TITLE:
A Phenomenological Study of the Glass Ceiling Obstacles Faced by Minority Women Leaders in Healthcare Organizations
AUTHORS:
Vernette Grant, Robert Ernest Levasseur
KEYWORDS:
Glass Ceiling, Inequality, Equity, Gender Diversity, Racial Bias
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.13 No.4,
July
7,
2025
ABSTRACT: Despite increasing attention to diversity in healthcare leadership, minority women remain significantly underrepresented in senior positions. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of minority women leaders in healthcare organizations who have overcome glass ceiling barriers. Guided by two research questions, the study examined the obstacles these women faced in achieving senior-level leadership roles and the strategies they employed to surmount these challenges. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight current and former senior-level minority women leaders from healthcare organizations in the southcentral United States. Participants—African American, multiracial, African, and Caribbean women with 5 to 19 years of healthcare experience—were selected through purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted via Zoom, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis and the constant comparative method, following Kiger and Varpio’s six-step framework. Findings revealed recurring barriers, including racial and gender bias, excessive scrutiny, lack of promotion opportunities, unethical supervisory behaviors, and feelings of inadequacy—hallmarks of the glass ceiling phenomenon. Participants overcame these obstacles through resilience, professional competence, ethical leadership, and strategic self-advocacy. Thematic saturation was achieved by the eighth interview. Trustworthiness was reinforced through member checking, audit trails, and reflexive analysis. This study contributes to the limited scholarship on intersectional challenges in healthcare leadership and offers actionable insights for organizational change. By promoting inclusive cultures, transparent promotion practices, and leadership development pathways for minority women, healthcare institutions can mitigate structural inequities. These findings have implications for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers seeking to foster equity and gender diversity in healthcare leadership.