African American Women Executives, Underrepresentation in Leadership

Abstract

Despite increased awareness of the persistent underrepresentation of African American women in senior executive roles, systemic barriers continue to hinder equitable career advancement for this group. This is important because recognizing the problem is the first step toward addressing systemic inequalities. The purpose of this modified Delphi study was to measure consensus among HR industry experts on how organizations can mitigate the underrepresentation of African American women in executive leadership positions through organizational mentorship, networking, and career advancement. Following the conceptual foundations of intersectionality theory, social cognitive career theory, and the glass ceiling theory, the research questions for the study examined what policies and programs are currently in place within organizations and how effective HR experts perceive them to be, potential ways to address the systemic issues that contribute to the lack of African American women in senior executive roles, and actionable guidance on how targeted mentorship and sponsorship programs can serve as a catalysts for change to develop further and improve the representation of African American women in leadership. The study employed a manual constant comparative analysis, measurement of median scores, and ranking measurements to analyze data collected through a three-round modified-Delphi study of human resource and diversity experts. Cronbach’s alpha was measured to determine study reliability. Based on eight items with consensus, the expert panelist further conceded on the two top recommendations. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) practices and offers practical suggestions to foster equitable pathways for underrepresented women in technology leadership.