Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Instruction & Curriculum Leadership

Committee Chair

Amanda Rockinson-Szapkiw

Committee Member

Allison Gusmus

Committee Member

Gregory Boller

Committee Member

Craig Shepherd

Abstract

Outdoor-based experiential training (OBET) programs are a popular option for leadership development. However, few qualitative studies have explored the structural and textural factors within these programs that contribute to the leadership development of businesswomen who participate in them. This qualitative phenomenological study used a constructivist epistemology to explore the experiences of a sample of women who, during 2018 and 2019, participated in a five-day OBET program for leadership development sponsored by their employer. Gender schema theory served as a theoretical framework to consider the research questions: 1) How do women experience leadership development in an OBET program? 2) What experiences do women have within an OBET program that influence their leadership development? and 3) What gender-related experiences do women in an OBET program have that shape their development as leaders? Data were collected from in-depth qualitative interviews, artistic expressions of high and low points of the program, and letters written by participants to an anonymous future female program participant. These data sources were analyzed for themes using a transcendental phenomenological approach and were triangulated for trustworthiness. Two essences were distilled from the themes: 1) development, personal and professional, occurs when challenge is embraced, and 2) gender norms influence development both positively and negatively. Implications for instructional designers and facilitators are discussed as well as recommendations for future studies. This study hopes to advance dialog about womens experiences in leadership development programs that help or hinder their development as leaders.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest

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