This study aims to explore strengths and challenges in an all-female executive team. The subject of female executive teams is relatively unexplored, why the study contributes with a new perspective on the dynamics and processes occurring in an all-female executive team. 45-minute interviews were conducted with each member of the group, which consists of five women between the age of 50 and 61. Together they constitute an executive team in a Swedish organization. A thematic analysis was conducted and four themes were identified, as follows: openness, respect, inefficient processes and homogeneity. In general, the group is perceived to be well-functioning, and they consistently emphasize positive qualities within their group. Among other things, they talk about an open climate, absence of prestige and express care for each other. To some extent, the group is homogeneous. This makes them at risk of groupthink and missing perspectives, although there is no indication in the interviews that this is occurring. They do however express a lack of time and strategic work, deficiencies in structure and to some extent a too large need for control. The study’s findings are discussed in relation to previous research on power structures, gender studies and group development. At last, suggestions are given for further studies to explore whether it is the gender composition or the women's personalities that make the group so well-functioning.

Despite ample research in the fields of organizational behavior and human resource management regarding employee decisions to voluntarily opt out of corporate leadership positions, there is little research exploring the personal experiences of black women in U.S. companies contemplating leaving executive positions. This research leverages a qualitative interpretative phenomenological study to explore why Black women corporate leaders in the United States are leaving corporate America before reaching the C-Suite. Two studies were conducted to understand the lived experiences of Black women executives in U.S. Fortune 500 companies; moreover, study two further explored and detangled some of the themes from Study One to understand the experiences of the black women leaders in the pipeline for senior management more deeply. The findings identify several environmental factors, explored in depth in this dissertation, that impact executives’ decision to leave corporate America. The findings provide a foundation to understand further the impact of the corporate environment resulting in the loss of top diverse talent in this understudied demographic. These findings also provide critical information for the Black woman executive currently working in corporate America as well as those who have opted to leave early and would like to better digest their experiences. / Business Administration/Human Resource Management