Research Proposal Pro-Forma

Student name and registration number

Programme title and mode of attendance

MSc Management (Full-Time)

Title of the research project

“Black British Women in Leadership: An Investigation of the Barriers and Challenges”

Introduction
This research focuses on the barriers and challenges black British women face in pursuit of
obtaining leadership positions. Research on business leadership has a long tradition.
For decades, one of the most popular ideas in leadership literature is the idea that
personal characteristics determine the effectiveness of leaders (Zaccaro, Kemp, & Bader,
2004; Zaccaro 2007). Despite effective leadership centred around personal traits as
evidenced in ‘Trait Theory’, the face of leaders is commonly associated with white middle
class males. Recent research has revealed that there are gaps at management level,
highlighting the gender and race gaps in leadership. This can be seen in Operation Black
Vote and The Guardian’s study (2017) which found that there are only 3.5% of black
people at the top of the UK’s top 1000 organisations. Of this, less than a quarter are black
women. The Trait School describes leadership as: “leaders’ attributes such as personality,
motives, values, and skills. Underlying this approach was the assumption that some
people are natural leaders, endowed with certain traits not possessed by other people”
(Yukl, 2006, p. 13). This definition will be used throughout this project.

A common critical qualitative framework used to understand the complexities of gender

and race is ‘intersectionality’. Gender inequality in leadership positions is prevalent
(Haslam & Ryan, 2008). The metaphor ‘glass ceiling’, has been used to describe the
invisible barriers facing women in reaching middle management positions (Frenkiel,
1984). The phenomenon has been extensively researched (see for instance Powell and
Butterfield, 1994). While white women face the ‘glass ceiling’ their black counterparts are
restricted by the ‘cement roof’ or ‘concrete ceiling’ (Wainwright Trust, 1996). This
metaphor seems to adequately describe the limitations that ethnic minorities including
black women face in the workplace.

This research constitutes a relatively new area which has emerged from the school of
black feminism. Many of the studies on this topic focus on the African American
perspective. The term ‘intersectionality, coined by Crenshaw, describes how Black women
are ‘multiply burdened’ by their gender and race (1989, p. 140; 1991). Originally used in
the legal capacity, its applicability has been harnessed in business contexts. A cursory
review of relevant literature seems to point to a lack of studies that explore the career
advancement of black women from a black British perspective.

The aim of this research study is to investigate the challenges and barriers which black
British women face in reaching leadership positions. By embarking on this project, I wish
to answer these specific research questions: What are the most significant challenges and
barriers black women experience / encounter in pursuit of top managerial positions?
Social capital theory will be used in this research project to gain a deeper understanding
of the participants experiences of said barriers to their leadership development. Social
capital is strongly linked to career progression (see for instance Bourdieu, 1986). In
addition to social capital, Granovetter’s (1985) view of structural and relational
embeddedness will be applied in this research project. This is relevant as they are two
core elements of social capital which are closely linked to career success.

Literature Review
Research on leadership has a long tradition. For decades, one of the most popular ideas in
leadership literature is the idea that effective leadership is based on a set of
characteristics. In the 19th and 20th century, great leadership was determined through
inherited qualities which made a ‘great man’ (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991). Numerous
studies have argued that the traits of great leadership are highly associated with men, this
was evidenced in Schein’s (1973) “think manager, think male” experiments.

Recent research has revealed that there is a changing face of leaders. The Women’s
Liberation Movement in the UK and the ‘Second Wave of Feminism’ called for the
inclusion of women in the labour force and led to the creation of equal rights legislation
(British Library, 2013). However, there is much inconsistency on how this positively
impacted all women. A limitation of the ‘Second Wave of Feminism’ from Black Feminist
authors is its failure to include black women. Crenshaw (1989; 1991) coined the term
‘intersectionality’ to illustrate the complexities of the Black Female experience as being
restricted by both their gender and race.

The research to date has focused on gender parity (McKinsey & Company, 2020).
However, a detailed examination of the UK labour force by Operation Black Vote and The
Guardian have shown that there is a gender and race gap in leadership positions. It has
been conclusively shown that at the top of the UK’s top 1000 organisations, only 3.4% of
these are made up of individuals from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.
The data is even more shocking as only a mere 0.7% accounts for BAME women. An
independent review found that the gap at management level between white people and
BAME people is widening and disproportionate (McGregor-Smith, 2017). This is because
of many structural and historical bias which supports certain groups. This view is
supported by Operation Black Vote and The Guardian who highlight that there should be
136 BAME individuals on the 1000 Power List. This is a list of the top 1000 most powerful
people in Britain, however there is only 36 represented from ethnic minority groups. This
number worsens when divided along gender lines. Previous studies have only focussed on
statistical data about BAME women in leadership. A cursory review of existing research
seems to highlight an underexplored area, with little to no exploration of the barriers and
challenges which restrict black British women reaching senior leadership positions in the
workplace and explain why black British women are least likely to progress in their
careers.

Methodology
This project seeks to understand the challenges and barriers that Black British Women
face in securing top managerial positions. To uncover this topic, qualitative research
methods will be deployed. Qualitative research methods are utilised due to their ability to
produce rich and insightful findings and descriptive nature. As the experiences and
perceptions of the participants cannot be quantified and measured, the themes of their
experiences will be studied. Qualitative research methods are most appropriate when
researching sensitive topics such as gender and race.

This research is empirically based, and the qualitative method of semi-structured

interviews will be conducted to answer the research question: What are the most
significant challenges and barriers black women experience / encounter in pursuit of top
managerial positions? The data will be collected through a series of approximately 10
semi-structured hour-long interviews. The interviews will be recorded and safely secured
on a password protected device. These interviews will allow for a rapport to be built with
the participants and researcher. As the researcher also identifies as a black British woman,
this will in turn allow the participants to be at ease and share their lived experiences. By
building a rapport, the researcher will be able to probe deeply and ask supplementary
questions to discover unforeseen and unanticipated findings.

Due to the sampling methods, the research participants will identify as black British
women. Black British women can be characterised as people who identify as black and
were born in the UK. As this research focuses on the experiences and perceptions of black
British women, these are the women who will make up the criteria for potential
participants. It is important to add that in order to access these participants, I will be
utilising my professional network through my extensive connections on LinkedIn through
a convenience sample. This will be in addition to contacts I hold in my personal network. A
combination of these two approaches seems to be the most appropriate method.
Following this, purposive sampling will be used. The sampling methods in this research
will be random as it is most appropriate in light of the short time in which to deliver this
project. As a researcher who identifies as a black British woman, this will place me in a
favourable position to access potential participants. Furthermore, this is a great method
as it is low cost and advantageous for projects within tight time constraints. Due to the
impacts of COVID-19, the semi-structured interviews will be conducted virtually across
video platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. While an element of rapport and
comfortability may be lost, I will create an environment in which they feel honest and
comfortable to share their stories.

Following each interview, the data will be transcribed and analysed using thematic
analysis. The transcriptions will be analysed through open coding noting any similarities
and differences across the participants. This will allow themes to be identified. Also, Nvivo
may be used also.

Ethics
Whilst conducting this research, there is the possibility of ethical issues arising. Largely
relating to the sensitive nature of the research topic, which focuses on gender and race,
these are highly sensitive topics which draw on the lived experiences of the participants.
There is an inherent risk here to causing emotional damage. Furthermore, participants
may be concerned around the purpose of the research and the sharing of personal data.
Some participants may feel anxious around signing a formal paper consent form.

To address these ethical concerns, there will be parameters introduced to limit their
possible effect. A participant information sheet will be devised to inform the participant of
the purpose, objectives, what is involved and the scope of the research. This will be
circulated using my MMU email to highlight my credibility and my association with a
trustworthy establishment. Participants will also be assured that the safekeeping of their
data and its protection is in line with GDPR regulations. Their anonymity and
confidentiality will be protected as they will be given pseudonyms to conceal their
identity. Additionally, all data will be stored on a private password protected laptop to
maintain the anonymity and confidentiality of the respondents. For those who do not
wish to sign documentation, a verbal agreement will be accepted. This will only be
accepted in very rare circumstances. Participants hold the right to withdraw from the
research at any time if they decide they no longer want to continue. I hope to exercise my
role as a researcher by being reflexive and to use emotional intelligence skills to decipher
feelings of discomfort. Throughout the course of this research, my role as a researcher
will be maintained to avoid influencing the responses from the participant.

There are also ethical issues attached to the personal safety of the researcher, particularly
engaging with people who they are not familiar with. Potentially some participants may
have untoward motives which may not have been raised to the researcher and
furthermore cause harm to them. Generally speaking, as the data will be collected
virtually, this significantly limits the threat of physical bodily harm. Furthermore, the
communication between participant and researcher will be undertaken through the
researcher’s institutional email address and virtually through Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
This reduces the chances of the participant contacting the researcher out of hours. If the
research is too emotionally traumatic, the researcher will be able to reach a number of
networks and organisations for further support.

References

Bourdieu, P., 1986. The Forms of Capital. In: J. Richardson, ed. Handbook of Theory and
Research for the Sociology of Education. Westport, CT: Greenwood, p. 241–58.
British Library, 2013. Equality, work and the Women's Liberation Movement. [Online]
Available at: https://www.bl.uk/sisterhood/articles/equality-work-and-the-womens-
liberation-movement
[Accessed 7 April 2021].
Crenshaw, K., 1989. Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist
Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. University
of Chicago Legal Forum, 8(1), pp. 139-167.
Crenshaw, K., 1991. Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity, Politics and Violence
Against Women of Colour. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp. 1241-1299.
Frenkiel, N., 1984. The Up and Comers: Bryant Takes Aim at the Settlers In. Adweek,
March.
Granovetter, M (1985) Economic action and social structure: the problem of
embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology 91(3): 481–510.
Haslam, A. S. & Ryan, M. K., 2008. The road to the glass cliff: Differences in the perceived
suitability of men and women for leadership positions in succeeding and failing
organizations. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(5), pp. 530-546.
Kirkpatrick, S. A. & Locke, E. A., 1991. Leadership: do traits matter?. Academy of
Management Executive, 5(2), pp. 48-60.
McGregor-Smith, R., 2017. Race in the workplace: The McGregor-Smith Review, London:
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.
McKinsey & Company, 2020. Women in the Workplace 2018, s.l.: McKinsey & Company.
Schein, V., 1973. The relationship between sex role stereotypes and requisite
management characteristics. Journal of Applied Psychology, 57(2), pp. 95-100.
Wainwright Trust, 1996. The Cement Roof: Afro-Caribbean People in Management,
Hertfordshire: Wainwraight Trust.
Yukl, G., 2006. Leadership in Organisations. 6th Edition ed. New Jersey: Pearson-Prentice
Hall.
Zaccaro, S. J. (2007). Trait-based perspectives of leadership. American Psychologist, 62(1),
6-16.
Zaccaro, S. J., Kemp, C., & Bader, P. (2004). Leader traits and attributes. The nature of
leadership. (pp. 101–124). Thousand Oaks, CA, US: :Sage Publications, Inc.