Study Title: Managerial Experiences of Women City Managers in the United States
Principal Investigator: Dr. Sebawit G. Bishu
To understand why women are underrepresented in leadership roles in government it is essential to study the lived experiences of the women occupying these roles. Doing so can enlighten government and leadership about ways to address barriers that women encounter, consequently improve their representation.
Similarly, this study aims at exploring the career and leadership opportunities and challenges that women city managers encounter on the job, in their interactions with elected officials, and with municipal employees and the citizenry. This research is important to (1) understand the social, professional and organizational contexts of women public managers in male-dominated roles, (2) identify barriers women encounter in leadership roles, and (3) design interventions that can improve their experiences.
Who can participate in the study?
For this study, the researcher is recruiting women city managers from across the United States. The researcher is seeking to recruit 60 women CAOs who are willing to participate in a one-time, 60 minutes one-to-one interview with the researcher.
What does the interview entail?
During the interview, participating women CAOs will be asked about their educational and career experiences leading up to their current roles as city managers, opportunities and challenges they encounter as a city manager, and about their leadership approaches and experiences.
Interested city managers can provide their contact information here
Contact:
- The researcher can be reached via email.
- To learn more about the researcher’s work, please visit: CU-Denver faculty profile, or www.sebawitbishu.com