Women of colour face multiple barriers in career achievement and progression to leadership positions. Apart from the gender stereotyping that affects all women, including white women, women of colour have an added disadvantage of racial discrimination. Therefore, unlike their white counterparts, African American women experience the double-outsider phenomenon, which involves the barriers to both gender and race that further derail their progression to executive positions. According to Wells (2017), knowing the rules governing corporate America is not a prerequisite that black women would rise through the ranks. Wells notes that when it comes to African American women, different sets of rules apply. By far, the double-outsider phenomenon is the most significantly devastating challenge faced by women of colour in their pursuit of executive roles. The hopes of Black women in the United States for attaining top management positions were intensely ignited in 2009 when the nation got its first black American president Obama (Wells, 2017). However, African American Women continually experience gender and racial biases, which deny them advancement to senior management levels, with the specific problem being the double outsider phenomenon.
Studies have revealed that 21% of black women attain associate and bachelor's degrees than their white counterparts, who achieve twice as high (39%) by 29. The underrepresentation of women of colour in leadership has significantly resulted in decline and loss of motivation among women, and the ripple effect can be quantified in the corporate sector. It is estimated that of the 30% of higher education institution women presidents, only 5% are women of colour (Vaughn & Johnson, 2020). Nevertheless, Black women showed more outstanding performance and registered a considerable number of graduates each year compared to men. In most cases, women of colour land on executive positions when the odds of failure are high or when organizations are in crisis, referred to as the glass cliff scenario. Most importantly, women of colour are denied promotion to full professorship, holding an estimated 1.6% of all the available professorships in the country ( Haynes et al., 2020 ).
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The study's theoretical focus is to qualitatively identify the factors that deter women of colour from achieving high-level management positions despite the increase of associate and degree holders every year. The applied focus is to establish the challenges and obstacles they face during higher education that should be addressed to improve women of colour's entry into institutional leadership roles. In as much as women of colour graduate from higher education institutions, they face racial and gender concerns along their journey, which hinder their progression into corporate societies. The purpose of this study is to explore the stereotypical roadblocks that women of colour face in higher education.
The general problem is the underrepresentation of women of colour in executive roles and positions. According to Wells, role incongruity is among the leading causes of black women's representation in America. The stereotypes surrounding social responsibilities and functions of men and women form a significant part of the progression of black women underrepresentation. The belief that other roles are more suitable to women than to men, especially service roles such a nursing, clerical, teaching, and caregiving, encompasses a growing concern as to the need for higher learning in these women ( Haynes et al., 2020. ). The attachment of power, authority, and competition roles to men has significantly influenced black women's higher education attainment.
The specific problem is that women of colour achieve great feats in higher education that are not evidenced in the corporate industry years after their graduation. The large gap signifies underlying obstacles. According to Foster (2021), events such as women's shaming during their study periods and professional progress by peers have detrimental effects on the learning and future career endeavors of women of colour. Eradicating blatant or unintended hostility towards women of colour in higher education can be addressed by examining historical biases and stereotypes regarding gender, race, and roles. However, black women show essential qualities such as inherent leadership and exceptional communication skills, which has placed them on an upward career trajectory in the recent decade.
Even though black women attain incredible academic feats, they have been subjects to scrutiny when it comes to executive roles and faculties. Nevertheless, the scrutiny has provided women of colour with the opportunity to enrich their learning experiences, thus challenging traditional leadership and research theories. Black women have been able to achieve social independence and occupy key positions in the corporate world. In fact, studies reveal that women are increasingly entering graduate business schools in the US (Foster, 2021 ). By far, the double-outsider phenomenon is the most significantly devastating challenge faced by women of colour in their pursuit of higher education and executive roles. However, more research into age association within higher education and career excellence needs to be performed to provide a clear insight into the effects of racial and gender concerns by age among women of colour.
References
Foster, J.M. (2021). Why Higher Education is Important for Women Retrieved 2 April 2021, from https://www.mba.com/business-school-and-careers/women-in-business/why-higher-education-is-important-for-women
Haynes, C., Joseph, N. M., Patton, L. D., Stewart, S., & Allen, E. L. (2020). Toward an Understanding of Intersectionality Methodology: A 30-Year Literature Synthesis of Black Women's Experiences in Higher Education. Review of Educational Research, 90(6), 751-787.
Vaughn, A. R., Taasoobshirazi, G., & Johnson, M. L. (2020). Impostor phenomenon and motivation: women in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 45(4), 780-795.
Wells, K. D. (2017). African American Women: Barriers to Management and Leadership in the 21 st Century (Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University)
