Preferred Name
Brooke Z. Graham
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Date of Graduation
12-14-2024
Semester of Graduation
Fall
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
School of Strategic Leadership Studies
First Advisor
Adam Vanhove
Abstract
Despite making up the majority of the healthcare workforce, women are significantly underrepresented in senior leadership positions. Leadership development programs are instrumental in developing leaders and more effectively attracting and retaining female talent in healthcare. Research has demonstrated that leadership development practices are linked to competitive performance and greater financial gains (Crowe et al., 2017; Garland et al., 2021; McAlearney, 2008). Two critical outcomes of these programs are leadership self-efficacy (LSE) and motivation to lead (MTL). While leadership development programs tend to accelerate career paths for leaders, some studies suggest that the impact may be more pronounced for males than females (Robbins et al., 2022). Despite the positive outcomes associated with leadership development (Avolio et al., 2009), it remains unclear how these programs differentially affect women and men. This study applies Heilman’s (1983) lack of fit model, Eagly and Karau’s (2002) role congruity theory, and Eagly et al.’s (1995) differential selection perspective as its theoretical framework. Using archival data from a large healthcare organization in the United States, the study analyzed responses from 181 managers, including 137 females. Regression analysis was conducted to predict post-test LSE and MTL for both males and females and to specifically examine the impact of leader age, tenure, race, and Big Five personality traits on female leaders’ post-test LSE. A high correlation between pre- and post-test LSE and MTL prevented the study hypotheses from being sufficiently tested. Post-hoc analysis identified characteristics among women related to pre-test LSE and MTL scores. Post-hoc analysis results indicated that female leaders scoring low in extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability would greatly benefit from leadership development programs focusing on LSE. Non-White female leaders could greatly benefit from leadership development training aimed at increasing MTL. These findings hold important theoretical and practical implications, which are discussed in the study.
