<p> The success of firm lawyers depends largely upon their ability to develop a clientele. Naturally, access to potential clients and the relationships between lawyers and their clients and potential clients are exceedingly important for client development. Various factors likely play into relationships between lawyers and business leaders, two important factors being homophily and in-group preferences. Both homophily and in-group preferences mechanisms would predict that law firms are more likely to assign clients to associates who bear certain similarities to those clients. Accordingly, associates who are more similar to the business community they serve are more likely to be assigned clients and awarded responsibility. In this way, a lawyers' success depends in part on the composition of the business community in which they operate. In making partnership decisions, law firms value associates' aptitude for client relations, thus incorporating these effects into promotion evaluations. This study asks the question: at the state level, to what extent does the success of female-owned businesses correlate to the success of female lawyers who work at law firms? Using a national survey of lawyers seven years after admission to the bar, logistic regression demonstrates that it is not the percentage of businesses in a state that are female-owned that influences the likelihood of making partner for female associates. Rather, the results show that the percentage of sales generated by female-owned businesses is the influential variable: as women generate a greater percent of a state's economic activity, female lawyers are in turn more likely to achieve the status of partner.</p>

<p> Women account for more than 50% of college graduates, more than 50% of professional degrees such as M.D. and J.D., and more than 50.0% of management, professional, and related occupations (Labor, 2011). However, women hold only 14.3% of executive officer positions of the Fortune 500 companies, and the number of female CEOs at these companies is 3.8% (Catalyst, 2012). Given these statistics, a natural shift to a more gender-balanced senior management should be a reasonable, expected outcome. </p><p> In addition, research in the past decade lead by Daniel Goleman (1995, 2000, 2004) has identified an individual's emotional intelligence as a key aspect and driver of leadership effectiveness. Emotional intelligence assessments have found women and men to be equally as intelligent emotionally, but they are strong in different areas or attributes which are considered gender-specific. </p><p> This mixed method phenomenological study was grounded in research by Goleman (1998, 2000, 2004) and Bar-On (2005) which explored emotional intelligence as it relates to leadership and success in organizations. The purpose of this research study was to apply Goleman's leadership theory and Bar-On's gender-related emotional intelligence in a way that examines the possible relationship between gender-specific emotional intelligence attributes and women's career advancement in a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. </p><p> Twelve participants at four levels of the company were selected &ndash; vice president, director, manager, and administrative assistant. Each participant completed the EQ-i 2.0 assessment followed by a 30-minute in-depth interview. The data was analyzed to assess specific EQ attributes, and to understand each participant's lived experiences with leadership, emotional intelligence, and gender bias or barriers. </p><p> Women at the vice president level had group mean EQ scores that were higher in the male-specific EQ attributes, and women at the manager level had group mean EQ scores that were higher in female-specific attributes, which suggests that women adapt their EQ attributes as they rise to ranks of leadership. To help close the leadership gap and address barriers that women face, the researcher recommends that organizations provide diversity training, mentoring programs, robust talent management, EQ education and training, and leadership support from the top.</p>

<p> Women have a low level of representation in the construction industry, even though they are nearly half of the U.S. workforce. This study sought to understand the motivation processes and successful work outcome strategies of woman leaders in construction, many of whom created a niche and advanced in the workforce. The specific research question was: What may be learned from a study of the motivational processes and successful work outcome strategies used by successful woman leaders in the construction industry in a Northwestern U.S. city? Limited information exists in the literature on woman leaders in the construction industry as it relates to motivation processes and successful work outcome strategies. No peer-reviewed articles located discussed the effectiveness of motivational practices and success strategies. The literature review focused upon the theory of purposeful work behavior. A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted to interview 15 woman leaders in construction. The results reveal that woman leaders in construction are strong and resilient, need strong support systems, and still face many roadblocks. Recommendation for future research include a replication of the study in the fields of medicine, aerospace, banking, finance, and maritime. The information gathered in this study will aid future researchers and spur further research in the field of women in construction.</p>

<p> This study investigates women's future family and work expectations and anticipations. It uses data gathered from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), specifically from the Washington Post: DC-Region Moms Poll, April 2005 dataset. Focusing on women and their expectations for future family and work life, the study aspires to examine what motherhood has to offer women as well as how women experience employment. Regarding workplace suitability for women who are also mothers, it was hypothesized that attitudes in agreement with workplaces being set up to handle the needs of mothers would be higher for (1) white women than women of racial minority, (2) women who are currently married than women who are not currently married, (3) women who report that they have a paid job in addition to being a mother than women who report that they do not have a paid job in addition to being a mother, (4) women aged thirty through thirty-nine years than for women of other ages, and (5) women who have attended college than for women who have not attended college. The dependent variable is attitude about whether workplaces are set up to handle the needs of mothers; the independent variables are race, marriage status, paid job in addition to motherhood, age, and education level. My findings suggest that race and education level significantly predict one's attitudes about whether workplaces are set up to handle the needs of mothers. However, marital status, paid job in addition to motherhood, and age did not significantly predict one's attitudes about whether workplaces are set up to handle the needs of mothers. This study is consistent with previous research and suggests there are differences between individuals in terms of their future family and work expectations.</p>

<p> Organizational leaders need to establish policies and programs to retain quality employees. Mentorship and work life balance positively impact organizational commitment and reduce turnover intention. The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to explore the role that mentors play in helping women achieve work life balance. </p><p> Two major theoretical frameworks were used as a basis of this study. Giele (2008) identified 4 life course dimensions that contribute to an individual's behavioral system: identity, relational style, drive and motivation, and adaptive style. Elder and Giele (2009) built on this work and combined elements of their paradigms to link dimensions of an individual's behavioral system and the setting where that individual functions. Kram (1988) documented 2 major categories of mentorship functions. The first set of functions, career functions, focuses on those aspects of the mentoring relationship that enhance career advancement. The second set of functions, psychosocial functions, focuses on interpersonal aspects of the relationship. The research questions focused on how the presence of a mentor in the workplace impacted women's experiences and enabled them to meet the challenges of work life balance. </p><p> The research questions explored how having a mentor while dealing with the challenges of work life balance impacted the 17 participants' perceptions of organizational commitment and turnover intention. The researcher also investigated how mentorship functions differed based on the characteristics of the mentor relationship. </p><p> This researcher gathered the data by sending an online survey to 80 women who had previously participated in the Digital Women's Project (Weber, 2011). Data were coded based on a priori lists that were developed from the theoretical frameworks and the literature. Themes were established and utilized to develop findings for each research question. </p><p> Nine out of 17 participants had a mentor who aided her with work life balance. Women who had a mentor experienced all 4 life course dimensions. Both mentoring and work life balance positively impacted the participants' organizational commitment and reduced their turnover intention. The participants experienced almost exclusively positive mentorship outcomes. In light of these findings, organizational leaders can develop policies and programs to encourage mentorship and aid employees with work life balance, thus increasing retention. </p>

<p> <b>Purpose.</b> The purpose of this study was to examine the progression and perception of the glass ceiling today, against the backdrop of decades of changing social developments, including changing demographics, economies, and technological advancements; legislative mandates; organizational structures with a more humanistic approach to human capital; a shift toward collaborative intra- and interagency organizational management; and an unprecedented active citizenry.</p><p> <b>Theoretical Framework.</b> The theoretical framework was based on three foundational theories: organizational theory, feminist theory, and collaborative management theory.</p><p> <b>Methodology.</b> This study included 12 participants, all executive-level women at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) from the deputy executive officer level and above. A semistructured interview approach was utilized to best capture each participant&rsquo;s perceptions in relation to career advancement since each participant&rsquo;s experience was different and due to the highly political climate associated with executive-level positions.</p><p> <b>Findings.</b> The glass ceiling is still pervasive, and all participants indicated being personally impacted by it. Comparable pay is still an issue, occupational segregation is still commonplace, children and marriage are still barriers to advancement, and despite in many cases women surpassing men in educational attainment, disparity at the top continues. Diversity has created unprecedented opportunity, even if by default. Work&ndash;life balance continues to be an issue. Technological advances and shifts to knowledge-based work are expected to increase career advancement. Feminine traits such as nurturing and consensus building that were once seen as negatives are now viewed as positive traits in collaborative structures.</p><p> <b>Conclusions and Recommendations.</b> The results of this study support the overall literature review and the researcher&rsquo;s position that emerging changes in social and organizational structures, especially a shift to more humanistic and collaborative organizational structures, will create career advancement opportunities for women. However, since this a rapidly evolving structure, management/organizational reporting structures need to evolve as well. Women must educate themselves in nontraditional female fields like engineering and the sciences. Joining professional organizations, networking, and mentoring need to be practiced. Lastly, women must be committed to growth and know that they will have to work harder than men, have more education and credentials, and continue to push on the ceiling until it shatters.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to design a program, identify potential funding sources, and write a grant to fund a program that will provide extended transitional housing for women offenders and address the impact that long term incarceration has had on their lives.</p><p> An extensive literature review provided increased knowledge about the historical, racial and gender context of women offenders and the reentry challenges they face. The grant writer designed a reentry program for women based on current literature about women in jails, prisons; on parole and probation; and the gender specific interventions for substance use and mental health disorders.</p><p> The California Wellness Foundation was the most suitable funding source for this project. This program will be located at Harbour Area Half way Houses, Inc. in Long Beach, California.</p><p> Actual submission and/or funding of the grant was not required for the successful completion of this project.</p>

<p> This qualitative, phenomenological study examined the psychological success factors of the executive woman as well as the use of psychological capital. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine what these women considered success strategies and to determine the extent these executives used the tenants of hope, optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy as psychological strategies for success. Twenty female executives with the titles of Vice-President, Senior Vice-President, President, CEO, COO, CNO, Dean, Assistant Dean, and General Counsel were interviewed. The results indicate that determination in hard work, attitude, and risk taking were the most common strategies women listed as contributors to their success. Additionally, all women reported using optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy as means to succeed. Hope was used as a strategy in eighteen of the twenty females, with two females indicating that hope is not a resource they used at all.</p>

<p> Critical research on the intersections of gender, race and class on women faculty of color largely addresses the experience of those in 4-year universities. In addition, the available research on community college faculty namely addresses the perceptions of culture and climate by those of White women faculty. To date, the scholarship on the experiences of women faculty of color (WFofC) in community colleges is nearly nonexistent. This study offers in-depth insight into the experiences of WFofC at 2-year institutions, contributing to the emerging body of critical research. Bringing the perspectives of WFofC at 2-year institutions to the forefront validates not only their presence in academe, but also acknowledges and celebrates their work as committed educators. </p><p> Semi-structured interviews were collected from 37 participants who represented 11 different community colleges in the urban/suburban regions of Los Angeles and Orange Counties in southern California.</p><p> Findings revealed that WFofC experience multiple forms of marginalization, as well as agency. The intersections of gender, race and class manifested themselves in the findings and confirmed that the experiences of WFofC can be unified as a collective minority experience to contrast dominant groups. They are simultaneously diversified because of the unique differences in ethnic identity and lived experience amongst each other.</p><p> For many, the institutional culture and climate perceived by WFofC in community colleges validated that it was &ldquo;chilly&rdquo; and not as &ldquo;warm&rdquo; as those from research findings that sampled White women faculty. The type of the community college district, department culture and status in the faculty hierarchy were factors that influenced their experience of climate. Despite many expressing the culture of their institutions as being &ldquo;hostile,&rdquo; these women of color were overwhelmingly satisfied in their faculty work. Their commitment to serving underrepresented students, and sense of responsibility to the community at large, mediated the chilliness.</p><p> Recommendations for future research include further analyses of the rich data collected from this study. Recommendations for policy and practice include institutionalizing the hiring of diverse administrators and faculty to reach critical mass. Furthermore, community college leaders should provide formal support for WFofC through ongoing structured mentoring opportunities and faculty learning communities.</p>

A qualitative phenomenological study of qualified women's perceptions of leadership barriers in the Pentecostal Church