Citation
Hodges, J., Pearson, A., & Reese, D. (2011). WomenLEAD: Leadership development for female faculty in business and engineering. International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 3(2), 331-337.
Highlights
- The study’s main objective was to describe and promote the implementation of WomenLEAD, a program offered at a business and engineering college to foster leadership development in female faculty by providing advice and support.
- WomenLEAD consisted of eight sessions focused on challenges faced by female faculty for advancement, such as work-life balance, gender biases, and communication differences. At the end of the program, the authors, who created and implemented the WomenLEAD program, administered a participant survey to elicit participants’ feedback on the degree to which each of the sessions influenced participants’ awareness and understanding of issues relevant to their leadership development.
- The participants’ survey suggested that WomenLEAD increased women’s awareness and understanding of issues covered in each session, such as communicating with power, career challenges, and leadership qualities. Comments on the survey indicated appreciation for the support network of women the program created. The program intends to continue this networking through continued formal and informal gatherings and to expand it to female faculty at other colleges.
Reviewed by CLEAR
March 2016