The Contribution of Ethnic Culture in Leadership Experiences of Minority Women Managers: A Narrative Inquiry

Studying leadership without the specific inclusion of the role of gender and culture limits the scope of knowledge in this area. At a practical level, a lack of attention to these factors and the dynamics that they produce can create problems in leadership development within organizations. If corporate leaders plan to increase the percentage of minority women to lead and manage their businesses, it is imperative that they understand the impact of ethnic culture's unique contribution to minority women's diverse leadership characteristics. The purpose of this qualitative, narrative inquiry study documented and described how ethnic culture contributes to minority women's leadership experiences in U.S. business organizations. The inquiry used a narrative design methodology examining the experiences of ethnic minority corporate female leaders currently employed in mid-sized and large corporations in the Northeastern United States, and extended into intersectionality theory and critical race theory including original qualitative data on minority women's leadership characteristics. The investigator used open-ended interviewing as the instrument gathering primary data concerning five participants' stories of experiences. This body explored the career development and the management experiences and opportunities of visible minority women in leadership positions, with an emphasis on ethno-cultural diversity and existing theories in leadership. Researchers may want to examine additional ethnicities and cultures to further examine the different ways individuals' cultures influence their leadership style, and which leadership theories are exhibited.