In the United States, African American women remain underrepresented in senior leadership positions in many workforce sectors, including the federal sector. Despite this challenge, a few African American women have successfully attained senior leadership responsibilities in a public health service agency. Using intersectionality and social cognitive career theory as the theoretical frameworks, the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of African American women leaders in their career advancement to senior leadership positions in a health service agency of the Department of Health and Human Services in the United States. The research questions explored the experiences and perceptions of these women leaders and ways the intersection of race and gender contributed to their leadership experiences. A qualitative research design using a transcendental phenomenological approach was the chosen method. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight African American women leaders at the General Schedule Grade 15 and Senior Executive Service levels. Data were analyzed using the van Kaam method modified by Moustakas. Results indicated that while African American women leaders faced challenges and barriers, strategies exist to enhance career advancement. The results from this study may support social change by elevating understanding of the experiences and perspectives whereby strategies for increasing the career advancement of aspiring African American women leaders can be identified. When organizational leaders become more culturally competent, they can implement approaches that promote diversity within the senior leadership positions, which can have an overall effect on meeting the needs of a diverse population.

For over 3 decades, the federal government has attempted to introduce pay-for-performance into the federal workforce. It is important for federal agencies to understand the impact of pay-for-performance, specifically pay banding, on job satisfaction and retention of frontline managers as agencies face the exodus of the retiring Baby Boomer generation. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of pay banding on job satisfaction and intention of frontline managers to leave the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The theoretical foundation for this study was Adams's equity theory as viewed through the lens of Mannheim's generational theory. The overarching research question was concerned with whether pay banding effects generational perceptions of job satisfaction and predicts turnover intention. This quantitative study used ANOVA, hierarchical multiple regression, mediation analysis, moderation analysis, and logistic regression to analyze the impact of pay banding on generational perceptions of job satisfaction and turnover intention among IRS frontline managers. The sample was limited to frontline managers of the Department of the Treasury (n = 2,525). Key findings indicated that pay banding was negatively associated with job satisfaction and that pay banded managers were 1.36 times more likely to leave the agency than managers who were not pay banded. Pay banding mediated the relationship between gender and job satisfaction. Positive social changes that may result from governmental policymakers applying the findings of this study are improved retention of highly skilled frontline managers, improved the efficiency and effectiveness of government services, and reduced cost of retraining managers due to attrition. These changes may improve the work environment for employees and improve governmental services provided to the citizenry.