprecedented support for the importance of formal mentoring to empower women for future career advancement. As women develop more skills, initiative, and innovation, societal benefits increase significantly. Corporations who understand the importance of formal mentoring can help create work environments that provide equal opportunities for advancement for both men and women all the while remaining sustainable in society. Empowering women is vital to sustainable development in the realization of human equality.

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References Adams, E.A. (2009), "Voices from two sides of the Atlantic: women's leadership in Finland and the United States. Educational leadership: global contexts and international comparisons", International Perspectives on Education and Society, Vol. 11 pp.221-43. American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (2010). It's time for working women to earn equal pay. Retrieved from http://www.aflcio.org/issues/jobseconomy/women/equalpay/ Amani, E (2010, July). 54th session on the UN commission on the status of women progress but huge political challenges ahead. Retrieved from http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jul/1046.html Brown, J. S., Denning, S. Groh, K., Prusak, L. (2005). Storytelling in organizations: Why storytelling is transforming 21st century organizations and management. Burlington, MA: Elsevier, Butterworth-Heinemann. Catalyst (2005). Women Take Care, Men Take Charge: Stereotyping of U.S. Business Leaders Exposed. New York, NY. Retrieved from http://www.catalyst.org/file/53/women%20take%20care,%20men%20take%20charge %20stereotyping%20of%20u.s.%20business%20leaders%20exposed.pdf Courts, B. (2010, Nov). Demystifying the DBA Doctoral Study [Study Notes]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn? CourseID=4602882&Survey=1&47=7029778&ClientNodeID=984646&coursenav=1&b hcp=1

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Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed., p. 167). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Daniels, K. (2009, October). The missing context: From Womens Issues to Societal Needs. Retrieved from http://thewip.net/contributors/2009/10/the_missing_context_from_women.html D'Souza, F.. Become the CEO your mom wanted you to marry: Women who shatter the glass (the social and cultural construction of gender stereotypes among a sample of women in business). Ph.D. dissertation, Loyola University Chicago, United States -- Illinois. Retrieved October 21, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global.(Publication No. AAT 3261312). Ellerby, L (2009, April). Analysis, plus synthesis: Turning data into insights. Retrieved from http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/04/analysis-plus-synthesis-turning-datainto-insights.php Goudreau, J. (2010, March). Women are gaining speed in government. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/05/women-government-power-forbes-woman-powerwomen-quotas.html Ibarra, H. & Hansen, M.T. (2009). Women CEOs: why so few? Retrieved from http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2009/12/women_ceo_why_so_few.html lman, J. (2008, August). A quarter of women report workplace discrimination. Retrieved from http://www.bnet.com/blog/bnet1/a-quarter-of-women-report-workplacediscrimination/532

DBA PROSPECTUS Lentin, J. (2004). Strategies for success in mentoring: A handbook for mentors and protgs. The Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta. Retrieved from http://www.apegga.org/pdf/Guidelines/StrategiesMentoring.pdf Rose, N. (2010). Obstacles Women face in the Corporate World. Retrieved from http://hubpages.com/hub/Women-in-the-Corporate-World Scherer, M. (2010, May). The New Sheriffs of Wall Street. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1988953,00.html.

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Sperandio, J. (2010). Modeling cultural context for aspiring women educational leaders. Journal of Educational Administration, 48(6), 716-726. Retrieved October 21, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2146383991). Tarr-Whelan, L. (2009, October). Women lead the way: Your guide to stepping up to leadership and changing the world. Williston, VT. Retrieved from http://www.lindatarrwhelan.com/WLTW_flyer.pdf Tesch, R. (1984, Apr). Phenomenological studies: A critical analysis of their nature and procedures. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp? _nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED268122&ERICExtSearch_SearchTy pe_0=no&accno=ED268122 The Impact of Diversity on Women in the Workplace (2008, January). Retrieved from http://ivythesis.typepad.com/.services/blog/6a00e00987fe51883300e54fbb710c8833/sear ch?filter.q=women+advancement

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Tlaiss, H. & Kauser, S. (2010). Perceived organizational barriers to women's career advancement in Lebanon. Gender in Management, 25(6), 462-496. Retrieved October 21, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2116110801). Toussaint, J. (2005, Jan). The glass ceiling. Feminism and women studies. Retrieved from http://feminism.eserver.org/the-glass-ceiling.txt United Nations Population Fund (2008). Gender Equality: Empowering Women. Retrieved from http://www.unfpa.org/gender/empowerment.htm Wilkinson, D. (1995, January). Gender and social inequality: the prevailing significance of race. (An American Dilemma Revisited). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Gale, Cengage Learning. Retrieved from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-16783180.html Workplace fairness: Its everyones job. (2010). Hidden barriers, discrimination. Retrieved from http://www.workplacefairness.org/sc/discrimination.php