Abstract
Ph.D. (Human Resources Management)
This study explores the characteristics that prevent the derailment of women leaders. It further provides insight into leadership derailment as it is experienced and interpreted by women leaders. The study was done in the context of the scarcity of women in senior and executive leadership positions within organisations, whilst equality and transformation remain on the global leadership agenda, as well as the context of South African Transformation and Employment Equity Legislation.
A qualitative study was undertaken based on the grounded theory research methodology. The purposeful and snowball sampling technique yielded five research participants. Through in-depth interviewing eleven themes emerged from the data. These were the personal and core constructs held by participants in relation to their conceptualization of the leadership landscape, derailment, and of themselves as leaders.
While each participant‘s experience of derailment and the leadership landscape was unique, the findings of the study indicated that specific personal characteristics prevented their derailment or enabled them to overcome derailment. These were: pragmatic approach to gender issues and willingness to compromise, insight into behavior, positive outlook/optimism, building relationships and networks self-confidence and self-efficacy, resilience and coping, emotional maturity and managing emotions, recognition of significant others, achievement drive and perseverance, risk taking and openness to change, and balancing multiple roles.
Whilst an exploration of the external factors leading to characteristics that prevent derailment as well as opting out and voluntary separation, was not the purpose of this study, emerging themes in respect to these were discussed.
Finally, an integrated framework was formulated presenting the characteristics that prevent the derailment of women leaders.