CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE

The Glass Ceiling: Barriers for Women to Positions of Power

A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements

For the degree of Master of Public Administration in

Public Sector Management and Leadership

By

Armik Milagerdy Zadoorian

August 2018
The graduate project of Armik Milagerdy Zadoorian is approved:

____________________________________ ____________________
Mylon Winn Date

____________________________________ ____________________
Philip Nufrio Date

____________________________________ ____________________
Dr. Henrik Palasani-Minassians, Chair Date

California State University, Northridge

ii
 Table of Contents

Signature Page ii
Abstract v
Introduction 1
Literature Review 3
Individual Level Complications 5
Work-Life Conflict 5
Communication Styles 6
Organizational Level Obstacles 8
Tokenism 8
Mentorship and Sponsorship Opportunities 8
Salary Inequalities 9
Gender Inequality 10
Workplace Harassment 11
Societal Level Barriers 13
Cultural Constraints 13
Gender Stereotyping 14
The Perception of Leadership Associated with Masculinity 15
Field Search Method 17
Design 17
Participants Recruitment 17
Data Collection 17
Interview Guide and Procedure 18
Data Analysis 18
Limitations of the Study 19
Ethical Considerations 19

iii
Conclusion 20
Appendix A- Interview Guide and Questions 21
Appendix B- Consent Form 22
References 23

iv
 Abstract

The Glass Ceiling: Barriers for Women to Positions of Power

By

Armik Milagerdy Zadoorian

Master of Public Administration in Public Sector Management and Leadership

Women have made remarkable progress within the last few decades in expanding

their roles and functions within organizations, but their numbers within senior and

executive positions remains disproportionate to that of men. Numerous studies have

focused on three major factors for this disparity: individual, organizational, and societal.

The findings suggest that even with rigid adherence to legislative and legal mandates that

control hiring and promotional practices, women still remain underrepresented at the

highest organizational levels. The glass ceiling has finally been cracked, but it is not yet

broken.

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 Introduction

The role of women in the United States workforce has changed rapidly over the

last century, and they have made remarkable progress in expanding their roles and

functions to advance the organization. The number of women attending colleges and

graduate schools, earning doctorate degrees and expanding into fields once held

exclusively by men has soared dramatically (Elmuti, Jia, & Davis, 2009). Women are no

longer associated with just only the role of mothers and are now thriving in within the

education and labor worlds. As they grow in numbers, women seek to have a greater

voice in organizational behavior and development and must obtain higher leadership

roles to do so. Sadly, their access to senior and executive positions remains limited, and

in spite of social movements, discrimination laws, and organizational practice standards,

women still remain underrepresented among U.S. business leaders (Brown, 2017).

A comparison of men and women workforces in corporate America reveals

shocking statistics. While women constitute 50.8 percent of the U.S. population (Quick

Fact United States-Table, n.d.), they account for only 46.8 percent of the labor force

(Women of Working Age, 2016), and serve as sole earners of 40 percent of households

with children (12 Stats About Working Women, 2017). According to the National Center

for Education Statistics, women earn more degrees than men by holding 57 percent of all

bachelor’s, 60 percent of all master’s, and 51 percent of doctoral degrees (Digest of

Education Statistics, Table 318.30, n.d.). Furthermore, in 2017, women held 51.6 percent

of all management, professional, and related occupations and 44.0 percent of the

subcategory management, business, and financial operations occupations (Women in

the Workforce: United States, 2018). With these facts in mind, one might conclude that

1
there would be a natural migration of women towards management positions. However,

as of January 2017 women held only about 6.4 percent of Fortune 500 CEO roles (Zarya,

2017).

The demands of a diverse workforce have pressured organizations to shift from

the male-dominated, ‘Good-Old-Boys Club’ model, and increase the number of females,

especially those holding executive leadership positions. However, demands and public

education and denouncement of bad practices have not changed the fact that women are

often absent from leadership roles.

The research question is: What are the most significant factors that currently

prevent women from advancing in their Los Angeles County careers? This study

specifically seeks to shed some light on the barriers that play substantive roles impeding

women’s access to senior and executive level positions within the organization. More

importantly, and theoretically discussed, how future leaders can use this information to

assist and inspire a business atmosphere that does not discriminate against the hiring and

advancement of female employees.

The prime motive to conduct this research was to understand the challenges faced

by female Los Angeles County employees to better assist them in reaching their goals

and help them to become more valuable and capable resources for their organization. By

enabling them to gain a competitive advantage in the business environment will help all

future leaders, managers, or supervisors understand the vast skills and benefits that

female employees can bring to the table.

2
 Literature Review

The question of what factors contribute negatively to women’s professional

upward mobility has been previously researched and numerous articles and reports have

been published on the subject. One such study reported that although women are broadly

represented at the bottom of the organization in support and administrative roles, their

numbers drop precipitously as career level rises (Rankin & Caccamise, 2017). The

underrepresentation of women in leadership positions is commonly seen as an example of

the ‘glass ceiling’.

The glass ceiling, a concept first introduced in the 1980s, is a metaphor used to

represent invisible and artificial barriers that interfere with and inhibit female

advancement to upper-level management and executive positions in corporations and

organizations as well (Johns, 2013). In 1991, the United States Congress discovered that

despite the growing number of women and minorities in the workplace, they remained

excluded from executive positions in corporate America and unseen yet impenetrable

barriers were prohibiting their advancement regardless of their qualifications, intellect,

and competency (Johns, 2013). Subsequently, Congress established the Federal Glass

Ceiling Commission to conduct a study and prepare recommendations regarding

eliminating the intangible barriers and increasing opportunities to foster the advancement

of women and minorities to upper management and decision-making positions (Johns,

2013).

Numerous research demonstrated that female employees aspiring to and even

serving as leaders encounter many challenges which creates a glass ceiling for their

advancement into top leadership positions. The identified invisible obstacles have been

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categorized into three major groups: individual, organizational, and societal. The

complications impacting female employees at an individual level are work-life conflict

and communication styles. Tokenism, mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, salary

inequalities, gender inequality, and workplace harassment are listed as organizational

obstacles. Finally, the barriers at the societal level that hinder the advancement of women

in organizations include cultural constraints, gender stereotyping, and the perception of

leadership associated with masculinity. All these gender-based barriers contribute to the

glass ceiling concept.

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 Individual Level Complications

Work-Life Conflict

Entertaining career ambitions compels women to recognize the adverse effect of

exercising executive positions on their work-life balance. The risk of neglecting their

family and friends portrays female executives with having broken families and deprived

children. Playing multiple roles and juggling between having high-level demanding

position and a need to be with their families is something that Mäkelä, Suutari, and

Mayerhofer (2011) believe “either enrich lives or cause conflicts in them. In other words,

experiences in one role diminish or improve the quality of life in another role” (p. 257).

Weigel (2013) acknowledges that family-caregiving still remains primarily a

female responsibility. She reports that although the percentage of female workforce has

risen from 43.3 percent in 1970 to 58.6 percent in 2010, women continue to be primary

caretakers of children, ill or disabled family members, or aging parents (Weigel, 2013).

On the contrary, the traditional image of women as ‘home-makers’ who were only taking

care of their homes and families is long gone and now we face a modern concept of

women who are multitasking employees pursuing family, schools, and career goals all at

the same time. Chisholm-Burns, Spivey, Hagemann and Josephson (2017) claim that

women frequently have to take time away from work due to caregiving responsibilities

and face serious consequences. Furthermore, Johns (2013) attests that caregiving extends

over a women’s lifetime and her career with little support for her caregiving role and as a

result, women occasionally have to take time out from their career to fulfill their

caregiving roles. She notes “such off-ramps keep women from taking or being considered

for promotional opportunities, and when they do re-enter the career stream, it is difficult

5
for them to gain momentum and parity in promotion and earning power with their male

counterparts” (Johns, 2013, p. 5).

Finally, women’s attempts to balance work with family obligations may delay

them from advancing through career ranks and forced them to choose between having a

family and having a career. “Nowhere is this more evident than in academia, where 44

percent of tenured women faculty remain childless” (Chisholm-Burns, Spivey,

Hagemann, & Josephson, 2017, p. 315).

Communication Styles

Merchant (2012) argues that men and women differ psychologically when it

comes to their communication styles and the way they attempt to influence others. These

differences have created stereotypical gender roles that affected their behaviors in the

workplaces. As a result, some of these stereotypical gender roles have had adverse impact

on women’s perceptions of females as employees, managers, and leaders. (Merchant,

2012).

Men and women differ in how they view the purpose of conversations. Merchant

believes that both men and women have different goals, needs, and values in the way

they communicate. Women are considered more social emotional who use more

tentative, expressive, polite, and less powerful language (less swearing). On the other

hand, men are more independent and unemotional in conversations and use more

assertive language leaving the impression than men are more self-confident and capable

leaders.

6
 The gender difference in communication styles put women at disadvantage when

interacting with others portraying women as second-class to men and making them unfit

for leadership roles (Merchant, 2012).

7
 Organizational Level Obstacles

Tokenism

Prior to the striking transformation of labor force in Corporate America due to the

large increase in workforce participation by women, female employees used to be

employed for lower-paying and feminized occupations; however, recent changes in the

workforce provided a small number of women known as token women with an

employment opportunity in male-dominated fields. In general, tokens are individuals who

belong to a social category that constitutes less than 15 percent of the entire group

composition (Kanter, 1977).

The term tokenism was first introduced by Kanter (1977) who described tokens as

members of a minority social, cultural, or racial groups compared to the dominant group

with a set of characteristics about culture, status, and behavior that is highly salient for

majority members. She believed tokens take on the role of representative of their race,

culture, or gender regardless whether that role was desired (Kanter, 1977).

McDonald, Toussaint, and Schweiger (2004) reported that token women tend to

be isolated, contrasted against their male peer, and experienced heightened pressure to

perform well. They noted women who enter gender-inappropriate occupations experience

the negative consequences of tokenism and are more likely “to have their mistakes

amplified, be isolated as a social out-group, and be encapsulated into roles that

undermined their status” (McDonald, Toussaint, & Schweiger, 2004, p. 5).

Mentorship and Sponsorship Opportunities

Mentors and sponsors play a key role in encouraging women to pursue leadership

positions. A lack of mentors or sponsors may negatively affect women in unique ways.

8
As mentors are imperative since they act as advisors who offer career guidance and

assistance in navigating organizations, sponsors act as promoters who market, advocate,

or advance the cause of others (Chisholm-Burns, Spivey, Hagemann & Josephson, 2017).

Ibarra, Carter, and Silva (2010) studied gender role and job advancement and

concluded that female employees are viewed as risky appointments and even though they

need sponsorship to apply for senior management positions, management is still reluctant

to endorse women for those positions. In addition, Waller and Lublin (2015), compared

the inherent challenges of female promotions in major corporations to vice-president

level and above positions to an unexplored territory that has not been road mapped yet.

Salary Inequalities

While the Equal Pay Act law signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963

mandates that men and women receive equal pay for substantially equal work at the same

establishment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis on

an individual’s sex; an analysis of obtained data for the first quarter of 2018 by the

Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that female employees still tend to be paid less than

men (Usual Weekly Earnings of wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2018 , 2018).

The United States Congress Joint Economic Committee’s July 2016 report

confirms the gender wage gaps and women’s underrepresentation in leadership positions.

The report emphasized that women continue to be paid less for doing work that is

substantially the same as work done by men suggesting that there may still be gender-

based discrimination in the workplace (The Consequences of Gender Pay Inequality,

2016). The report indicates that women earn only 79 percent of what men earn

concluding that women are paid less than 4$ for every 5$ paid to men. The report

9
revealed that year-round earning of a full-time working woman is $10,800 less than a

man based on the median annual earnings and as a result “this disparity can add up to

nearly a half million dollar over a career” (The Consequences of Gender Pay Inequality,

2016, p. 1).

Macis (2017) claimed that over the years the wage gap has gotten smaller and

women’s educational attainment and labor market participation have improved

significantly, yet they are not sufficient to close the wage gap (Gender differences in

wages and leadership, 2017).

On the other hand, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research’s 2018 report on

sex and race discrimination in workplaces discloses the fact that discrimination in pay,

hiring, and promotion continues to be a reality of working life and it will take 41 years or

until 2059 for women to reach the pay parity (The Simple Truth About the Gender Pay

Gap, Spring 2018).

Gender Inequality

Despite the fact that men and women are genetically different, they both are

entitled to equal rights and opportunities. Women are usually the subject of gender

inequality in their workplace. Camilleri (2015) insists there is significant gender

difference in favor of men based on job grade, salary, organization tenure, age group, and

family life cycle status.

Although we have made great progress over the past century and there has been

some improvement in promoting gender equality in the workplace, it has not been

significant (Camilleri, 2015). He identified several major reasons that impede the

10
progress including differing perception of the problem, opposition of men, the private-

public dichotomy, the dilemma of professional autonomy, and failure in action.

Camilleri argues that despite the overwhelming evidence about gender imbalance

in organizations, many men view organizations and leadership hierarchical structures as

gender neutral phenomena. In addition, majority of men do not want to treat women as

equals and they believe women are not suited for leadership roles. He claims majority of

men trust that men and women can be equal in the family domain but they belong to

different ranks on the job (Camilleri, 2015). Although women believe teamwork can have

a positive impact on productivity, men value self-directed problem-solving concept.

Finally, even if men do not oppose gender equality consciously, they have a passive

approach to the issue (Camilleri, 2015).

Workplace Harassment

When it comes to bias and discrimination in the workplace, one of the most

complex problems female leaders face in the workplace is how to fit into the narrowly

defined set of behaviors in which cultural femininity overlaps with leadership (Merchant,

2012). He claims high- profile female leaders are often criticized for being either sexless

or too sexual, too pushy or too soft, too strident or too accommodating. As they are also

expected to behave in a strict democratic and masculine manner if they violate the

standards for their gender or exert control and dominance, they are judged more harshly

and penalized by prejudiced reactions (Merchant 2012).

The consistency with the feminine gender role requirements makes female leaders

appear soft and not capable of holding leadership positions; whereas, violation of the

stereotypical female role and advancing in leadership roles endorses them as hostile and

11
strident (Heilman, 2001). Merchant (2012) concludes that it is impossible for women to

overcome the challenge of being pulled between “behaving within the stereotypical role

expected of them and exerting enough dominance to be an effective leader” (p. 43).

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 Societal Level Barriers

Cultural Constraints

The underrepresentation of women in leadership positions are directly linked with

the cultural constraints. The equal representation of women in positions of leadership has

been blocked by the norm of male organizational culture that defines the qualities of

executive positions according to the male model of leadership such as ambition,

competitiveness, aggression, and control. Conversely, empathy, kindness, and concern

for the needs of others are considered feminine and are less appreciated (Moore, Cohen,

& Beeri, 2015). This phenomenon is called ‘Think-manager-think male’ (Schein,2007).

Riccucci’s (2018) study found that even though the biological differences

between men and women create potential and limitation on their abilities and behaviors;

however, the environmental factors influence the way they both develop and engage

those abilities. She emphasizes that environmental and cultural pressures “produce sex-

differentiated values and ultimately behaviors that we essentially adjust to our sex roles

due to socialization” (Riccucci, 2018, p. 118).

Toh and Leonardelli (2013) classify cultures into two categories: tight and loose.

They argue that women are held back by tight cultures with clear and rigid rules about

how people should behave. They also note that the culture itself provokes resistance to

changing the traditional and widespread view of leadership as a masculine concept. As an

additional major obstacle in male organizational culture, women are held to higher

performance standards; therefore, they have to invest more energy, endure more stress,

succeed in their managerial careers, and prove themselves to be worthy of their positions

(Toh & Leonardelli, 2013).

13
 Such extensive exclusion of women from leadership roles demands women to

adopt qualities that are considered masculine in order to make significant progress in

their workplace. Meanwhile, this gender bias can have a negative impact on their ability

as well as their self-confidence failing to see themselves suitable and fit for top

management positions (Moore, Cohen, & Beeri, 2015).

Gender Stereotyping

Bias and stereotypes are generally acknowledged as important stumbling blocks

to women’s advancement in public organizations (Breslin, Padney, & Riccucci, 2017)

and leadership characteristics are not always defined by leaders’ qualifications or

experiences but often by stereotypes about gender (Galloway, 2012). He confirms that

women within leadership roles face many more barriers than men and argues that the

dominant cultural belief that women are not supposed to hold executive positions and the

societal norms expecting women to ‘take care’ and men to ‘take charge’ perceives

women through a gendered-stereotyped lens that blocks their advancement to executive

positions (Galloway, 2012).

Heilman, (2001) insists stereotypes paint men as a much more natural fit for top

leadership positions than women. On the other hand, Burton and Parker (2010) report that

assertiveness, aggressiveness, and independence are considered typical masculine

characteristics of effective leadership; yet, women who behave in a confident, aggressive

and independent manner are seen outside of societal norms.

Furthermore, Galloway expresses that women are not expected to excel in male

dominated domains because of discrimination and stereotypical perceptions; therefore,

they are often overlooked for opportunities of advancement to top-level management. He

14
declares that women who had achieved top executive positions in major corporations are

often viewed as representative of all women and experience extreme pressure for their

performance and competency to legitimize their claims to top leadership positions.

Bowles (2012) confirms the fusion of business leadership with stereotypically

masculine competencies and states that few women who excel to the highest ranks of the

business hierarchy against expectations experience social resistance from others and may

need to outperform male peers to demonstrate their fit and worth.

Johns (2013) insists that women’s abilities are judged differently than men

holding women to a higher standard of competence and evaluating female managers and

leaders more critically than their male counterparts. The double-standard of requiring

women to display extra competence while remaining feminine makes it difficult for

women to gain recognition for their abilities and outstanding achievement.

The Perception of Leadership Associated with Masculinity

History plays a powerful role in shaping our mental frameworks to understand the

world around us and leadership’s roots go back to the beginning of the civilization. A

single common denominator that all Egyptian rulers, Greek heroes, and biblical

patriarchs shared is leadership (Why We Need to stop Equating Leadership with

Masculinity, 2016). leadership positions have not been nearly accessible to women as

they have been to men. Mainly because most leadership positions were held by men

infused with ‘Great Man’1 masculine traits such as aggression, decisiveness, and the

willingness to be engaged in conflicts (Stutzman, 2017). Men simply fit the cultural

1
In order to be a “Great Man”, a person needs to be born with the right traits at the
right time in the right place.

15
stereotypes of leadership and face fewer challenges when climbing up their corporate

ladder.

In addition to comparing the social roles of men and women that verifies men’s

agentic characteristics’ consistency with traditional stereotypes of leaders (Schein, 2007),

the congruity between gender and leadership roles confirms people’s tendency for having

“dissimilar beliefs about the characteristics of leaders and women and similar beliefs

about the characteristics of leaders and men” (Eagly & Karau, 2002, p. 575).

Paustian-Underdahl, Walker, and Woehr (2014) argue that men are typically

perceived as more effective and appropriate in leadership roles due to the undervaluation

of women’s effectiveness as leaders supported by several theoretical perspectives

including lack of fit theory, role congruity theory, expectation states theory, and the think

manager-think male paradigm.

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 Field Research Method

Design

The research methodology for this case study is a qualitative research. It consists

of one-on-one standardized interviews with female leaders in the Los Angeles County.

The standardized interview process is structured with open-ended questions allowing

participants to elaborate on their responses and personal ideas on how to advance women

in the Los Angeles County. It will also create an opportunity for the researcher to ask

probing questions. The interview questions and probes will cover the elements

represented in the literature review section.

Participants Recruitment

The target population is selected based on the purposive recruitment or non-

random method. A purposeful sampling is used to select 10 female full-time

administrative employees of different ranks from Program Administrators to Division

Chiefs who have graduate degrees and a minimum of four years County experience.

Participants who hold different positions and responsibilities at their organization have

the ability to offer their standpoints on the case study from different angles as well as

detailed understanding of the research issues and challenges.

Data Collection

The data collection tool/instrument for this case study is a semi-structured in-

depth interview questions regarding factors that may have helped these senior women to

reach the key influential positions, obstacles, and actions that led to their ability to

overcome barriers encountered within and outside of the organization. The open-ended

questions serve mainly to motivate the interviewees to share their individual experiences

17
and perspectives in their own words. Each interview will take about an hour to an hour

and half and it will be held at a location and time chosen by the interviewees.

The pilot test will be conducted a week prior to the scheduled interviews with one

division chief to identify any problems with the interview guide, evaluate feasibility, and

make more substantial changes/corrections to the interview guide and procedures. The

interview guide consists of research and purpose introduction, opening questions, key

questions, and closing questions on research case study.

Interview Guide and Procedures

One member of the research team with expertise in qualitative research methods

will conduct individual interviews with the ten female leaders over two weeks period.

Once they agreed to participate, they will be sent an informed consent form and asked to

review it, present the research team with any questions, and return it by e-mail or fax

prior to the interview session. At the start of the interview, the purpose of the study and

the confidentiality procedures will be reviewed, and participants will be given another

opportunity to ask questions. A semi-structured interview guide will be used to cover

major topics and questions

Data Analysis

An inductive approach, a summary of findings linked directly to the objectives of

the research study, is used to analyze qualitative data collected from the interview

transcripts, identify codes, and divide findings and common themes into codes and

categories for codes. An analysis of collected data allows the researcher to identify the

major influential factors, different individual perception of promotion, management role

and responsibilities.

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Limitations of the Study

This case study has certain limitations due to limited access to only a small

number of female leaders in a selected demographic area available to be interviewed.

Furthermore, because of the small number of participants who were interviewed, this

magnified the results and may have accounted as to why their responses did not closely

resemble those found in the research studies in this area.

Ethical Considerations

Due to time constraints this research design will not be reviewed by the

institutional review board to ensure the protection of human subjects and as a result the

proposed research design will not be implemented; however, if it is decided to conduct

the research, the study will exercise utmost secrecy on information collected from the

participants, and the necessary approval from relevant authorities will be sought before

the research is conducted. Participants will be guaranteed anonymity and their

participation will be voluntary. Participants will be ensured about the confidentiality of

the disclosed information and their anonymity will be protected by using pseudonyms.

19
 Conclusion

The findings of the research case study although biased to just one geographical

area, is interesting in many ways. Scholars approach leadership differences between men

and women through a variety of lenses that are often focused by expectations that are not

supported in fact. This small exploratory study identified the most significant factor

inhibiting female advancement within Los Angeles County and correlated those findings

with the larger research studies showing that the dominant masculine organizational

culture was the most significant internal factor in play, and it was considered to be the

most difficult obstacle to overcome.

The fact that men and women are looking for the same thing at work despite their

differences of leadership styles, should encourage top management to make a conscious

effort to maximize their workforce potential by working to change the attitudes and

implicit cultural bias both within themselves as well as in their organizations. It’s time to

promote and embrace diversity, remove the cliques and club cultures that promote only

those who ‘belong’, and maximize the potential, health and prosperity for all

organizations.

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 Appendix A

Interview Guide
Major Topics and Questions

Topics Interview Questions

Career Path How long have you been in your current County position?
How many years of experience you have in total?
What do you like most about your job?
What led you to do the work you are doing now?
What started you on this path?

Leadership & What comes to your mind when you think about the organizational
Characteristics leadership?
of Good What are the traits/characteristics of a good leader?
Leaders Which of those traits/characteristics do you believe you have?
What have you done to improve your leadership skills?
Did you have any mentors? Tell me about any mentors you have had.

Invisible Please describe significant challenges/obstacles that you had to face in doing
Challenges this work.
How did you overcome those challenges/obstacles?

Defining What factors account for the ongoing success/effectiveness of leadership?

Success How would you define success for your career?
What are the elements/factors that helped you become successful?

Motivation What specifically motivated you to do this work?

What role did your manager or supervisor play in your personal motivation
at work and what keeps you motivated?

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 Appendix B

Consent Form

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this study which will take place from --------------
to ---------------2018.
Information and Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the
significant barriers that prevent women from advancing in their career. The method that
will be used to meet the purpose of this case study is “One-on-one interviews”.

Benefits and Risks: The benefits of the research will be to identify the significant
components that affect female employees who pursue leadership positions. It will also
assist future leaders/managers to understand the needs of their female employees to better
assist them in reaching their goals and bettering the workforce through improved
stability. There is no risk associated with participating in this study.

Participation: Your participation in this study will consist of an interview lasting

approximately one hour to one hour and half. You will be asked a series of questions
about your current work experience and challenges you face in your work environment as
a female employee. You are encouraged to ask questions or raise concerns at any time
about the research case study.

Confidentiality: The Interview will be recorded; however, your name and other
identifying information will be kept anonymous. The result and findings of the interview
will be used in writing a qualitative research report and it will not be shared with anyone
other than my research team. A summary of the result will be available to you upon your
request. You also have the right to withdraw from the study at any time. In the event you
choose to withdraw from the study, all provided information will be omitted from the
final paper.
Please contact the interviewer ------------------ at (000) 000- 0000 with any questions or
concerns.

By signing this consent form, I certify that I ____________________________ agree to

the terms of this agreement. (Print full name here)

____________________________ ______________
(Signature) (Date)

22
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