Most research on the career pathways of women presidents has been dedicated to the traditional career path and the paucity of women in positions leading to a four-year college or university presidency. This leaves little research on women who achieved the position by following a nontraditional trajectory. This qualitative study explores the career trajectories of six women presidents who described their journeys to the highest leadership position as "nontraditional" or "unusual." Using Bateson's (1989) concepts of improvisation and adaption to examine their professional and personal experiences, the presidents unveil they were responsive to new opportunities, responsibilities, and challenges leading to their presidencies. Their backgrounds led them to develop an understanding and appreciation of institutional and organizational practices and cultures, community relations, campus relations, and a sensitivity to the importance of relationship building with an array of stakeholders. The study concludes by discussing the necessity of considering broader career frameworks to identify and increase the number of potential women candidates for the presidency. Keywords: women presidents, career trajectories, higher education, women's leadership
There is a perception in the literature that women presidents are weak in the function of instrumental relationship building. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the practices developed and utilized by women presidents of 4-year institutions to identify and build relationships with key constituents whom they recognized as having resources that could lead to institution building and to learn how the presidents secured those resources.Through an interview format, 12 presidents elaborated on the internal and external constituents on whom they were dependent to achieve their goals as president and how the stakeholders came to hold value for their institutions. Using social capital as a theoretical lens, presidents' social connections and networks were examined to determine how presidents created or enhanced resources for their institutions. The key findings captured the deliberate actions and behaviors undertaken by presidents to identify key stakeholders and the multiple dimensions associated with fostering relationships to move them closer to the acquisition of resources. Finally, presidents shared how they made the case to their constituents to release resources to their institutions. The dissertation concludes with recommendations for future research on the leadership practices of women presidents of colleges and universities.
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