The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to understand why so few
women have achieved CEO positions or similar high positions in large companies in Peru.
Although a small number of women, about 12% in the executive committees and 17% on
corporate boards, have achieved high or executive positions worldwide (McKinsey, 2019),
those women who have achieved top senior leadership position are a phenomenon that
deserves to be studied in order to understand the process involved. In this study, conducted
using a grounded theory approach, 18 executives with the position of CEO, board member or
senior partner in a large company in Peru were interviewed in depth. The interviews were
semi-structured, and the data was analyzed using the constant comparative method suggested
by Strauss & Corbin (1990) and supported by MAXQDA software for qualitative data
analysis. The results identified a complex process in the career ascent of these women
executives. Fourteen dimensions - endogenous, exogenous and interconnected theoretical
categories - emerged in the process. These findings were elevated into a substantive theory
called the process of the evolution of women executives into influential business leaders.
This study’s findings form a basis that could be used to build upon until a firm theory is
developed, which could help understand this phenomenon from within to help managers, and
particularly women, to implement policies that give women equal opportunity to men to
reach the upper echelon of company management structures.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PUCP/oai:tesis.pucp.edu.pe:20.500.12404/19483 |
| Date | 16 June 2021 |
| Creators | Portugal Manrique, Rocío Margot |
| Contributors | Guevara Moncada, Rubén |
| Publisher | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, PE |
| Source Sets | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
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