TITLE:
Leading from the Margins: An Intersectional Qualitative Analysis of the Leadership Experiences of Black Mothers
AUTHORS:
Adiyah Aisha Ali, Ingrid M. Hayes-Burrell
KEYWORDS:
Black Mothers, Leadership, Intersectional Identities, Oppressions, Values
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.12 No.1,
January
31,
2024
ABSTRACT: This study sought to inform individuals and institutions
about the benefits of having historically excluded people—those relegated to the
margins of society—in leadership positions. Specifically, this study aimed to learn
how being a Black mother influences one’s choices, career opportunities, and experiences
as leaders. While the literature review included an examination of the sociohistorical
context for Black women’s oppression, this study focused on the present-day oppressions
that Black mothers in leadership positions face and how they resist. In examining the relationship between race and gender
within the construct of motherhood, this study
conceptualized this existence as a Black motherhood identity. The four-tiered
conceptual framework was a lens to view the convergence of intersectional identities,
oppressions, and values and their influence on Black mothers’ leadership. Black
feminist theory and intersectionality were the
theoretical frameworks leveraged to address the study’s research questions,
as they captured the myriad ways Black mothers navigate and resist intersectional
oppressions and reimagine their position in social hierarchies, respectively. An
intersectional qualitative methodological approach was utilized to center the knowledge
and experiences of the historically excluded
and marginalized study participants, allowing them to tell counterstories
to dominant narratives. The study design consisted of a primarily semi-structured approach to the focus group and interview
protocols. The findings show that Black mothers in leadership positions face
workplace barriers but are deft at leveraging
aspects of their identity to lead effectively. Based on the conceptual framework
and the findings, this study has generated three recommendations for practice and
future research to help workplaces dismantle barriers to equity and inclusion.