A phenomenological inquiry of the work and home life experiences of mothers who are college presidents

The act of managing both work and home demands is widely referred to as the work/family balance dilemma. Although both working fathers and mothers exist in the workplace, research reveals the work/family balance dilemma has been left for working mothers to experience and solve. There is extensive research in the work/family field; however, little research exists on the work and home life experiences of mothers who are leaders, particularly those in higher education. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the themes that describe the work and home life experiences of mothers who are college presidents and the meaning they attribute to their experiences. Additionally, this study set out to understand how their experiences compare, contrast and contribute to the contemporary knowledge in the field. A phenomenological approach to inquiry was used to investigate the lived experiences of three mothers who were college presidents and raising a child or children under the age of eighteen. In-depth interviews with the participants were transcribed into narrative data and analyzed for thematic content. A coding approach was used to sort the narrative data into categories, themes and issues that facilitate a description of the participants' experiences. Data analysis produced sixteen themes within five categories. The findings were then compared to the contemporary research in the field. Findings exposed that the experiences of the participants were significantly different from other working mothers when the participants were working within their campuses and at home. However, their experiences were very similar to other working mothers when the participants were working in their presidential role outside of their campuses. Future research recommendations included conducting a comparative study with fathers who are college presidents, and a longitudinal study focusing on the long-term effects, if any, the participants had in shaping the future of their students, staff, children and the higher education industry.