Special Issue: Women of Color and Leadership Journal: Advances in Developing Human Resources Expanding Our Voices? A Review of Human Resource Development Literature on Women of Color Leaders Over the Last Decade

Abstract

Problem In 2009, a collective of African American (Black) women challenged race-neutral and gendered perspectives of leadership in a Special Issue of Advances in Developing Human Resources. Since that date, other women of color have added cultural perspectives that have expanded the need to revisit a problem that has rendered invisibility and silence to this group of leaders. Solution Women of color in positions of leadership have learned through historical and cultural experience how to strategically navigate organizational and institutional barriers by leading authentically. More significantly, they have learned how to balance status and place and to recognize that place defines their leadership reality. Stakeholders Human Resource Development (HRD) scholars and researchers who study leadership. HRD practitioners, organizational leaders, and others who are responsible for leadership development programs that are inclusive. Women of color leaders.

Mapping the Future of Intersectional Research in Human Resource Development: An Integrated Literature Review

“…The exception was Hutchins and Kovach (2019) which reviewed each institution’s grant proposal and website. The other half ( n = 12) were non-empirical studies, including perspective (Byrd, 2014; Davis et al, 2020; Johnson & Thomas, 2012; Lanier et al, 2022; Trusty et al, 2023), conceptual (Kang et al, 2015; Santamaría et al, 2022; Thomas et al, 2010), and literature review studies (Alfred et al, 2019; Manongsong & Ghosh, 2021; Sims, 2022; Syed & Ali, 2019).…”

“…Lastly, the research contexts in most articles were based in the United States, and only six articles were conducted in international contexts, including South Africa (Johnson & Thomas, 2012; Ngunjiri, 2016), Sri Lanka (Adikaram, 2018), Pakistan (Syed & Ali, 2019), India (Sims & Hirudayaraj, 2016), and South Korea (Kang et al, 2015). Four articles on intersectional pedagogy and leadership did not have a specific national context (Lanier et al, 2022; Santamaría et al, 2022; Sims, 2022; Thomas et al, 2010). Various organizational contexts were also explored, including higher education (Davis et al, 2020; Hutchins & Kovach, 2019; Jean-Marie et al, 2009; Johnson & Thomas, 2012; Lloyd-Jones, 2009; Manongsong & Ghosh, 2021; Ngunjiri & Hernández, 2017; Thomas et al, 2010), K-12 schools (Bass, 2009), private military sectors (Hirudayaraj & Clay, 2019), and multiple organizations (Adikaram, 2018; Bass, 2009; Dillard & Osam, 2021; Ngunjiri, 2016).…”

“…In the third issue of ADHR 2022, the editors (Sims & Carter, 2022) again highlighted the problem of the lack of leadership research on women of color in HRD since the call to action in the 2009 Special Issue of ADHR. Four research articles (Lanier et al, 2022; Santamaría et al, 2022; Sims, 2022; Trusty et al, 2023) responded to their call. Specifically, Sims’s (2022) literature review of women of color leaders in the HRD journals showed that they are still not represented in leadership even after the 2009 Special Issue.…”

“…Four research articles (Lanier et al, 2022; Santamaría et al, 2022; Sims, 2022; Trusty et al, 2023) responded to their call. Specifically, Sims’s (2022) literature review of women of color leaders in the HRD journals showed that they are still not represented in leadership even after the 2009 Special Issue. In addition, Lanier et al (2022) and Santamaría et al (2022) provided a conceptual framework incorporating a sociocultural perspective on leadership.…”

Leader identity development

“…This could be done, for example, by offering people leadership development programs and training that explicitly incorporate a cognitive approach to leadership development and that take a learner-centered, collaborative approach to learning and development. These types of programs or training would include examples of alternative schemas, such as shared leadership (e.g., Chiu, Owens, & Tesluk, 2016), context and leadership (e.g., Osborn, Uhl-Bien, & Milosevic, 2014), contextual leadership development (e.g., Eva, De Cieri, Murphy, & Lowe, 2020), and leaders of different genders (e.g., Ely & Rhode, 2010), races and ethnic backgrounds (e.g., Sims, 2022), and age groups (e.g., Recchia, 2011). They would also include aspects of discussion and dialogue to exchange interpretations, have an open discussion about these interpretations, and use disagreement and constructive criticism on held views as talking points for generating learning.…”