TITLE:
Leadership Opportunity Experiences among African American Female Veteran Officers in the US Army: A Qualitative Case Study
AUTHORS:
Judie Sherrer, Ingrid Hayes-Burrell
KEYWORDS:
African American Women, Mentoring, Leadership, Glass Ceiling, Military, Women Officer’s
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.11 No.1,
January
17,
2023
ABSTRACT: This qualitative case study explores how African American female
veteran officers in the United States Army experienced leadership opportunities
and positions of Captain or above. Participants shared their perceptions
through interviews and open-ended questions.
The general research question was: How did African Americans female
veteran officers experience leadership opportunities in the US Army? Seven
themes emerged from the interviews: 1) Definition of leadership opportunities, 2)
Encouragement for competing, 3) Exceed expectations, 4) Overcoming leadership
obstacles, 5) Gender and race, 6) Impact of networking and mentoring, and 7)
Respecting African American women as leaders. The eight African American female
veteran officers were interviewed in one-on-one Skype interviews. Using the
qualitative case study approach provided individual experiences more in-depth
and detailedly. Participants shared their opinions and experiences, noting that
African American female officers have
opportunities. However, opportunities are limited due to a lack of mentoring, networking, and senior
leadership perceptions that African Americans may not be qualified to
move into many leadership positions. Data
drawn demonstrate mentors are essential in opportunities for African
American females seeking opportunities into senior-level positions in the US
Army. The conceptual framework was the Leader-Member Exchange Theory.