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Europe, we have a problem: the experience of Black female leaders in Europe

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Europe, we have a problem: the experience of Black female leaders in Europe

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Europe, We Have a Problem: The Experience of Black Female Leaders in Europe

Laquisha Evette-Hamilton Crawford

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education

May 2023

© Copyright by Laquisha Evette-Hamilton Crawford 2023
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Laquisha Evette-Hamilton Crawford certifies the approval of this
Dissertation

Anthony Maddox
Kim Ferrario
Corinne Hyde, Committee Chair

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2023

iv
Abstract
Due to expected shifts in global demographics, European population growth is expected to
decline. On the other hand, global population growth is expected to come from Africa. Yet, there
are no Black female CEOs of Standard and Poor (S&P) Fortune Global 500 companies based in
Europe, and there is very little academic research regarding the experience of Black female
leaders in Europe. This study aims to fill in a gap in the literature. Black feminist thought theory
was used to investigate the relationship between Black female leaders and European society to
introduce potential organizational socialization barriers in European companies. Semi-structured
interviews of seven Black female leaders in Europe were conducted to construct a unified vision
of the essence of a phenomenon experienced as described by respondents. Interview data were
triangulated using participants’ resumes and online professional profiles and analyzed using
coding and phenomenological tenets. This study’s findings support the assertion that Black
women living and working in Europe have unique experiences and face challenges of navigating
intersectionality in a dominant European social structure, and European companies’ inclusion
and diversity policies and practices do not adequately address issues related to intersectionality.
This research is important to give a voice to the experiences of Black female leaders in Europe
and to help multinational companies in Europe understand what needs to be done to attract
highly skilled Black women.

v
Acknowledgements
First, giving glory and honor to God my Father, Jesus Christ, who supplies all my needs.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God, I thank You that You are the
master and finisher of my life. I thank you for the seeds that were planted before I even knew the
path that this dissertation would take me on. Lord, I thank You for the water that came in so
many different forms to replenish my soul while on this journey. And most of all, I pray that
Your will would be done regarding this work. I pray that it is pleasing and acceptable in Your
sight, and I pray that Your light and love would shine so brightly through this work that people
would truly understand love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
Next, I would like to acknowledge my young mother, Lola F. Hamilton, whose life was
cut short at the age of 20. Mom, you had dreams, hopes, and visions of excellence for our family.
Although you were just a young girl who started a family as a teenager, you were in college
pursuing a bachelor’s degree. I pray that I have honored your hopes, dreams, and visions of
excellence with the completion of this degree. I acknowledge my maternal grandmother, also
named Lola F. Hamilton, whom I lovingly called Mommy. Mommy, you raised me from the
time of my mother’s murder. You were born in 1933 and raised in a time when not many Black
girls were educated. I remember you wished you would have gotten the chance to go to school.
Although you were not allowed to go to school, you made sure that school was a priority for me.
You assured me, “You can do anything you put your mind to.” When you couldn’t help me with
my classes, you found a program, a teacher, or somebody who could help me. You made sure
that I not only got a good education but that I was a well-rounded person that contributed to

vi
society for the better. Your name literally means “strong woman,” and it describes you so well. I
pray that you are looking down on me from heaven and are proud of me. All that I am is because
of your love, your strength, and your self-lessness. I pray that I have honored you with the
completion of this degree. I acknowledge my husband, Troy K. Crawford. Words cannot express
how much I appreciate your undying love and support. You read every paper I wrote while in
this program. You helped me get up for 3 am classes when we lived aboard. You made sure I had
food to eat and a quiet place to rest when I got weary. You have been one of my biggest
cheerleaders, and I am truly thankful for your love and support. I pray that the completion of this
degree honors the sacrifices you made on my behalf. I love you and cherish you. I acknowledge
all the friends and family that supported me while in this program. Thank you for checking in on
me, and thank you for your words of encouragement. I want to acknowledge and thank my study
participants. Thank you for sitting down and sharing your stories with me. I am humbled,
honored, and encouraged by your strength and grace. I pray that this work honors your stories
and sheds light on a topic that needs to be talked about. I want to thank Dr. Corinne Hyde, who
has been an unwavering source of support and strength from the very beginning of this process.
When I was struggling with my insecurities and questioning my place in this process, you were
right there, cheering me on, offering guidance and support. Thank you to my committee, Dr.
Anthony Maddox and Dr. Kim Ferrario, for your profound advice. Thank you to all the amazing
USC faculty that added to this amazing journey. Thank you to the numerous professional
colleagues that acted as sounding boards and sources of encouragement during this process.
Finally, I want to acknowledge all the little Black and brown girls out there. I want you to know
it’s not about where your story started, and it’s not about the trials and tribulations that are
certain to come, but I want you to know “you can do anything you put your mind to.”

vii
Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv
Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................v
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................x
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi
Chapter One: Introduction to the Study ...........................................................................................1
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions ...................................................................2
Importance of the Study .......................................................................................................3
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology .....................................................4
Definitions............................................................................................................................6
Organization of the Dissertation ..........................................................................................8
Chapter Two: Literature Review .....................................................................................................9
Theoretical Perspective ......................................................................................................10
Black Female Leadership in The United States .................................................................14
Anti-Discrimination Doctrine in Europe ...........................................................................16
Being Black in Europe .......................................................................................................19
Women in Leadership in European Companies .................................................................22
Demographics Changing and Women Aboard ..................................................................25
Summary ............................................................................................................................29
Chapter Three: Methodology .........................................................................................................31
Research Questions ............................................................................................................31
Overview of Design ...........................................................................................................32
Research Setting.................................................................................................................35
The Researcher...................................................................................................................36
Data Sources ......................................................................................................................37

viii
Validity and Reliability ......................................................................................................45
Ethics..................................................................................................................................47
Summary ............................................................................................................................50
Chapter Four: Findings ..................................................................................................................52
Research Question 1 ..........................................................................................................52
Participant Demographics ..................................................................................................53
Participants’ Personal Narratives .......................................................................................55
Thematic and Phenomenological Findings ........................................................................87
Chapter Five: Recommendations .................................................................................................127
Discussion of Findings .....................................................................................................127
Recommendations for Practice ........................................................................................129
Limitations and Delimitations ..........................................................................................140
Recommendations for Future Research ...........................................................................144
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................146
References ....................................................................................................................................149
Appendix A: Prospective Participant Email ................................................................................173
Appendix B: Criteria Questionnaire ............................................................................................175
Appendix C Informed Consent Form ..........................................................................................178
Appendix D Interview Protocol ...................................................................................................187
Introduction to the Interview ............................................................................................187
Review the Aspects of Consent Form ..............................................................................188
Conclusion to the Interview .............................................................................................194
Appendix E: Consent to Collect and Process Personal Data From the European Union ............195
Your Rights ......................................................................................................................196
Withdrawal from the Study ..............................................................................................197

ix
Security ............................................................................................................................197
International Data Transfer ..............................................................................................198
Contact Information .........................................................................................................198
Changes to the Notice ......................................................................................................198

x
List of Tables
Table 1: Data Sources ....................................................................................................................34
Table 2: Validity and Reliability in Quantitative and Qualitative Paradigms ...............................46
Table 3: Participant Demographics ................................................................................................54
Table D1: Interview Questions ....................................................................................................190

xi
List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................28
Figure 2: Essence of the Participants’ Lived Experiences ...........................................................124
Figure 3: Individual and Relational Belongingness Model .........................................................134

1

Chapter One: Introduction to the Study
The European population is expected to decrease by at least 4%, while 50% of the
world’s population growth between now and 2050 will come from Africa (PWC, 2017; United
Nations Population Census, 2012). Talent migration will be reflected in the shift in population
and economic growth. However, European inclusion and diversity workforce practices have
traditionally only considered gender as the most protected ground of discrimination (Agustín &
Siim, 2014; Kantola & Nousiainen, 2009; Kovačević & Šehić, 2015; Verloo & Lombardo,
2007). The lack of Black or ethnic minority representation is reflected when looking at the seats
held in the governing body of the European Parliament and the anti-discrimination legislation
signed by its members (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), 2018;
Hondius, 2014). In 1997, and the years that followed, the European Parliament began
introducing more anti-discrimination articles to combat bias against sex, race or ethnicity,
religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
Researchers asserted that the European Union’s (EU) diversity and inclusion practices are
underdeveloped, causing different dimensions of discrimination to compete in a hierarchy of
inequalities in terms of the level of protection (Agustín & Siim, 2014). European policies utilized
a concept called multiple discrimination (Kovačević & Šehić, 2015). Researchers criticized
Europe’s multiple discrimination policies because they do not address the intersectionality of
individuals, thus creating more inequalities (Moffitt et al., 2020; Stojanovski et al., 2019). The
use of multiple discrimination policies, instead of intersectionality policies, means that societal
structures in Europe dictate that, for example, Black female leaders’ experiences are protected
only to the extent that they are either Black or women. However, corporate hierarchy
consequently means that Black female leaders do not have the same access to power and
2

privilege as White women and Black men because of their difference in position from White
men (Bell et al., 2001; Rosette & Livingston, 2012). A review of the S&P’s Fortune 500
companies revealed there are three Black CEOs, one of which is a Black female, all of which are
companies based in the United States (McGirt & Jenkins, 2021). On the other hand, the S&P
Global 500 statistic suggests that Black female leader representation in Europe is worse than in
the United States because there are no Black female CEOs for non-U.S.-based companies
(Fortune Media IP Limited, 2023; McGirt & Jenkins, 2021). Organizational structure suggests
Black women have unique experiences that are reflected by their dual minority status of being
Black and being a woman. Addressing this issue, this study focuses on the experiences of Black
female leaders that have lived and worked in Europe.
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the lived
experiences of Black female leaders working in European-based companies as they aspire to
higher leadership levels. The research objective is to probe into and interpret how Black
women’s experiences influenced their approach to navigating the leadership echelons. The
qualitative phenomenological research design helps the researcher to create a composite
description of their experiences and helps to define the meaning Black women leaders give to the
events they experienced. The research objectives are as follows:
1. To probe into and understand the subjectively distinct leadership journeys of Black
women living and working in Europe.
2. To reveal and interpret the core factors contributing to successfully ascending to
higher leadership levels by discovering their feelings, emotions and meaning around
this phenomenon.
3

3. To describe how multinational corporations can support Black women in their
attempts to breach encountered barriers.
4. To address the gap in research describing the lived experiences of Black women as
they aspire to higher leadership levels while living and working in Europe.
Researchers asserted that Black women have unique experiences in society due to the
intersectionality of their race and gender, which causes them to experience multiple oppressions
simultaneously (Crenshaw, 1989; Hill Collins, 1989). The following research question for this
study aims to explore these experiences: How do Black female leaders working and living in
Europe describe their lived experiences in pursuing higher leadership levels?
Importance of the Study
As noted previously, the European population is expected to decrease, while a large
portion of the world’s population growth between now and 2050 is estimated to come from
Africa (PWC, 2017; United Nations Population Census, 2012). Furthermore, Black women are
awarded the highest number of post-secondary education degrees in America, making them
available to participate in talent migration (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES],
2019). Talent migration will be reflected in the shift in population and economic growth.
However, European inclusion and diversity workforce practices have traditionally only
concerned gender and not race (Agustín & Siim, 2014; Kantola & Nousiainen, 2009; Kovačević
& Šehić, 2015; Verloo & Lombardo, 2007). The concept of race and racial categories arose from
the societal need to establish and maintain political and economic domination (Brooks, 2006). In
the context of Europe, racialized oppressions existed in society as a result of the history of
European imperialism (Emejulu & Sobande, 2019; Müller, 2021). In fact, some researchers
noted there is a rejection of the toxicity of race relations across Europe that unconsciously stems
4

from the history of European imperialism (The Economist, 2020; Lépinard, 2014; Lewis, 2013).
Authors asserted that race, when compounded with gender in European society, double
marginalizes Black women and consequently impacts their ability to thrive in society (Emejulu
& Sobande, 2019; Harnois, 2015). In fact, there is very little research on what European
companies need to do to attract and retain Black women. A review of the S&P Fortune Global
500 companies revealed that there are no Black female CEOs for non-U.S.-based companies,
which suggests that European policies on diversity and inclusion need further maturity (Fortune
Media IP Limited, 2023).
It should be noted that S&P Fortune Global 500 companies are utilized as a baseline
because these companies are recognized as the leading multinational companies in various
industries (Fortune Media IP Limited, 2023). The intention of this research is to fill in a gap in
the literature on the Black female experience in European companies to introduce potential
organizational socialization barriers in European companies. As countries and companies all over
the world compete in a global race to attract and retain talents, it is important to consider talent
migration resulting from shifting demographics. This research is important to give a voice to the
experiences of Black female leaders in Europe and to help multinational companies in Europe
understand what needs to be done to attract highly skilled Black women with extraordinary
talents.
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology
Black feminist thought theory is the theoretical framework used to investigate the
relationship between a Black woman and society or between human agency and social structures
(Alinia, 2015). The core concept of Black feminist thought theory is identifying the oppression
and resistance of Black women in social settings. Specifically, this theory shows how domination
5

is organized and operates in different domains of power (Alinia, 2015). According to Alinia
(2015), the matrix of domination is organized around four interrelated domains of power:
structural, disciplinary, hegemonic, and interpersonal. It is important to highlight that although
Black feminism thought theory was derived in the United States, this study asserts that it is also
applicable to European studies. European scholars may argue that it is wrong to apply American
concepts to race relations in European because, unlike the United States’ African American
history of forced slavery and segregation, the history of Black communities in Europe is one of
migration (The Economist, 2020). Researchers assert that there is a rejection of the toxicity of
race relations across Europe that needs to be addressed (The Economist, 2020; Lépinard, 2014;
Lewis, 2013).
Additionally, Hill Collins (2009, pp. 227–249) asserted that regardless of the organization
of a matrix of domination from society to society, the universality of intersecting oppressions, as
organized through diverse local realities, supports the use of Black feminist thought theory
across international contexts. This study focused on the experiences of Black female leaders who
were citizens of a country in Europe or long-term international migrants who lived and worked
in Europe for a year or more. The methodology utilized in this study is a qualitative
phenomenological research method and is described in more detail in Chapter Three.
As Creswell and Creswell noted (2018), qualitative phenomenological research describes
the lived experiences of individuals regarding a phenomenon as described by the study
participants. The aim of this study is to understand the lived experiences of Black female leaders
as they aspire to higher leadership levels while living and working in Europe. The qualitative
phenomenological research method provides the framework to comprehend the factors
contributing to Black women’s ascension to higher leadership levels in Europe and discover their
6

feelings, emotions, and meaning around this phenomenon. Additionally, this study will serve as a
starting point to describe how multinational corporations can support these women in their
attempts to breach Europe’s career barriers.
Phenomenological studies typically have a sample of three to 10 participants (Creswell &
Creswell, 2018). Human participants were selected using purposeful sampling, as Merriam and
Tisdell (2016) noted. They were required to meet the following criteria:
1. A Black female leader who lived and simultaneously worked in a company located in
Europe for 1 year or longer.
2. A Black female leader whose reporting management was also based in Europe.
3. A Black female leader who had one or more direct reports based in Europe.
4. A Black female leader who was promoted to at least one level of management or the
leadership role was expanded to increased responsibility while living and
simultaneously working in a company located in Europe for 1 year or longer.
5. A Black female leader who speaks English fluently.
Using purposeful sampling, seven participants were recruited for semi-structured
interviews. Data were analyzed using coding (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Merriam & Tisdell,
2016) as well as phenomenological tenets (Moustakas, 1994).
Definitions
Central to understanding this dissertation, the following key terms are defined in this
section.
Race: “A means of organizing social relations in order to establish and maintain political
and economic domination” (Brooks, 2006, p. 313).
7

Black woman (female): Any woman of African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latina descent.
Any woman that has at least one biological parent of African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latina
descent. Society places people in racial categories based on their appearance, regardless of
whether that person identifies with that race or not. Therefore, for the purpose of this study, a
Black woman (female) is any woman whose societal race is of African, Afro-Caribbean, or Afro-
Latina descent, regardless of her self-identification.
Intersectionality: Based on Black feminism, intersectionality describes how interlocking
systems of race, sex, and class collectively combine to create unique oppressive or resistant
experiences for Black women (Crenshaw, 1989). Crenshaw (1989) asserted that societal
institutions are interconnected and cannot be separated.
Leadership: “A process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to
achieve a common goal” (Northouse, 2019, p. 5).
Long-term international migrant: A person who lives in a country other than his or her
country of origin for 12 months or longer (United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs Population Division Migration Section [UN DESAPDMS], 2012).
Oppression: When one group denies another group access to the resources of society
either systemically or over time (Hill Collins, 2009).
Resistance: For the purpose of this study is society’s refusal to accept Black women in
certain domains of power.
Concrete ceiling or concrete wall: The nearly impossible and unique barriers between
Black women and higher leadership levels. These barriers are seemingly impossible for Black
women to break through on their own and are also impossible for them to see through (Bell et al.,
2001; Davidson, 1997).
8

Organization of the Dissertation
Five chapters were used to organize this study. This chapter provides the context and
background of the problem, the purpose of the project and the research questions, and introduces
the theoretical framework and methodology needed to understand and explore the problem of
practice. Chapter Two provides a review of the literature surrounding the scope of the study. In-
depth discussion of Black feminism and Black feminist thought theory, which was developed by
scholars in the United States of America, are further explored. Evidence is provided on why this
theoretical framework is applicable to international studies on the experiences of Black women.
Additionally, Chapter Two explores the anti-discrimination doctrine in Europe and what it means
to be Black in European society. Chapter Two concludes with discussions centered around the
shifting global demographics and asserts why this study is important. Chapter Three details the
methodology regarding the choice of participants, data collection and analysis. In Chapter Four,
the data and results are assessed and analyzed. Chapter Five provides recommendations, based
on data and literature, for addressing this problem of practice as well as recommendations for
further research.

9

Chapter Two: Literature Review
This chapter examined the literature on Black women in leadership and highlighted the
gap in the literature regarding Black women in leadership positions in Europe. Understanding the
voices of Black women’s stories served as the fundamental resource for framing the problems
and devising strategies for diversity and inclusion practices in Europe.
The first component of this literature review discusses Black feminist thought, the
theoretical lens used to underpin and guide this study. As there is very little literature on Black
women leaders in Europe, the second section of the literature review discusses the well-
documented experiences of what Black female leaders in the United States endure as they aspire
to higher leadership levels. Therefore, the literature review starts with the experience of Black
American women in order to identify the systems of oppression and resistance experienced by
Black women in America. Reviewing the experiences of Black American women is a useful tool
to explain the unique lived experiences of Black female leaders because it highlights the
potentially interconnected oppressions they experience globally. Third, this literature review
focuses on European anti-discriminatory practices to understand the cultural framework behind
the protections in place that served or underserved Black women in Europe.
The third section of the literature review highlights that Black women are only protected
to the extent that they are either Black or a woman. Therefore, the fourth and fifth sections of the
literature review discuss the experience of being Black in Europe, followed by the inequalities
that women must face as they aspire to higher leadership levels in Europe. The final section of
the literature review discusses the shift in global demographics and why it is important to address
this problem of practice in Europe.
10

Theoretical Perspective
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to address the gap in research
and to provide a composite description of the lived experiences of Black female leaders working
in European-based companies as they aspire to higher leadership levels. The experiences of these
women reflect the influence that the intersectionality of race, class, and gender had on the
leadership journey in Europe. The theoretical lens used to analyze this problem of practice is
Black feminism thought theory which was derived from Black feminism.
Black Feminism
Black feminism is the notion that Black women have a unique experience due to the
intersectionality of their race and gender, which causes them to experience multiple oppressions
simultaneously (Alinia, 2015; Crenshaw, 1989; Hill Collins, 1989; Rousseau, 2013). Feminist
theory and antiracist policy excluded the experiences of Black women because they do not
consider the intersectionality of race and gender (Crenshaw, 1989; May, 2015). In several issues
regarding social justice, Black women’s experiences were overlooked as societal structures
dictated that Black women’s experiences were protected only to the extent that they were either
Black or women (Crenshaw, 1989). Social structures dismissed the intersection of race and sex
discrimination experiences of Black women because they did not represent pure claims of racism
or sexism. (Crenshaw, 1989, 1991).
Intersectionality has applications across many fields in which the goal is to advocate
structural, political, or representational change (Arya, 2012; Bowleg, 2012; Rankin-Wright et al.,
2020; Rosenthal, 2016; Rousseau, 2013). Because society created a dominant culture that
attempts to treat different things the same, inequalities for women of color are exacerbated
(Crenshaw, 1989 Lorde, 2007). Researchers assert intersectional awareness is required to
11

promote non-oppressive collaborative social justice movements (Bilge, 2013; Carbado et al.,
2013; Sanchez-Hucles & Davis, 2010). Therefore, studies have examined the intersectionality of
race, class, gender, and sexuality to better understand disparities in leadership in an effort to
influence policymakers (Johnson & Fournillier, 2021; Nelson & Piatak, 2021; Pullen et al., 2019;
Tariq & Syed, 2017). Intersectionality is addressed by Black feminism thought theory which is
rooted in Black feminism (Hill Collins, 1989; Rousseau, 2013). The purpose of this research is
supported by Black feminism thought because it provides a composite description of the lived
experiences of Black female leaders living and working in Europe as they aspire to higher
leadership levels.
Black Feminist Thought
Black feminist thought theory was introduced by Hill Collins (1990), and it emerged
from Black feminism. This theory investigated the relationship between the individual and
society or between human agency and social structures. Black feminist thought is a standpoint
theory where authority is determined by a person’s perspective. Standpoint epistemology
provides oppressed people a voice to express the failures of the social structure (Crețu &
Massimi, 2020). Hill Collins (1989) asserted that Black women have a “self-defined standpoint
on their oppression” (p. 747) that can be characterized by two unique interlocking factors that are
distinct only to Black women: their political and economic status and the consciences of their
reality that may be interpreted differently than those in the dominant group.
The core concept of Black feminist thought is the oppression and resistance of Black
women, how domination is organized and operates in different domains of power, the path of
struggle to empowerment, and how the disempowered reproduce self-imposed domination
(Alinia, 2015; Hill Collins, 2009). Differing from feminist or race theories, the distinguishing
12

feature of Black feminist thought theory is how the intersection of gender, class, race, sexuality,
and nation frame the oppression and the struggle of Black women (Alinia, 2015; Hill Collins,
2009; Rousseau, 2013). The matrix of domination is organized around four interrelated domains
of power: structural, disciplinary, hegemonic, and interpersonal (Alinia, 2015; Hill Collins,
2009).
In the interrelated matrix of domination, Black women are the oppressed in one setting
while being the oppressor in another setting as they struggle to gain power (Alinia, 2015). Black
feminist thought is explained with concepts of invisibility in relation to systemic oppression and
hypervisibility, where Black women are represented in stereotypically commodified ways
(Jefferies et al., 2018; Marbley, 2005; Mowatt et al., 2013; Owens et al., 2019). The five
distinguishing principles of Black feminist thought used in this European-based study, as
highlighted by Alinia (2015) and Hill Collins (2009), have been adapted as follows:
• Gender, class, race, sexuality, and nation make up the matrix of domination that also
frames the oppression and the struggle of Black women.
• Black womanhood as a collective identity is shaped around the dialectic of oppression
and resistance.
• As a collective identity, Black women contain internal division and differences since
Black women are positioned differently in social structures and hierarchies of social
class, sexual orientation, education, region, age, and religion.
• Black women have a group knowledge and consciousness based on a collective
memory and shared history as well as common daily experiences of being a Black
woman.
13

• A dynamic relationship between Black feminist thought and Black feminist practice
has led to Black feminist thought being viewed as a critical social theory. (Alinia,
2015, p. 2335).
Although Black feminism thought theory was derived in the United States, this study
asserts that it also applies to European studies. European scholars may argue that it is wrong to
apply American concepts of race relations to a European context because the history of Black
communities in Europe is one of migration (The Economist, 2020). However, Hill Collins (2009)
asserted that the universality of intersecting oppressions as organized through diverse local
realties supports the use of Black feminist thought theory across international contexts (pp. 227–
249). Therefore, Black feminist thought helps explain the unique lived experiences of Black
female leaders in Europe from their perspective. In addition, the complexity of the intersection of
race, class, gender, and sexual oppression served as an analytical framework for this problem of
practice.
The research on the lived experience of Black female leaders in Europe is limited. The
search terms “Black female leaders and Europe,” “Black women leaders and Europe,”
“intersectionality, leaders, and Europe,” “leaders and Europe,” “feminism and Europe,” and
“Black feminism and Europe” were used for this study. There were academic publications on
women in leadership in Europe (e.g., Ahrens, 2017; Bossler et al., 2020; Greene, 2019; Grenne
& O’Brien, 2016; Madsen, 2015), Black women in leadership in the United States (Carter, 2019;
Dunkley, 2018; Jackson, 2012; Ogomaka, 2019), and women in leadership in general (e.g., de
Haan et al., 2013; Enderstein, 2018; Post, 2015). However, there is very little research on the
experience of Black women in leadership in Europe. Therefore, this literature review will focus
on Black women in leadership in the United States, anti-discrimination doctrine in Europe, being
14

Black in Europe, women in leadership in European companies, and how a global shift in
demographics will influence talent migration. The aforementioned related topics provide the
context for the problem of practice and the research question that guides this study.
Black Female Leadership in The United States
This section of the literature review focuses on sources of power that prohibit Black
women’s ascension to leadership positions in the United States. This section was not meant to be
an exhaustive list of the sources of power against Black women but provides the context for the
problem of practice.
Although the percentage of women of color in the U.S. population increased from 18.4%
in 2010 to 20.3% in 2019, Black women lag behind when it comes to representation in leadership
(Catalyst, 2021). Warner (2014) noted that Black women occupy 5.3% of managerial and
professional positions. However, according to Catalyst (2021), a survey in 2019 revealed 52%
planned to leave their jobs in the next 2 years. In fact, Black women had higher attrition rates for
frontline and entry-level jobs and had lower odds of advancement which created
underrepresentation at executive levels (Catalyst, 2021; Hancock et al., 2021; Lean In, 2020).
Researchers were aligned that Black women are double marginalized in corporate management,
putting them at a disadvantage versus White women (Bell et al., 2001; Giscombe & Mattis,
2002; Jackson & Rajai, 2021; Rosette & Livingston, 2012; Sales et al., 2020).
Double marginalization status equates to African American women leaders being
overlooked, undervalued and unappreciated in their profession due to their dual minority status
(Sales et al., 2020). Researchers found that stereotyping played a significant role in
systematically biased evaluations against Black leaders (Carton & Rosette, 2011; Motro et al.,
2022; Rosette & Livingston, 2012; Sales et al., 2020). On the other hand, DiTomaso (2013,
15

2015) argued that a system of bias by Whites toward other Whites, rather than bias against
Blacks, perpetuated inequalities in corporate America. Others postulated that sponsorship or lack
of sponsorship was a key barrier to Black women leaders’ advancement (Bell et al., 2001; Davis
& Maldonado, 2015; Giscombe & Mattis, 2002; Lean In, 2020; Smith, 2021).
Researchers also highlighted themes of racial microaggressions, where Black women are
frequently exposed to verbal, behavioral, and environmental interactions that are negative,
derogatory, or hostile. Microaggressions are said to have had a harmful and cumulative
psychological impact over time, thus impacting Black women’s leadership development (Holder
et al., 2015; Sue, 2010; Weiner et al., 2021). One common theme highlighted in all the
aforementioned research is that Black women leaders, due to their dual minority status, face
significant and unique barriers to the advancement of their careers. These barriers have been
termed the concrete ceiling or concrete wall (Beckwith et al., 2016; Bell et al., 2001; Bloch et al.,
2020; Carton & Rosette, 2011; Coachman, 2009; Davidson, 1997; Piazza, 2016; Tan, 2017). It is
important to note that the term concrete ceiling is different from the glass ceiling, which is often
used to describe the visible yet breakable barriers women face as they aspire to higher leadership
levels because the glass ceiling only takes into account gender or race inequality, not a dual
minority status (Cotter et al., 2001; Dominguez, 1991; Jackson, 2001; Tavakolian, 1993). These
researchers noted that the concrete ceiling or concrete wall describes the barriers between Black
women and higher leadership levels because not only is it nearly impossible for these women to
break through it on their own, but it is also impossible for them to see through it.
This section of the literature review highlighted the core themes of Black feminist
thought theory because it demonstrated how domination is organized and operates in different
domains of power and shows the path of struggle to empowerment that Black women face in
16

America. Researchers are aligned that the lack of leadership diversity in the United States is both
progressive and persistent, thus indicating there is a significant problem (Catalyst, 2021; Warner,
2014). As the United States will experience a major demographic shift by 2060, where Blacks
and other racial minorities will make up a majority of the population (Vespa. et al., 2020),
addressing inclusive and diverse practices is imperative if companies want to remain
competitive. If the United States, one of the world’s strongest economies, struggles with ways to
recruit, retain, and promote diverse talents, one wonders if the same issues exist in Europe.
Although this literature addressed the intersectionality of race, class, and gender in the United
States, it does not address how and if the matrix of domination is organized in European society.
Hill Collins (2009) asserted Black feminist thought theory can be applied in an international
context (pp. 227–249). Therefore, the next section of the review will review the literature on
anti-discrimination doctrine in Europe.
Anti-Discrimination Doctrine in Europe
English-language European literature on anti-discrimination laws was reviewed for this
section of the literature review. According to researchers, women face many reported barriers to
advancement across regions and nations, including stereotypes and preconceptions about a
woman’s abilities (Catalyst, 2002; Horrocks, 2019). Catalyst (2002), therefore, encouraged
companies to address gender inclusion which in turn addresses other elements of difference.
However, intersectionality literature proposed that addressing gender inequalities does not
address members of society with double minority status (Crenshaw, 1989; May, 2015). So why
does it appear that the same researchers that highlight inequalities against Black women in
America paint a different picture of European society (Catalyst, 2002, 2021)? This question is
what guided this section of the literature review.
17

Brooks (2006) noted that racial categories arose from the organization of social relations
where political and economic domination were established and are maintained through racial
characterization. However, as a result of the atrocities of WWII, race was officially removed
from the European vernacular following World War II (Moffitt et al., 2020). Consequently, the
last 3 decades of European legislation focused on addressing inequalities between men and
women and not race (Agustín & Siim, 2014; Kantola & Nousiainen, 2009; Kovačević & Šehić,
2015; Verloo, 2006).
While gender equality had different meanings in different settings based on the country’s
specific cultural values, traditions, and policies, it remained clear that gender was the most
protected ground of discrimination throughout continental Europe (Agustín & Siim, 2014;
Kantola & Nousiainen, 2009; Kovačević & Šehić, 2015; Verloo & Lombardo, 2007). However,
in 1997, Article 13 of the Treaty of Amsterdam was introduced, thus broadening anti-
discrimination to combat bias against sex, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, age, or
sexual orientation (Kantola & Nousiainen, 2009; Verloo, 2006). Following the treaty of 1997,
several more initiatives, such as The Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000), the Racial Equality
Directive (2000/), the Employment Directive (2000), and the European Commission’s Green
Paper (2004), were launched to further address discrimination in different areas. However,
researchers were critical of these policies and noted that they did not adequately address
inequalities as the policies are non-binding soft laws rather than the binding hard laws that were
created to address inequalities between men and women (Kovačević & Šehić, 2015).
Researchers asserted that European policies on anti-discrimination are immature and do
not effectively address the individuals’ intersectionality (Agustín & Siim, 2014; Kantola &
Lombardo, 2017; Kovačević & Šehić, 2015; Moffitt et al., 2020; Stojanovski et al., 2019).
18

Kovačević and Šehić (2015) noted that European policies use the term “multiple discrimination,”
where bias can take place on several grounds separately (Verloo, 2006; Kovačević & Šehić,
2015). Agustín and Siim (2014) asserted that the EU’s approach to diversity and inclusion is
underdeveloped because it does not address intersectionality, thus causing different dimensions
of discrimination to compete in a hierarchy of inequalities in terms of the level of protection. For
example, multiple discrimination policies emphasize gender and ethnicity or citizen and non-
citizen but ignore the other categories, creating gender and ethnicity and gender and citizenship
policies around gender-based violence but ignoring employment-related policies, which in itself
creates inequalities (Agustín, 2013). Researchers asserted that the lived experiences of minority
women are misrecognized and/or erased in European policymaking and in civil society and
movements (Emejulu & Bassel, 2017, pp. 185–208; Kantola & Lombardo, 2017; Moffitt et al.,
2020; Stojanovski et al., 2019).
Nielsen (2013) examined feminism and antiracist documents and interviews to determine
if these two groups work together to address and advance studies in intersectionality. She
asserted that while gender equality organizations in Europe do a good job at indicating awareness
of intersectionality, their practices did not seem to filter down to the national level. Additionally,
Nielsen (2013) noted that antiracist activists are less likely to establish hierarchical inequalities
and have a more inclusive understanding of diversity than the gender equality activist.
In summary, if European societal structures dictated that Black women’s experiences are
protected only to the extent that they are either Black or women, what does it mean to be a Black
woman aspiring for leadership in Europe? The next sections of this literature review reviewed
the literature on women in leadership in European companies and being Black in Europe.
19

Being Black in Europe
The low representation of Black people in European society is attributed to the history
surrounding Black access to Europe, which was tightly restricted. Hondius (2014) noted that,
historically, those that gained access received it through a position of dependence on White
Europeans. For example, Black people in Europe gained entry by being enslaved, offered a grant,
a favor, or a privilege by White Europeans (Hondius, 2014). Hondius (2014) highlighted racial
oppression and resistance by stating that being Black in Europe means being the first, the only,
or one of but a few Black persons in a social setting. Postcolonial access remained tightly
controlled, and this is reflected in the number of seats held by Blacks in the European
Parliament, where Black or ethnic minorities represent 20 parliamentarians out of 752, and there
are 55 to 60 belonging to parties that are openly neo-Nazi and racist (CSCE, 2018; Hondius,
2014). As European lawmakers adjusted from the colonial to postcolonial period, the laws and
societal practices also shifted.
Race was removed from the European vernacular following WWII, although racialized
oppressions continued at every social level (Moffitt et al., 2020). The inequality policies, such as
the definition and usage of multiple discrimination rather than intersectionality, reflected the
non-diverse make-up of the European Parliament and suggested that there is much work to be
done on addressing inequalities in Europe. Researchers asserted that, although Europe is
saturated with processes of racialization, there was a rejection of the toxicity of race relations
across Europe that was unconsciously stemming from the historical sediments of colonial
modernity that formed Europe and its collective identity (The Economist, 2020; Lépinard, 2014;
Lewis, 2013).
20

Lewis (2013) proposed that race, ethnicity, and culture are linked through a process of
racialization that also are unconsciously connected to an erosion of European values. Nowicka
(2018) argued that “racism is a transnational outcome of ongoing negotiations between past and
current experiences, and between parties in two or more geographical locations” (p. 224). Maeso
and Araújo (2017) argued that the dominant European discourse conceives racism “as external to
European political culture, and as a factor of the conflictive nature of social interactions in ethno-
racially heterogeneous settings” (p. 26). These researchers asserted that European policies need
to do more to focus on underrepresented minorities because although race was removed from
European vernacular following WWII, racialized oppressions continued in society (Maeso &
Araújo, 2017; Moffitt et al., 2020; Nowicka, 2018).
Race, when compounded with gender, in European society creates both empowerment
and de-powerment, as Vorobeva (2019) noted. Sang et al. (2013) noted that “at the intersection
of gender and ethnic disadvantage, migrant women academics demonstrate exceptional flair for
success, and resource mobilization toward achieving their career and personal goals” (p. 168).
Sang et al. (2013) and Vorobeva’s (2019) assertion that double marginalization empowers
women to achieve more is the opposite of what others propose. Emejulu and Bassel (2017) noted
that in Britain, Black women have an unemployment rate of 17.7% compared to 6.8% for White
women. The authors noted that it is difficult to collect data on the combined influence of race
and gender in France because this country, like many European countries, did not consistently
disaggregate its socioeconomic data by gender, and it did not collect data on race. However,
based on the data, the authors concluded that minority women must navigate both an ethnic and
gender penalty that overconcentrates them in low-skilled, low-paid, and insecure work. These
21

authors asserted that the high rates of poverty and inequality for minority groups are directly
linked to their experiences of and relationship to the labor markets in each country.
In fact, authors asserted that in Scotland and England, minority ethnic people leave
school with higher qualifications and are more likely to attend university than their White
counterparts, but they do not reap the benefits of labor market outcomes that their qualifications
should give them access to (Crawford & Greaves, 2015; Kamenou et al., 2013; Kantola &
Lombardo, 2017). These authors further asserted that the lived experiences of minority women
are misrecognized and/or erased in both European policymaking and civil society and
movements (Emejulu & Bassel, 2017, pp. 185–208). Due to Europe’s historical and current
exclusion of Blacks in European society, action and understanding are needed to adjust to
shifting global demographics.
Verbeek and Groeneveld (2012) conclude that hard policies, such as preferential
treatment, equality targets, and assignment of diversity officers at a company, do not improve the
numerical employment equity of ethnic minorities in Dutch companies. These authors suggest
policies focused on improving the educational attainment of minorities would improve equality.
Verbeek and Groeneveld (2012) asserted that European minorities are generally less educated
and therefore do not qualify for higher jobs. Additionally, researchers are aligned that individuals
with multiple minority statuses in Europe have not only experienced multiple forms of
discrimination due to their dual minority status but that this discrimination is widespread
(Harnois, 2015; Vorobeva, 2019). So, what does it mean to be a Black woman aspiring to ascend
the leadership ranks in European companies? As there is very little research on the matrix of
domination that Black women aspiring to leadership experience due to their dual minority status
in European, one can conclude that Black women in Europe will experience discrimination
22

because of the color of their skin, as discussed in this section of the literature review. The next
section of the literature review discovers what Black women aspiring to leadership endure an
additional form of discrimination, given their dual minority status.
Women in Leadership in European Companies
As noted previously, much of the English-language literature on diversity and inclusion
practices in Europe focuses on gender diversity, as gender was historically the most protected
ground of discrimination (Verloo & Lombardo, 2007). In an effort to improve gender diversity,
Europe implemented hard (binding) and soft (non-binding) regulations related to diversity and
inclusion (Kovačević & Šehić, 2015). The effectiveness of these policies was criticized. Bertrand
et al. (2019) noted equality targeted legislation had minimal impact on the overall societal
structures in Norway because highly qualified women were still overlooked for board positions
even when their qualifications matched the credentials of members already on the board.
Researchers have opposing views on the impact of gender diversity on company
performance (Chapple & Humphrey, 2014; Terjesen et al., 2016). Lückerath-Rovers (2013)
asserted that higher performance in Dutch companies is directly proportional to having women
on boards. On the other hand, Shehata et al. (2017) asserted that companies in the United
Kingdom should not have to implement hard diversity and inclusion policies because there is a
negative correlation between board diversity and company performance for small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs). Regardless of the debates concerning policy, legislation, and business
case arguments to support diversity and inclusion initiatives, women are simply underrepresented
in European companies.
Women represent almost 50% less representation on boards in European companies when
compared to U.S. companies (Adams & Ferreira, 2009). Catalyst (2002) showed the regressive
23

representation of women starting at 46.4% labor force to a progressive decrease in representation
of 36.9 % employment at the managerial level, 18.6 % representation at the executive level and
7.7% representation at the CEO level. These statistics suggest a glass ceiling effect is present in
Europe.
Glass Ceiling Effect for Women in Europe
Women face the glass ceiling as they aspire to higher leadership levels (Cotter et al.,
2001; Dominguez, 1991; Jackson, 2001; Tavakolian, 1993). Researchers are aligned that not
only does the glass ceiling effect exist for women aspiring to leadership roles in Europe, but
there are also different types of glass ceiling across varying fields (Bozhinov et al., 2019;
Dang et al., 2014; De Paola et al., 2018; Russo & Hassink, 2012; Wolfert et al., 2019). In
Italian academia, studies revealed if there are no limitations in the number of qualifications to
be awarded, there are no gender differences in the probability of obtaining the National
Scientific Qualification. However, when there are few limited positions in a department,
females are significantly less likely to be promoted than their male counterparts (De Paola et
al., 2018). Researchers asserted that women in Europe can also experience multiple glass
ceilings in terms of wage gaps in and between job levels and breaching into senior board
positions (Bozhinov et al., 2019; De Paola et al., 2018). The research showed that women in
Europe experience a glass ceiling effect simply because they are women. However, this
literature does not address the experiences of Black women or how the matrix of domination
is expressed as a result of Black women’s intersectionality of race, class, and gender in
Europe.
In fact, Campbell and Mínguez-Vera (2008) concluded that while having women on
the boards benefits the company’s performance, it is not necessary to focus on ethnic
24

dimensions of diversity in their workforce because Spain is 98% White. Researchers in
Europe argue over practices of diversity and inclusion despite the fact that there is a low
number of females on corporate boards. According to the United Nations Population Census
(2012), the European population will decrease, causing a shift in population and economic
growth that will be accentuated by global talent migration (PWC, 2017). These disagreements
on diversity practices make one wonder how Europe will handle shifting global demographics
and talent retention.
According to the NCES (2019), Black women are awarded the highest number of post-
secondary education degrees. Research showed that Black women and White women have
different corporate experiences due to the intersectionality of their race, gender, and in class
(Bell et al., 2001; Giscombe & Mattis, 2002; Jackson & Rajai, 2021; Rosette & Livingston,
2012; Sales et al., 2020). Therefore, as European companies define ways to address diversity
and inclusion issues, they must also consider the documented research that addresses Black
women’s organizational socialization.
Organizational Socialization of Black Women
Corporate hierarchy, in terms of number and placement in executive positions, places
Black women behind White men who are at the top and White women that are just below
White men, according to Bell et al. (2001). The hierarchy of organizations consequently
means that Black female leaders do not have the same access to power and privilege as White
women because of their difference in position from White men (Bell et al., 2001). Viewing
this through the lenses of Black feminist thought theory, one could propose that corporate
hierarchy, as well as stereotypes, microaggressions, and bias, all previously mentioned, are
all forms of oppressive and resistant forces. Black women face as they aspire to leadership.
25

Researchers are aligned that Black women achieve organizational fit in U.S.
companies, if at all, at a lower rate than White women (Bell et al., 2001; Dickens et al., 2018;
Holder et al., 2015). Due to the intersectionality of a Black woman’s race, gender, and
sometimes class, Black women have added sources of workplace stress related to visibility
and assimilation (Bell et al., 2001; Dickens et al., 2018; Holder et al., 2015). The
aforementioned noted research focuses on the experience of Black women in U.S.
companies. A review of the S&P Fortune 500 companies revealed there are three Black
CEOs, one of which is a female, all of which are companies based in the United States
(McGirt & Jenkins, 2021). When comparing the S&P Fortune 500 companies to the S&P
Fortune Global 500 companies, this statistic suggests that the representation in Europe is
worse than in the United States because there are no Black female CEOs for non-U.S.-based
companies (Fortune Media IP Limited, 2023; McGirt & Jenkins, 2021). The intention of this
research is to fill in a gap in the literature on the Black female experience in European
companies to introduce potential organizational socialization barriers in European
companies. This research is important due to shifting global demographics where talent
attraction and retention will be important for companies.
Demographics Changing and Women Aboard
Countries all over the world are competing in a global race for talent as countries try to
outbid one another in an effort to attract highly skilled migrants with extraordinary talent
(Shachar, 2011). According to the United Nations Population Census (2012), the European
population will decrease by at least 4%, while 50% of the world’s population growth between
now and 2050 is expected to come from Africa (PWC, 2017). The shift in population and
economic growth will be accentuated by talent migration as successful economies draw people
26

from weaker counterparts. Black women are awarded the highest number of post-secondary
education degrees, making them available to be a part of talent migration (NCES, 2019).
Nonetheless, as discussed previously, there has been little to no focus in Europe on
what’s needed to attract talents of color. In fact, researchers do not agree on the impact of gender
diversity on company performance (Chapple & Humphrey, 2014; Terjesen et al., 2016), yet
diversity and inclusion are still used as recruitment tools. A review of 75 major companies in
five different countries (France, Germany, Spain, the UK, and the United States) revealed that
organizations use diversity and inclusion branding to attract talent as they compete in the global
talent race (Jonsen et al., 2021). Twenty-seven percent of companies expect to increase employee
relocation (China Weekly News, 2013).
Altman and Shortland (2008) performed a 25-year review of the practices of women in
international assignments and showed emerging themes and changes from when organizations
debated if women should even be considered to the most recent structural changes that claim
women have a superior affinity to operating internationally. Researchers are aligned that
organizational support plays a significant role in international assignment job success and
satisfaction (Culpan & Wright, 2002; Davison & Punnett, 1995; Mäkelä et al., 2011; Varma &
Russell, 2016). Researchers also tried to identify factors that influence the adjustment of women
on global assignments in an effort to improve hiring practices (Caligiuri & Lazarova, 2002;
Caligiuri et al., 1999; Cole & McNulty, 2011). In fact, mentoring African American expatriates
improved success abroad (Crawley et al., 2009).
However, this study asserts that mentoring is not enough and that for significant change
to occur, Europe must focus on its policies. European multiple discrimination policies do not
consider intersectionality, where multiple discriminations can occur simultaneously and are
27

therefore, creating further inequalities, specifically for Black women, the focus of this study,
because these policies cause competition in a hierarchy of inequalities in terms of the level of
protection (Agustín & Siim, 2014; European Commission, 2007).
The intention of this study is to provide a composite description of the experiences of
Black women working in Europe to address the gap in research, to describe the experiences of
these women, to interpret how their experiences influenced their approach to navigating the
leadership echelons and to describe how multinational corporations can support these women in
their attempts to breach the global concrete ceiling. Figure 1 presents the conceptual framework
applied in this study.

28

Figure 1
Conceptual Framework

Maxwell (2013, p. 54) noted a concept map is a visual picture, using boxes and arrows to
indicate “what the theory says is going on with the phenomenon” being studied. In this study, I
used the input-process-output model to identify the major variables that influence the ascension
29

of Black female leaders to higher leadership positions. A key tenet of Black feminist thought
theory is that there is a relationship between the individual and society or between human agency
and social structures. I visualized this tenet by showing the Black female leader living and
working in Europe, which the literature review indicates has historical and unacknowledged
embedded systems of racialized and gender dominant oppressive and resistant forces, as an input
to the process of the woman trying to ascend the echelons of leadership. The expected output is a
composite description of their experiences because Black feminist thought theory asserts that
Black women have group knowledge and consciences based on a collective memory, shared
history, and common daily experiences of being Black women.
Based on the literature review and the study’s theoretical lens, the researcher expected to
find themes of coping strategies, identification of support systems, and varying themes of
oppressive and resistant forces that will influence her ability to accelerate her career (Holder et
al., 2015; Sue, 2010; Weiner et al., 2021). Black women may be overlooked, undervalued and
unappreciated in their profession due to their dual minority status (Sales et al., 2020). The
oppressive forces may also create even more inspiration for them to keep fighting, or they might
realize they cannot go further because of barriers (Beckwith et al., 2016; Bell et al., 2001; Bloch
et al., 2020; Carton & Rosette, 2011; Coachman, 2009; Davidson, 1997; Piazza, 2016; Tan,
2017). The outputs identified in the conceptual framework were considered a priori codes.
Chapter Three describes the research methodology and methods used for collecting and
analyzing data and the theoretical framework that informed the study.
Summary
Chapter Two examined the literature on Black women in leadership and highlighted the
gap in the literature regarding Black women in leadership positions in Europe. The first
30

component of this literature review discusses Black feminism thought, the theoretical lens used
to underpin and guide this study. The second section of the literature review discusses the
experience of Black American women to identify the systems of oppression and resistance
experienced by Black women in America. Reviewing the experiences of Black American women
is a useful tool to explain the unique lived experiences of Black female leaders because it
highlights the potentially interconnected oppressions they experience globally. Third, the
literature review focused on European anti-discriminatory practices to understand the cultural
framework that served or underserved Black women. The fourth and fifth sections of the
literature review discuss the experience of being Black in Europe, followed by the inequalities
that women must face as they aspire to higher leadership levels. The final section of the literature
review discusses the shift in global demographics and why it is important to address this problem
of practice.

31

Chapter Three: Methodology
Chapter One introduced the context of the problem by showcasing that multinational
companies based in Europe may be negatively impacted by shifting global demographics
because European inclusion and diversity workforce practices have traditionally excluded the
experiences of people with double minority status. This chapter highlighted that the practices in
Europe do not address the intersectionality of an individual’s sex, race, ethnicity, religion or
belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation (Moffitt et al., 2020; Stojanovski et al., 2019).
Chapter Two examined the literature on Black women in leadership and highlighted the gap in
the literature regarding Black women in leadership positions in Europe. This chapter presents
this study’s research methodology to understand Black women’s stories for framing the problems
and devising strategies for improved diversity and inclusion practices in Europe.
This chapter has eight major sections. The first reviews the research question that guides
this study. The second covers the methodological design of this qualitative phenomenological
study. The next two sections describe the research setting and my positionality in the research
setting and regarding participants. The fifth section discusses the data sources and the timing and
sequence of data collection activities, details on participant sampling, and instrumentation
utilized in data collection. The next two sections cover the strategies used for maximizing the
study’s validity and reliability and my ethical responsibilities in regard to the use of human
subjects. The final section of this chapter discusses the limitations and delimitations given the
boundaries of the study.
Research Questions
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the lived
experiences of Black female leaders working in European-based companies as they aspire to
32

higher leadership levels. The research objective is to probe into and interpret how Black
women’s experiences influenced their approach to navigating the leadership echelons in Europe.
The research objectives are as follows:
1. To probe into and understand the subjectively distinct leadership journeys of Black
women living and working in Europe.
2. To reveal and interpret the core factors contributing to successfully ascending to
higher leadership levels by discovering their feelings, emotions and meaning around
this phenomenon.
3. To describe how multinational corporations can support Black women in their
attempts to breach the barriers encountered ceiling.
4. To address the gap in research describing the lived experiences of Black women as
they aspire to higher leadership levels while living and working in Europe.
Researchers asserted that Black women have unique experiences in society due to the
intersectionality of their race and gender, which causes them to experience multiple oppressions
simultaneously (Crenshaw, 1989; Hill Collins, 1989). The following research question for this
study aims to explore these experiences: How do Black female leaders working and living in
Europe describe their lived experiences in pursuing higher leadership levels?
Overview of Design
As discussed by Creswell and Creswell (2018), a well-designed research plan should
include the research approach, the design, and the philosophical worldview. This section will
cover all three. Qualitative research methodology was selected for this study because it is
appropriate when the researcher seeks to understand how people understand their world and the
meaning they give to their experiences (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Qualitative research is
33

exploratory in nature and seeks meaning behind an experience or phenomenon (Creswell &
Creswell, 2018). The purpose of this study was to explore and understand how Black female
leaders at European-based companies interpret their experiences and how they reach higher
leadership levels. This purpose is well suited for qualitative design. In addition to selecting a
research methodology, one must also select the type (design) of qualitative research to be
conducted (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) stated that the phenomenological inquiry approach is well
suited for studying highly emotional or intense experiences. Phenomenological inquiry is the
description of lived experiences about a phenomenon as described by the participants, and the
composite description is the essence of the experience for multiple individuals that all
experienced the same phenomena (Creswell & Creswell, 2018, p. 13). Phenomenological inquiry
was used for this study because it allowed a focus both on understanding the phenomena as
described by participants (the essence) and reflected these women’s lived experiences (giving
voice to their experiences). I applied phenomena reduction, which is a process of repeatedly
looking at the data from different perspectives to reduce the information about the experience to
its essence.
The techniques of Moustakas (1994) noted that phenomenological inquiry examines data
from many perspectives until a composite description of the essence of a phenomenon or
experience is achieved. Black feminist thought theory is well suited to qualitative
phenomenological inquiry because this theory also aims to understand the commonalities
(essence) of experiences. Hill Collins (2009) asserted that Black women’s group location in
intersecting oppressions produces commonalities which in turn produces a group consciousness
or group standpoint that can be used to shape unjust power relations (p. 25).
34

The final topic to be covered in this research plan is the philosophical worldview. The
constructivist philosophical worldview seeks to construct meaning from the data and will be used
to guide this study (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The constructive
worldview is aligned with phenomenological inquiry because it relies on the participants’ notion
of their reality (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Therefore, for this phenomenological study, where
the aim is to construct meaning from the lived experiences of Black female leaders, accounting
for the participants’ experiences is imperative. This research was supported by the data source
shown in Table 1 and is discussed in the next section.

Table 1
Data Sources
Research question Interview
How do Black female leaders working and living in Europe
describe their lived experiences in pursuing higher
leadership levels?
X

35

Research Setting
Qualitative phenomenological data were collected for this study using semi-structured
interviews. First, a criteria survey was used as a purposeful sampling tool to ensure participants
were selected only on the basis that they met the study requirements (Appendix B). The intention
of this study is to create a composite description of the lived experiences of Black female
leaders. Therefore, a minimum of five Black female leaders that have lived or are currently
living while simultaneously working in Europe for a minimum of a year were recruited using the
criteria questionnaire (Appendix B). The criterion for selection is further described in the data
sources section. The minimum number of participants is aligned with the expectations of a
qualitative phenomenological study where a sample size of three to 10 participants is acceptable
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
The semi-structured interview format supports that specific data is required from all
respondents, and it also supports that individual respondents define the world in unique ways
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016), which aligns with Black feminist thought theory. Black feminist
thought theory asserts that Black women experience the world uniquely due to the intersections
of their race and gender (Hill Collins, 1989). The semi-structured interview instrument also
aligns with the qualitative phenomenological research methodology and the constructivist
worldview because it helps guide the participants to explain their experiences one layer at a time
while also helping the researchers stay aligned with the purpose of the study to construct a
unified vision of the essence of a phenomenon experienced as described by respondents
(Castillo-Montoya, 2016). Because of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the geographical
distance between the respondents and me, study participation required that each participant is
36

interviewed in one 60- to 90-minute recorded online synchronous Zoom semi-structured
interview at the time and location of their choosing.
The Researcher
As discussed by Morgan (2018) and Tatli and Özbilgin (2012), it is imperative for people
to be aware of the power hierarchies we participate in to be informed of how our positionality
informs and shapes our views on inequality. A review of the Morgan (2018) wheel showed that I,
as an African American female leader who has lived and worked in Europe for more than 7 years
at an S&P 500 global company and who has earned three promotions, have equal factors above
and below the dominance line. This means at any time and depending on the topic, I could act as
the privileged or the oppressed. This self-reflection of the Morgan (2018) dominance line is
consistent with ideas shaped by Black feminist thought theory that highlights that the researcher
could be the oppressed in one setting while being the oppressor in another as the researcher
struggles to gain power in the interrelated matrices of domination, as Alinia (2015) discussed.
Additionally, the epistemology and the ontology framing of this study are emic from the
standpoint that I could relate to the study participants because I may have had direct exposure to
their experiences. For example, I am an African American woman who was raised in a single-
parent, low-income household, where advanced education and challenging the status quo were
not only celebrated but encouraged. I was raised by a single grandmother who valued education
because although she grew up when Black girls were not encouraged to pursue education, she
held a strong belief that Black girls should be educated and should be supported to pursue their
dreams. She also worked as a custodian, cleaning a college campus, and observed the benefits of
higher education. Therefore, I might have seen my own experiences in regard to race, gender, or
socioeconomic status, reflected in the participants. My positionality of relating to the participants
37

could create blind spots and biases that influence observations, as Patton (1987) and Bogdan and
Biklen (2007) noted. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), what the researcher observes is
influenced by how structured the observer wants to be. Therefore, I employed reflection and
bracketing to ensure the avoidance of blind spots and biases influencing research outcomes.
Authors are aligned that researcher reflection on positionality and its influence on
research outcomes is imperative during inquiry because it allows the researcher to critically
monitor bias (Berger, 2015; Chan et al., 2015; England, 1994). Reflection supports the inquiry
and bracketing process by allowing the researcher to monitor bias and influence because it forces
a level of consciousness where the researcher can freely “handle and present the data better, and
consider its complex meanings and contribution to the understanding of social phenomena and of
the process involved in knowledge production” (Berger, 2015, p. 221). Thus, I used the reflective
processes of written reflection after each interview and used journaling during this research.
These reflective processes support epoche, which is the activity of setting aside everyday
understandings, judgements, and knowings (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016; Moustakas, 1994). The
goal of the written reflection after each interview was to capture details about important
observations and to support the bracketing process. Bracketing is a reflective process whereby I
examined personal prejudice so my ideas could be bracketed to not interfere with the study
(Chan et al., 2015; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Data Sources
Qualitative phenomenological data were collected for this study using both a survey and
semi-structured interviews. Once participants were selected, the resume and online professional
profile (if applicable) were requested prior to the interview to build a respondent profile based on
the facts presented in the resume and online professional profile (if applicable). These profiles
38

were created to deepen insight into the essence of their collective experiences (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016; Moustakas, 1994) and were considered secondary documents. The primary source
of data for this study was semi-structured interviews.
Once participants were selected for the study using a purposeful sampling survey, the
resume and online professional profile (if applicable) were used to create a respondent profile,
and the semi-structured interview method was used as the primary source of data collection.
Gibbs (2018) noted that a key way to demonstrate that evidence is grounded in the data is to
provide evidence in the form of quotations from interviews. Therefore, participants’ direct
quotations intermixed with my interpretation, as supported by qualitative research methods
(Gibbs, 2018), were used as evidence to answer the research question and are presented
throughout Chapter Four. As it is common for people to use filler words while they are thinking
of replies to an interview question, it should be noted that I removed filler words in the
quotations as these did not have a direct bearing on the meaning of the text.
Participants
After participants were selected, the resume and online professional profile (if applicable)
were requested prior to the interview to build the respondent profile. Once the candidate profile
was prepared, a semi-structured interview protocol was used to collect data (Appendix D). The
intention of this study was to create a composite description of the lived experiences of Black
female leaders, so seven participants were recruited using the criteria questionnaire (Appendix
B). The minimum number of participants was aligned with the expectations of a qualitative
phenomenological study where a sample of three to 10 participants is acceptable (Creswell &
Creswell, 2018). The number of participants interviewed was seven. Snowball sampling, a
method of increasing sample size by asking participants to recommend others for interviews, was
39

used to identify both initial and additional participants, and this study was completed using data
from seven participants (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Another factor impacting selection criteria was the requirement that the Black women
must be living and working or have previously lived and worked in Europe for 1 year or more.
According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population
Division Migration Section (UN DESAPDMS, 2012), a long-term international migrant is a
person who lives in a country other than his or her country of origin for 12 months or longer.
Therefore, the requirement of 1 year or longer was selected as a basis for this study because it is
an indication that a person’s relocation (if applicable) is not considered a short-term move
according to the UN DESAPDMS (2012).
Another selection requirement was that the bidirectional reporting structure is also based
in Europe. Catalyst (2002), an international corporate consulting group, noted women in Europe
face many barriers to advancement across regions and nations, including stereotypes and
preconceptions about a woman’s abilities. As already discussed, talent migration will be
reflected in the shift in population and economic growth, yet little research focuses on attracting
and retaining Black women. Black feminist thought theory asserts Black women have a unique
experience due to the intersectionality of their race and gender (Alinia, 2015; Crenshaw, 1989;
Hill Collins, 1989; Rousseau, 2013). European researchers assert that inequalities created by
intersecting identities are not currently addressed by European anti-discrimination doctrine
(Agustín & Siim, 2014; Kantola & Nousiainen, 2009; Kovačević & Šehić, 2015; Verloo &
Lombardo, 2007). Therefore, it is important to give a voice to the experiences of Black female
leaders to help multinational companies in Europe understand what needs to be done to attract
40

highly skilled migrants or highly skilled Black European female leaders with extraordinary
talents.
After participants were selected for this study, the resume and online professional profile
(if applicable) were requested prior to the interview to build the respondent profile based on the
facts presented in the resume and online professional profile. Once the candidate profile was
prepared, a semi-structured interview was used to collect data. Using the interview protocol
(Appendix D), the interview started by reminding the participant of the purpose of the study, that
participation was voluntary, and that she could withdraw at any time. The informed consent form
was reviewed with each person (Appendix C), and questions regarding interview logistics were
addressed before moving into the interview.
Instrumentation
The semi-structured interview format supports that specific data is required from all
respondents, and it also supports that individual respondents define the world in unique ways
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The agility of the semi-structured interview method aligns with
Black feminist thought theory, which asserts that Black women experience the world uniquely
due to the intersections of their race and gender (Hill Collins, 1989). The semi-structured
interview technique also allowed me to adjust to a respondent’s emerging worldview and new
ideas on a topic (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Following the qualitative interview guidance of Castillo-Montoya (2016), an interview
protocol was created to construct an inquiry-based conversation (Appendix D). Inquiry-based
conversations follow the social norms of normal conversation but were facilitated by the
researcher to gather information related to the purpose of the study (Castillo- Montoya, 2016).
Following this interview convention guidance, the protocol (Appendix D) includes 11 open-
41

ended questions, covering all four types of questions, as Castillo-Montoya (2016) defined,
follows the normal social rules of ordinary conversation, has a variety of questions, and includes
a script with likely follow-up and prompt questions. Additionally, I considered the six different
types of questions, as discussed by Patton (2002), to be clear about what was being asked. The
key concepts of this study are intersectionality, which describes how interlocking systems of
race, sex, and class collectively combine to create unique oppressive experiences for Black
women (Crenshaw, 1989); oppression as occurring when one group denies another group access
to the resources of society either systemically or over time (Hill Collins, 2009); and resistance as
society’s refusal to accept Black women in certain domains of power thus imposing barriers such
as a concrete ceiling (Beckwith et al., 2016).
The first question was introductory and was neutral, non-intrusive, and non-threatening
and meant to build trust with the respondent. This question was designed as a background
question to identify the respondent’s characteristics (Patton, 2002). The next two questions were
transition questions meant to link the information captured in the respondent profile to the key
questions that all participants were asked (Castillo-Montoya, 2016). These questions sought to
understand the respondents’ behaviors, experiences, and knowledge regarding the pursuit of
leadership roles and how these roles fit into the overall structure. The next seven questions were
the key questions most related to the research questions and the purpose of the study. The key
questions were directly linked to understanding the participants’ lived experiences, the impact
they felt their race and gender had on their career progression and leadership style, barriers they
felt they encountered during their ascent and their feelings about these. The key questions also
addressed coping strategies used to overcome barriers, recommendations for employers based in
Europe to improve Black women’s experiences, and advice they would give to other Black
42

women who aspire to higher leadership roles in Europe. The final question was a closing
question that was easy to answer and provided the opportunity for closure. Further details and
prompts for each question can be found in Appendix D.
Data Collection Procedures
Through snowball sampling, I identified and contacted potential study participants using
the email for potential respondents (Appendix A). Appendix A included a link to the Qualtrics
criteria survey, where those interested in the study expressed interest by completing the survey.
The survey was a purposeful sampling tool that was estimated to take 10 minutes (Appendix B).
Qualtrics is an online software tool for creating and implementing surveys. Data were stored in
Qualtrics for analysis (Appendix B). Seven participants were selected for this study, and this
number was aligned with the standard phenomenology sample size of 3 to 10 (Creswell &
Creswell, 2018). Once participants were selected, they were asked to read the informed consent
form (Appendix C). Each participant was requested to provide a copy of the resume or
curriculum vitae and online professional profile (if applicable) to build the respondent’s profile
using an internal participant identification coding system ranging from BFL01 to BFL07. The
internal coding was used for identity protection, confidential participation, and protection of the
impacted companies (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). This respondent coding system was applied
and referred to throughout the study. After the participant profile was built, I organized the data
and time of the interview.
Johnson and Christensen (2015) noted that qualitative interviews are used to obtain in-
depth information about respondents’ “thought, beliefs, knowledge, reasoning, motivations, and
feelings about a topic” (p. 233). Because this study sought to understand the essence of the lived
experiences of Black women as they ascended to higher leadership levels in European companies
43

and their feelings around this phenomenon, the qualitative interview technique was the right tool
to collect the data needed for this study for the afore-noted reasons as Johnson and Christensen
(2015) stated.
All data related to this study were stored electronically on my personal password-
protected computer. I used a filing system with several layers of password protection. The
passwords were not shared with anyone, thus ensuring data and privacy protection. The
interview platform automatically transcribed the audio, and I listened to them while reading the
transcript to ensure accuracy. Once the interviews were transcribed, each participant was offered
a copy of their transcripts and an allotted time to review for any edits or misrepresentations
before coding for results. It should be noted that four out of the seven participants provided
feedback on the transcripts before coding began. The feedback they provided did not change the
text of any answers but confirmed that they were satisfied with the content or confirmed their
confidentiality. All electronic data were backed up on an encrypted USB drive that was
password-protected. The USB drive was stored in my home office in a locked filing cabinet. All
recordings and transcriptions were destroyed following the completion of the study.
I also collected journal entries and field notes. Field notes are observer comments about
what was observed during the interaction with the participants and any associated feelings
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The journal entries were created as part of my reflection process,
discussed in the ethics section, and support the phenomenology process of Epoche required for
phenomenological reduction (Moustakas, 1994). The journal entries and the field notes were
cataloged by the researchers because they were useful raw data tools during data analysis
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
44

Data Analysis
The process of giving meaning to data is known as data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Data
were analyzed using coding (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016) and
phenomenological tenets (Moustakas, 1994). ATLAS.ti computer software was used for coding,
which was the process of organizing the data into themes and descriptions (Creswell & Creswell,
2018). Based on the information found in the literature review and as discussed in the conceptual
framework section, a priori coding was assigned to the items outlined in the output section of the
conceptual framework. Additionally, phenomenological data analysis, involving textual
descriptions of what was experienced and a structural description of how it was experienced and
in what context, was described for each participant. These data were used to create a composite
description of the meanings and essence of the experience for the whole group (Moustakas,
1994). The first and most important step in phenomenological reduction was achieving epoche
(Moustakas, 1994).
Epoche is the process of setting aside prejudgments, bias, and preconceived ideas about
things and allowing things, events, and people to enter into consciousness (Moustakas, 1994).
This researcher also states that Epoche is the process of looking at whatever or whoever appears
in our consciousness with openness, seeing just what is there and allowing what is there to be.
While in epoche, the researcher is challenged to create new ideas, new feelings, new awareness,
and new understanding. The process of epoche was achieved through reflection and bracketing,
as discussed in the ethics section.
The epoche was the first step in the phenomenological reduction process. During the
reduction process, I described in textual language only what was seen. During this process, I
focused on the qualities of the experiences and repeatedly looked at the phenomenon from
45

different perspectives to describe what was seen with reference to textual qualities (Moustakas,
1994). The textual description gets to the essence of the experience. Imaginative variance and
horizon, as described by Moustakas (1994), were used to ascertain the structural description.
Imaginative variance means looking at the phenomenon from many different angles,
perspectives, roles, functions, or positions to arrive at the structural description of an experience
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016; Moustakas, 1994). The structural description provides an
understanding of how this phenomenon came to be and in what context (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016; Moustakas, 1994).
The next phenomenology tenet applied was the process of horizontalization which was
the process of considering each of the horizons and textual qualities that enabled understanding
of the experience (Moustakas, 1994). During horizontalization, each experience had equal value,
and I sought to disclose its nature and essence. When the structural description was combined
with the textual description, the researchers created the composite description of the meanings
and essence of the experience for the whole group (Moustakas, 1994).
Validity and Reliability
Researchers must ensure the accuracy of their findings through qualitative validity
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Table 2 was adapted from Lincoln and Guba (1985) to outline the
four ways used in this study to ensure qualitative validity through credibility, transferable,
dependability, and confirmability.

46

Table 2
Validity and Reliability in Quantitative and Qualitative Paradigms
Qualitative
paradigm
Definition Strategies to improve trustworthiness
Credibility The researcher presents data
findings that are believable
and accurate.
Triangulation (such as multiple
researchers), member checks,
length of study/prolonged
engagement, number of interviews
and/or observations, constant
comparisons
Transferability The extent to which the study
findings apply to other
situations where the receiver
determines the usefulness of
the information provided.
Thick description provides a good
database to allow others to make
informed decisions.
Dependability Consistency and traceability
between the logic of the
research design and the
process.
Multiple researchers, record
accurately, report fully, interrater
checks on coding, match between
research and design
Confirmability Data: field notes, interviews, and
observations can be traced
back to the original.
Audit trails (a residue of records):
raw data, data reduction (memo),
data reconstruction (themes),
process notes (conversation with
self about strategies) instrument
development (same format for
interview protocol)

Note. Adapted from Naturalistic Inquiry by Y. S. Lincoln and E. G. Guba, 1985. Sage
Publications. Copyright 1985 by Sage Publications. (https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-
1767(85)90062-8)

To ensure credibility, dependability, and confirmability in this study, I used member
checking, peer debriefing, triangulation, as discussed by Creswell and Creswell (2018), and audit
trails, as discussed by Lincoln and Guba (1985). Member checking is the process where the
47

researchers’ data are shared with respondents to ensure accuracy (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Peer debriefing was when a peer unfamiliar with the research or me reviewed and challenged the
project in an objective manner with the aim of involving interpretation beyond mine and that of
other invested persons. Utilizing the method of triangulation, I reviewed the information in the
respondents’ resumes, online professional profiles, and interviews to examine evidence from
different data sources to build justification for themes (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). An audit
trail was simply the raw interview data, which I reviewed during data analysis.
The final step in ensuring this study’s validity and reliability was to address
transferability. Black feminist thought theory asserts Black women have a unique experience due
to the intersectionality of their race and gender (Alinia, 2015; Crenshaw, 1989; Hill Collins,
1989; Rousseau, 2013). This study’s findings revealed the core factors contributing to the
participants’ ascending to higher leadership levels in Europe. Peers or other women of color
aspiring to also breach the career barriers can learn from the participants’ experiences, thus
making the study findings transferable.
Ethics
Creswell and Creswell (2018) noted that researchers must anticipate ethical issues and
actively address them in every phase of inquiry. Therefore, ethical considerations were addressed
prior to the beginning of the study, at the start of the study, during data collection and analysis,
and during study reporting.
It was important to protect the participants, promote the integrity of the study, and guard
against misconduct and impropriety that might reflect negatively on organizations (Creswell &
Creswell, 2018). Prior to conducting the study, the research plan, including the recruitment
protocol (Appendices A, B, and C), was submitted to the University of Sothern California
48

(USC’s) Institutional Review Board for approval. The research plan included the recruiting email
(Appendix A), where participants’ names were collected via purposeful sampling prior to the
final requirement call. Prior to starting the study, ethical concerns during the recruitment phase
were addressed through purposeful sampling. Women who were interested in participating were
required to complete the study criteria questionnaire (Appendix B). According to USC
Information Technology, Qualtrics is an online software tool for creating and implementing
surveys. Data were stored in Qualtrics for analysis (Appendix B). After the participants were
selected, I started the study as outlined in the following section. However, prior to the study, EU
participants received a copy of the general data protection regulations (GDPR) Addendum
Consent as required by the USC Institutional Review Board (Appendix E).
At the start of the study, ethical concerns of transparency and informed consent were
reduced by disclosing the purpose of the study during the recruitment process (refer to Appendix
A and C). According to Nishimura et al. (2013), informed consent is a key research component
for upholding ethical values. Therefore, during this phase of inquiry, all participants were
requested to review the informed consent form that reminded them of the purpose of the study,
addressed any perceived risk, and described the measures taken to ensure confidentiality
(Appendix C).
Researchers noted there is a rejection of the toxicity of race relations across Europe that
could unconsciously stem from the history of European imperialism (The Economist, 2020;
Lépinard, 2014; Lewis, 2013). Therefore, the concept of the racial category “Black,” as it is
defined for this study, may not be acceptable to all study participants. For example, a Black
person that was born and raised in France may consider herself a French woman, not a Black
woman. It was possible that this person may not want to associate herself with any studies
49

related to a defined racial category. To respect this potential societal norm of rejection of race
categories, the definition of Black, as used in this study, was shared with study participants as
part of the criteria questionnaire (see Appendix B) and prior participant selection. This action
created study transparency and provided participants with the option to withdraw from the
process.
Ethical considerations were also taken into account in regard to the data collection and
data analysis inquiry stage. As Creswell and Creswell (2018) noted, researchers must ensure
study participants are protected from adverse consequences. Therefore, an internal participant
identification coding system ranging from BFL01 to BFL07 was used for identity protection,
confidential participation, and protection of the impacted companies. This coding system was
applied and referred to throughout the study. During data collection, I also addressed potential
ethical concerns by not asking leading questions, not sharing personal impressions or
experiences, and did not disclose sensitive information (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Because this study relies on the composite description of lived experiences, it was
important that study participants felt safe enough to be transparent and share key experiences
during data collection. I ensured confidentiality through the recruiting protocol (Appendix A and
C) and used the criteria questionnaire (Appendix B) to explain how information was combined to
create a composite description not associated with a particular individual. Appendices A, B, and
C were all created to ensure participant confidentiality, which fostered transparency and an
ethically safe environment.
During data reporting, I also considered whether participants would need organizational
approval. To address this ethical concern, I took care during data analysis and reporting not to
disclose company-specific information. All companies were categorized under the general
50

company description of an S&P Global 500 company or a non-S&P Global 500 company. The
geographic region was reduced to companies located in the continent of Europe. Common
regional designators of EU or non-European Union (non-EU) were used. Additionally, generic
industry terms such as banking, law, manufacturing, or health care were used to further mask
companies during data collection, analysis, and reporting.
The research proposal, including detailed study methodology and design, was submitted
to the institutional review board to ensure compliance with university ethical standards.
Participant recruitment and selection only began after the board’s approval. As required by the
USC Institutional Review Board, GDPR addendum consent was provided to EU participants
(Appendix E).
Summary
This chapter presented the research methodology and the methods underpinning this
study. The qualitative phenomenological study was selected as the methodological design of this
study because the researcher can focus on understanding the phenomena as described by
participants (the essence), and it gives a voice to their experiences. Black feminist thought theory
is well suited to qualitative phenomenological inquiry because this theory also aims to
understand the commonalities (essence) of experiences. The constructivist philosophical
worldview was used because the researchers sought to construct meaning from the data. The
constructive worldview aligns with phenomenological inquiry because this worldview relies on
the participants’ perception of their reality. Because this study aimed to construct meaning from
the lived experiences of Black female leaders, accounting for the participants’ experiences was
imperative. Chapter Three also described the research setting and my positionality. The fifth
section discussed the data sources. All data sources are aligned with qualitative
51

phenomenological inquiry and will support addressing the research question. Strategies for
maximizing the validity and reliability were outlined in this chapter as well as my ethical
responsibilities in regard to the use of human subjects. This chapter concluded with the
limitations and delimitations given the boundaries of the study. Chapter Four will discuss the
results.
52

Chapter Four: Findings
Phenomenological and constructivist inquiry, in combination with Black feminist thought
theory (Crenshaw, 1989; Hill Collins, 1989), was applied to the data gathered and analyzed in
this study. Black feminist thought theory and the constructivist paradigm were used to obtain a
unified vision of the essence of a phenomenon experienced as described by respondents
(Castillo-Montoya, 2016).
Research Question
The research question asked, “How do Black female leaders working and living in
Europe describe their lived experiences in pursuing higher leadership levels?” To protect the
participants’ confidentiality, they were all assigned pseudonyms ranging from Black Female
Leader 01 (BFL01) to Black Female Leader 07 (BFL07) during data collection and analysis. The
numerical pseudonyms were then transferred to name pseudonyms during data reporting. Dual
confidentiality to protect the companies was achieved by categorizing the companies under the
general company description of an S&P Global 500 company with rankings or a non-S&P
Global 500 company, and common regional designators of the EU or non-European Union (non-
EU) were used. It should be noted that the United Kingdom, for the purpose of this study, is
included in the regional designation of the EU because the experience reported by study
participants is reported during the time when the United Kingdom, for the majority of their
experiences until June 2020, was a part of the EU. Additionally, generic industry terms such as
software and services, electronics, manufacturing, or health care were used to further mask
companies.
The research outcomes are presented as follows: participant demographics, personal
narratives from each participant, and the analysis and synthesis of triangulated data. It should be
53

noted that analysis and synthesis of the data focus on obtaining the composite description of the
essence of the phenomenon. Gibbs (2018) noted that qualitative research results often present the
results interwoven with the discussion of the results. The interweaving of qualitative research
results with a discussion of the results is a frequently accepted norm when presenting qualitative
data (Gibbs, 2018). The next chapter presents the recommendations, based on research data and
literature, for addressing this problem of practice as well as recommendations for further
research.
Participant Demographics
As outlined in Table 3, seven Black women across multiple industries participated in the
study. Table 3 provides an overview of their demographics along with assigned pseudonyms.
Data was collected from interviews and secondary documents (resumes and online professional
profiles). Two women were born in the Caribbean Islands and then immigrated to an EU country
as a child. One participant was raised in North America, spent the majority of her professional
career in North America, and immigrated as a working adult to a non-EU country. Two women
were of West African descent. One of the West African participants immigrated to a non-EU
country when she was a child, while the other study participant moved to an EU country as a
university student. One participant was from Southern Africa and immigrated to a non-EU
country as a working professional. The final participant was born and raised in a European Union
country and spent the majority of her working years with an EU-based company.

54

Table 3
Participant Demographics
Participant
pseudonym
Childhood
residence
Industry Highest
leadership
position in
Europe
Years in
leadership
positions
in Europe
Total
years
leadership
experience
Global
Fortune
500 status
Irene Caribbean
Islands/EU
Food and
consumer
products
Senior
leader
20-plus 20-plus 300–500
Bernadette North
America
Industrial
machinery,
non-profit,
and
electronics
C-suite 5–10 20 plus Top 100/
not ranked/
300–500
Stella West
Africa/non-
EU
Healthcare Senior
leader
15–20 15–20 100–300
Candice Caribbean
Islands/EU
Engineering
and
construction
Managing
partner
20-plus 20-plus Not ranked
Audrey West
Africa
Software
and services
Director 15–20 15–20 300–500
Hannah Southern
Africa
Healthcare Senior
leader
20-plus 20-plus 100–300
Gabriella EU Healthcare Excellence
leader
15–20 15–20 100–300

All of the women have one or more university degrees and have achieved progressive
leadership roles while living and working in Europe. All had leadership experiences in the EU
and/or non-EU countries. Their years of total leadership experience varied from 15 to 20 or
greater than 20 years, while years of leadership experience, specifically living and working in
Europe, varied from 5 to 20 plus years (see Table 3 for more details). It should be noted that the
results reported in this study cover all participants’ experiences working in Europe and includes
job changes over their careers. The S&P Fortune Global 500 status reported in Table 3 is
55

reported based on the most recent or the most prominent leadership role while living and
working in Europe. Six of the participants worked in an S&P Fortune Global 500 ranked
company while living and working in Europe. One participant worked for a top 100 company,
three worked in companies ranked between the 100–300 category, and three worked for
companies ranked in the 300–500 category. One participant did not work for an S&P Global 500
company, and one participant (Bernadette) has worked for a not ranked S&P Global 500
company (a global non-profit organization), a top 100 company, and an S&P Fortune Global 500
company between the 300–500 category, as noted previously, while living and working in
Europe.
Participants ’ Personal Narratives
The participants’ personal narrative provides a brief account of their early career
aspirations, a review of their professional journey, their motivation behind and experience of
pursuing higher leadership levels roles and their experiences related to their company’s inclusion
and diversity policies from their individual standpoint. As noted previously, Black feminist
thought is a standpoint theory where authority is determined by a person’s perspective.
Therefore, the personal narratives provide a holistic portrayal of each participant’s perceptions of
their leadership and career journeys in their own words. Presenting the individual stories is the
first step to representing the collective experience of being a Black female leader living in
Europe and working in companies located in Europe as they aspire to higher leadership levels.
Data was collected from interviews and secondary documents (resumes and online professional
profiles). It should be noted general country regional designators are intentionally used to protect
the confidentiality of the study participants.
56

Participant 1: Irene
Irene lives in a non-EU country and is a senior leader with over 20 years of leadership
experience living and working in Europe. She currently works for a food/consumer health
company that is ranked by S&P Fortune Global 500 companies between the 300–500 category.
She is of Caribbean Island descent and immigrated to an EU country with her family when she
was a child. During her interview, Irene discussed that she did not know what she wanted to do
when she started pursuing post-secondary education. She recalled that she wanted to live in
France but that she did not want to become a French teacher. She also discussed that her father
pushed her and her sisters really hard and highlighted the fact that they were Black and female
and needed to work harder because of their double minority status. It was with that influence that
she decided to pursue post-secondary studies in two different areas of business and French.
After she finished school, she wanted to pursue marketing but recalled that it was very
difficult to get into marketing due to its competitive nature. She noted that her grades were not
competitive enough, so she decided to move to a different EU country to teach English. After
spending time teaching English, she went back home and applied for many jobs. At that time, her
plan, based on her studies, was to obtain a job in market research and switch over to marketing,
which was her true interest. She contacted many companies, directly expressing her interest in
market research, and that was how she got her first job in a food/consumer health company.
However, she noted she was extremely unhappy with that position because she worked long
hours, she was not near her sister, who was working in a major EU city, and she wanted to work
in a larger city that offered more. Therefore, she decided to request a transfer so that she could be
located in a major EU city, closer to her sister.
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Shortly after her transfer to the new location, she sought out a recruiting agency to pursue
marketing with a blue-chip company. However, she was unsuccessful in obtaining a position in
marketing because she was told that she “didn’t have the right type of research experience.” She
did not understand this feedback because she had watched her non-Black and non-female peers
navigate the transition from market research into marketing with similar backgrounds. Therefore,
she decided to take an additional sidestep role to get additional market research experience.
During this role, she noted that it was at a smaller company that supported major brands.
However, she felt that she lacked self-confidence in regard to dealing with clients. Irene also felt
that she was struggling to get promoted and self-assessed that it had to do with her shortcomings.
Irene was raised to believe that because she was Black and female, she needed to work harder to
get ahead. This childhood influence, combined with the struggle to get her voice heard in the
White corporate world she was navigating, impacted her self-efficacy. At different times in her
career, she sought a self-improvement course or specific roles to address her self-perceived
shortcomings. To address her concerns related to client engagement, she started to pursue roles
that would make her face her challenge by directly engaging with clients. Irene found a role that
had a good mix of marketing, market research, and client engagement. She noted, “I wasn’t
hugely ambitious, but I didn’t want people who I thought were as good as me getting promoted
faster than me. And then I saw other people moving a bit faster.” Irene also shared that “I didn’t
have a long-term vision, but I was moving incrementally.”
Around the time Irene had her son, she noted that a colleague of hers got promoted to a
global role while she was struggling to juggle her career and her family obligations as a single
parent. Irene felt that she had to slow down her career a bit to focus on her family. Later, she
took advantage of a promotion opportunity that advanced her to a regional management role.
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After 9 years of juggling family obligations and her leadership career, she was offered a
promotion to lead a global team which also required a move to a different EU country. Irene
declined the global role because it would have required her to travel to Asia and South America
and be away from her son for long periods of time during his adolescent years. Irene struggled
with the decision to grow her career or prioritize her family. She decided to prioritize her family,
was made redundant in her regional leadership role, and stayed in her home EU country, where
she had an established support system in place. She started applying for other jobs but stated that
she was exhausted and decided to take several months off. She noted,
When you are made redundant, you stop, and you kind of lose your confidence a bit, and
also, you’re exhausted. And you have some time to build that back up again. And so, I
took some temping jobs, which were terrible commutes, like 2 hours at a time.
After enduring long commutes, she decided to get a different perspective on her industry
and pursued work with charities. One charity organization focused on helping women in Africa
grow their businesses. This charity sought mentors with experience in business development and
marketing to help women in Africa. Irene applied for and was awarded the opportunity to mentor
a woman in Kenya that had a medium-sized business but did not really understand her
consumers. Through supporting and connecting with this other Black woman in Kenya, Irene
replenished her confidence by “using my experience to help her understand her consumers and
help her understand the market she was operating so that she could grow. And I really enjoyed
that.” This experience framed Irene’s ambitions for her next role. After applying for additional
jobs, Irene finally secured a role with an S&P Global 500 ranked company, a company that she
had been wanting to work for since her 20s, and her current employer.
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Regarding her initial role with this company, she noted that “the role isn’t as high a
manager role as I wanted, [but] it’s a massive global company. And I came in probably a little bit
lower [than her experience afforded her].” Once she joined this company, she set her sights on
larger roles in a non-EU country because she felt that those roles were more aligned with her
experience, expertise, and interest. After 2 and half years, she obtained a strategic role focused
on developing and understanding the consumer, which was similar to the work she was doing
with the women in Kenya for the afore-noted charity organization. Irene noted that she kept
pushing for higher roles with more responsibility:
Because you worked so hard to get to where you are, you want to get the reward for it. …
You see guys, in particular, you know, colleagues, that I’ve worked with, you know they,
they’re much better at the networking, they’re much better at the politics chatting to
people. … And I thought it was a bit unfair, … but I enjoy the work I do, and so I kind of
think, well, I wasn’t just working for networking to progress for the sake of it. I wanted to
make a contribution and show that made a difference.
Irene noted, “My view of leadership is deliver brilliantly; make a difference.” She
witnessed White male counterparts utilize networking to their advantage in ways she felt were
disingenuous. Irene shared an experience with a former boss stating that this boss was “very
politically astute” and “he knew how to play the game in large corporations.” However, this boss
would never deliver results directly. He would use talented members of his team to deliver
results, and this stood out to Irene because she watched her White male boss and other White
male colleagues excel in their careers without doing the hard work she thought was needed to
support career acceleration. These observations related to networking were pivotal for Irene
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because she learned that hard work was not enough. She learned that she needed to network, but
she decided to do it in a way that felt authentic. Irene declared
Because it took me a while to be promoted, I’ve always felt that you need to value the
people in the team beneath you. So, I will always work really well with people who’ve
got completely different skill sets to me, and I’ve really appreciated what they can do.
Irene expressed, “I think you get the best results from people and from teams by being genuine
and being yourself.” From Irene’s perspective, to excel in one’s career, a Black woman must
network authentically, help, and appreciate others even when they are different and “persevere
and not give up” when facing resistance or oppression. Unfortunately, Irene’s experience with
her company’s inclusion and diversity policies is that these do not necessarily combat oppressive
or resistant forces.
Regarding her company’s promotion of inclusion and diversity practices, Irene stated,
“They say they do, although I have to challenge them because I think, personally I think, it’s a
bit of lip service.” Irene shared that around the time of the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed
American Black man, her current company offered a seminar for all site-based employees
located in a non-EU company to discuss inclusion and diversity. She shared that during this
forum, employees were informed that although there was a global inclusion and diversity
program for their company, the European division of this S&P Global 500 company had
decided not to follow the same one as in America. And they were saying in America,
obviously there’s been a George Floyd and, you know, there’s lots of things going on
there, but in Europe, in actual fact, we don’t have any Black people, so we don’t need to
worry about that.
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Irene noted, “I was horrified, and I sat on this call thinking, is there anyone else that’s on
this call thinking that that’s wrong.” Irene stated that, in that moment, “I was really shocked.
And, I mean admittedly, wherever I’ve worked, there’s been me and one other Black person.
Probably, if you see another Black person in the company, it’s really, really unusual.” After the
talk, the company issued an employee satisfaction survey and encouraged employees to speak
their minds. Irene was excited about the survey and saw this as an opportunity to validate her
understanding of the initial meeting and to volunteer her services to help further the company’s
ideas around inclusion and diversity. Irene contacted the organizers and requested a meeting. The
organizers did not reply to her message until Irene raised their lack of response to her manager.
When Irene finally had the meeting with the organizers. Irene recalled,
They didn’t admit to saying that we don’t need to bother about Black people because
there aren’t any. What they did say was that in a lot of countries in Europe, you’re not
allowed to record race. Although frankly, I thought you just need to look at people. You
don’t need to record it. … And so, there are a lot of restrictions in promoting diversity
and inclusion, so they said, but we will focus on the inclusion. So, we will focus on
people feeling included in the company. So, for example, mental health, which I knew
they already had a policy on that in the [EU]. If people felt they have mental health
problems, they didn’t feel stigmatized by it. … So, I found it quite frustrating.
Irene stated, “I was shocked that was their policy. And, essentially, what they were
saying is we don’t need to bother about that because it’s not a priority, and it was to me. It was
really very much lip service.” Irene was so frustrated with the inclusion and diversity meeting
and the call with the organizer that she sought support from her manager and her team during a
team meeting about speaking up. Irene shared that she and a guy from Southern Asia were the
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only people of color on the call. Irene felt that the Black Lives Matter movement was about
inclusion and diversity, not about statements like, “There are no Black people in this company;
therefore, we don’t need to worry about it.”
Irene stated that the company’s response to inclusion and diversity impacted her because
she thought about how the lack of recognition of a problem would impact her son when he goes
into the workplace. Irene noted, “He’s going to face all these challenges, and I was really, really
shocked. And I still am, to be honest.” Irene shared her feelings in the call with her team, but
there was very little understanding regarding her concerns. Irene recalled a conversation with a
colleague stating,
There’s a guy from [EU country X] on my team, and I mentioned it to the team that I was
so upset. And he said, “Oh, no, well, isn’t it just this? They just really don’t think the fact
that there’s only one or two Black people in your company, throughout the whole of my
working life, if any, is weird.”
Irene stated, “I think my boss probably felt, well, I’ve done what I can” [by getting you the
meeting]. However, she noted that she had not seen any programs related to ensuring “a greater
mix of people within the company. So that we reflected the world out there.”
Participant 2: Bernadette
Bernadette was born, raised, and currently lives in North America as a C-suite executive,
and she has over 20 years of leadership experience. Bernadette lived and worked in an EU
country as a C-suite executive for a Top 100 S&P Global 500 company for almost 7 years. She
also worked for approximately 3 years living and working as a senior leader in a non-EU
country, first for a non-profit organization and then for an S&P Fortune Global 500 company
ranked between the 300–500 category. Bernadette’s personal narrative briefly discusses her
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career progress and focuses on her experience of living and working in Europe for approximately
10 years in three different organizations, as noted previously.
Bernadette immigrated to the EU and a non-EU company as an experienced working
adult with more than 10 years of senior leadership experience, including leading teams at
globally ranked S&P 500 companies. Bernadette shared that when she first entered the workforce
at age 13, she did not have large career aspirations other than buying clothes for herself.
However, because she grew up in an area frequented by tourists, she was exposed to many
different people with diverse backgrounds that would later influence her career choice and
curiosity about living aboard. Her earliest memory of a concrete career aspiration was when she
was in college, and she remembered wanting to be a public relations executive. She shared that
this aspiration must have stemmed from an understanding that this type of job would give her
access to different subject matter, which would allow her to meet interesting people, and it also
aligned with her university studies in foreign services.
Regarding her process for selecting her career goal, she stated, “I’ve never really had
that, kind of, one goal. Like, I more [did] a zigzag of, I want this type of experience, or I want
this type of responsibility. So, I’ve never had a single focus.” She recalled that she did not get to
travel as a kid but was exposed frequently to travelers in her hometown because of its tourist
attractions. She shared that she had opportunities to study aboard while in undergraduate school,
and this was one factor that served as an awakening that influenced her decisions later in life.
Bernadette concluded that her childhood exposure to tourism, the study abroad experiences while
in college, and her university studies in foreign services were the foundation for inspiring her to
live and work in Europe as an adult. Bernadette shared the purpose of studying foreign service:
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You will serve the [North American country] but in its engagement with other countries.
I didn’t actually end up going into the foreign service because the year I graduated, the
exam to enter the foreign service was not administered. So, it’s a government job. So,
you have to take a test, and then that tells you if you get in. So, I think the whole idea,
like the whole entire 4 years of my study, including being required to learn another
language and pass an oral exam in that language, was all about continuous exposure to
other cultures and other people.
Bernadette reflected on her career experiences shortly after she graduated from college and noted
that she wanted to be a journalist, but she did not have a lot of journalism experience, so she took
a role as an administrative assistant for a journalism company to get her foot in the door. Because
she wanted more out of the role, Bernadette was going above and beyond what a normal
administrative assistant was doing. After a year of serving in this role, she requested to take the
reporter test, or she was prepared to leave. Her boss, at the time, supported her ambition to take
the reporter test, and this started her reporter journey. However, as she reflected on this
experience during the interview, she noted,
I kind of wonder, if I was not a Black woman, would the admin role have been the thing
they offered me? Maybe? … I’m glad there was a path because I certainly was not
qualified to be a reporter coming out of undergrad, but I do wonder, like, there’s
something that troubles me in that dynamic.
Bernadette worked her way up through the journalism company to a management position before
she left to pursue five additional progressive leadership roles with other companies before taking
an opportunity aboard. Bernadette stated, “I don’t know if I’ve ever thought of an alternative to
being a leader.” Bernadette shared that she gets fulfillment out of being a servant leader, and
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when she is not in a leadership role, she is not as satisfied. Therefore, she pursued higher and
higher roles with a desire to get international leadership experience.
Her first international position was in the industrial machinery industry as a C-suite
Executive at an S&P Global 500 top 100 ranked company in an EU country. This position was a
global role, and both her management and her team were also located in EU countries.
Bernadette recalled her experience with the industrial machinery company’s inclusion and
diversity program: “It was measured, it was culturally enforced, like, right up to the top. … The
affinity groups were governed like a business, like, they had a council that had a quarterly
meeting with the CEO.” In fact, as part of the C-suite with this company, she shared that she was
the executive champion for the LGBTQ+ affinity group. She shared that although she sometimes
still encountered fear and anxiety entering rooms, she felt empowered to face those challenges
because there was a base level of respect and a company expectation to be polite even if there
were different opinions. The company has mature inclusion and diversity policies. In fact, she
noted that inclusion and diversity at this company “was in the DNA.” Bernadette excelled in this
organization and supported many others during her time as an executive sponsor. Unfortunately,
she did not have this same experience at the last two companies she worked for in Europe before
moving back to North America.
Her next move was to a non-EU country working for a non-profit organization because
“it was a bigger job, working for more a prominent organization.” She noted that this role would
challenge her more in her field than her position in the EU country because “it was bolder” and
“more public-facing.” Bernadette reflected on the fact that there were no inclusion and diversity
programs at the non-profit organization. She declared, “There was no programs and, worse than
no programs, they were unabashed about their own Western European male proclivities.” She
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described her tenure with this organization as extremely painful. Bernadette shared an experience
where shortly after taking the position with the non-profit, she was given a department to head
that had one African woman reporting to her who was known by the organization for having
many years of performance issues and that this woman and the non-profit company were in the
midst of legal arbitration. However, Bernadette shared, “I never observed her being an
underperformer, nor did I have any documentation that would have corroborated the idea that she
was a low performer.”
She shared that she was deposed in the case, but “I don’t know what happened [in that
case], to be honest, because I ended up leaving very shortly after. I was pretty much disgusted
with the entire organization.” She clarified that her dissatisfaction and lack of belonging “was
use of language.” Bernadette provided an example where she was in a meeting with highly
ranked executives, who were all White men. During this meeting, they were discussing gender
equality initiatives when one of the highest-ranking officials stated, “When is enough going to be
enough for you?” She understood this comment was directed at her for bringing up the topic
during the morning meeting and women in general for wanting more equity. She felt this use of
aggressive language had an impact on her sense of belonging. She recalled that it was difficult to
summarize her experience as encountering barriers against her progression because of her race
and gender but noted,
It’s hard to say in my progression because I was at the top of the organization, so, like,
where else was I going to go? But I feel like, in my well-being, which is a form of
progression. I have never felt lonelier. I have never felt more conflicted about being
representative of the race and gender. … Growing up and professionally, I’ve definitely
been in many rooms where I’m the only and the double only. So, I have had to have a
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conversation with myself about. … Okay, is it worth it? … Do I stand up and represent?
… I’ve done the self-talk; it was exhausting, and, I believe, detrimental to my health.
Bernadette shared that she consulted with the recruiter that drafted her to the role to pulse-check
her feelings and experience with the organization. The recruiter validated her feelings and noted
they would no longer support the organization and started to help Bernadette find another role.
When she reflected back on the recruiting experience, she said that the organization was
intentional in requesting a person from North America, a person of color, and a woman. These
very distinct requests indicated the organization’s desire to recruit according to the latest trend in
inclusion and diversity. Unfortunately, Bernadette’s experience implied the organization’s
actions were in symbolism only. Bernadette’s experience with European companies’ inclusion
and diversity practices did not improve after she left the non-profit organization.
Her final role working in Europe was with an electronic company that was an S&P
Global 500, 300–500 ranked company. She shared that in this company, Bernadette was asked to
be on the diversity committee, but there were no affinity groups. She raised the idea of creating
affinity groups as part of a diversity initiative and was told by the senior leadership that “[This
EU country] don’t really do affinity groups.” She was not satisfied with that response, so she
raised the topic to a colleague who was the global head of human resources for another company,
and this HR professional stated, “Don’t believe that crap. … Obviously, you can have an affinity
group. There’s something wrong with the leadership of that company if they’re telling you that.”
Bernadette shared that her experiences with the electronic company were almost as painful as the
ones she experienced when working for the non-profit organization.
Bernadette’s experience working for companies in Europe is summarized as two out of
three of the companies had inclusion and diversity practices in symbolism only. She stated, “In
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both companies, I think they were excited that I was a Black person, a Black woman, but [there
were] barriers to me being able to work and exist the way I want to.” She explained existing the
way she wanted as
The ability to talk about affinity [groups] is definitely part of my comfort and sense of
belonging. The ability to represent people who look like me or who aren’t in the room
and not be slammed for it. … Not to have actual pejorative statements made, you know,
dismissing comments.
Participant 3: Stella
Stella is a West African senior leader with 15 to 20 years of leadership experience that
currently lives and works in a non-EU country for an S&P Global 500 company ranked between
100–300. She immigrated to the non-EU country where she currently lives when she was a
teenager. Stella recalled, “When I first entered the workforce, I wanted to be a scientist, and I
didn’t really think of what level of scientists, but I just knew I wanted to be a scientist.” Her
interest in science was driven by the fact that she comes from a country in West Africa “where
girls frequently do not progress to higher studies,” but her mother, against the odds, was the first
female to be granted an engineering degree. Stella recalled,
My mom being an electrical engineer was a really big deal. She was the first female
engineer at the university, so she always aspired for her daughters to be in the field of
science, so I think that influenced me significantly.
She shared that she grew up in her late teen years in the afore-noted non-EU country and
later moved to North America to pursue her university studies. She thought she would spend her
adult life in North America, but she met her European husband in North America, and they
moved back to Europe. Stella’s goal was to grow and become more senior with each step she
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took in her career. This goal was largely influenced by watching her mother’s career trajectory
and was something she shared with her sisters. In her current role, she wears two hats, one as the
chief of staff to a C-suite executive and the second as the innovation lead for a healthcare
company. She shared that after a steep learning curve in the chief of staff role, she aspired to
grow more. After the development discussion with her management on how to grow, develop,
and retain her in her current role, they aligned to expand her chief of staff position to also cover
innovation.
Stella recalled shortly after moving into the chief of staff role, she attended a large staff
meeting, and she only saw one to two other Black faces, which piqued her curiosity to learn
more about Black representation in her organization. Through probing and surveying staff, she
learned there were 25 Black people out of an organization of 2500 people across multiple sites.
She learned that the 25 Black people were primarily in three out of seven functional groups. She
also learned that one of the largest functional groups of the organization had zero Black
representation. The Black employees represented four nationalities and had 17 countries of
origin and, in many cases, had dual passports from their country of origin. The survey showed
that in the cases where Black employees had dual passports, these employees normally presented
their more acceptable European or North American passport rather than an African or Caribbean
passport to work in Europe. When Stella reflected on her experiences of working in an
environment where there was low representation of Black people and the barriers she
encountered as a result:
Because I’ve grown up so much in Europe, I frequently say that I normally put racism as
one of the last cards. I will put one or two other reasons for something or rationale
because, and I say this to my children, when you’re a Black person in Europe, if you want
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to find racism, you will find it, and you will find it every single day, and it will kill you.
So, I frequently, I said to my kids, and I do this myself, if there’s a situation, I tried to
analyze the root cause and then see if I come to racism at the end of it. So that’s why I
would say, probably once during my leadership journey [she felt encountered barriers
because of her race and gender].
Stella shared that although her company has been around for more than 100 years, in the past, the
company chose to focus on gender diversity at varying levels of leadership. However, in 2020,
the company shifted its strategy and endorsed a global diversity and inclusion strategy at the
highest levels of management. Stella viewed the executive management endorsement of a
corporate diversity and inclusion strategy as a step in the right direction. However, she noted,
“It’s the start of the journey. … We have the focus, and we have a council. Now, the wheel is
starting to move really slowly.”
Participant 4: Candice
Candice is a managing partner in the construction and engineering industry for a non-
ranked S&P Global 500 company with more than 20 years of leadership experience. She
currently lives in a non-EU country. However, it should be noted that the majority of Candice’s
experience and the results reported in this section are from her time as a citizen of the EU.
Candice is of Caribbean Island descent and immigrated to an EU country with her family when
she was a child. Candice’s choice of career path required candidates to take 3 years of full-time
education, followed by a year of in-field practical work experience, followed by 2 more years of
full-time education, one additional year of in-field practical work experience and, finally, the
candidate can take a final professional exam based on their education and past work experience
to be considered qualified in the field.
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Candice’s focus regarding her early career aspiration was that “Because it takes so long
and because I started at 18, all I wanted was to get my qualification.” Candice shared that her
entry into the workforce was “focused on finding work and keeping work and getting my exam.
And, I have to say I didn’t give my career any more thoughts other than that because that was all
I wanted to achieve.” Candice was also partially driven by her father’s desire that she and her
sisters become creditable professionals such as doctors or lawyers. She shared that if her father
did not see their chosen career chose as a creditable profession, “it didn’t count.” Candice
explained that her father being an immigrant from the Caribbean played a big role in his
perspective regarding career choices for his children. She asserted that because her parents were
minority immigrants to the EU, they experienced certain difficulties as a result, and this framed
their perspective of career choices for their children.
Candice recalled that her father pushed her and her sisters to aspire to be the best, and the
best meant a profession of distinction. Candice noted that she and her sisters had difficult
feelings around this requirement because “none of us wanted to be doctors or lawyers.” Candice
remembers she did not pass the qualifying exams to get into a private school like her sisters.
Therefore, she spent her teenage years thinking about what she could do that would have met her
father’s career expectations but did not involve being a doctor, lawyer, or accountant. Candice
was introduced to someone in the construction and engineering field when her parents hired a
professional to extend the family home. She remembered, “I just became really fascinated by
that. I didn’t know that such a thing existed. And I remember, then announcing it, like as a
teenager. I’m going to [work in construction and engineering].” However, the road to becoming
a construction and engineering professional was difficult because, after her first 3 years of
education, it was difficult to get and keep a job long enough to fulfill the 1-year requirement
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because her country was in a recession. She shared that in the first position she found, she was
made redundant after 3 months and struggled to find another job.
She succeeded in getting her first professional work experience completed and went back
to school to complete the additional 2 years of education. She recalled,
When I finished my second lot of full-time education, I couldn’t find a job at all because
the recession had got worse. So, actually, I was unemployed for 9 months. … I was living
at home with my parents, and that was really tough, just because you study so hard, and
you’ve worked and worked and worked, and you just want to get a job. And I couldn’t
get a job. And I couldn’t get a job. And eventually, I did get a job. And so, if I finished in
the summer, I got a job the following April. And, then after I started that work, I then had
to wait until I think it was September before I could enroll to do the final exam.
Candice shared that her entry into the workforce was “focused on finding work and
keeping work and getting my exam. And, I have to say I didn’t give my career any more
thoughts other than that because that was all I wanted to achieve.” Once she finally received her
qualification to be a construction and engineering professional, her first job was underwhelming
because it was far from her family, and she felt she was not really doing the work she had spent
many years training to do. She envisioned her career would be working on beautiful designs, but
her first job was actually working on “average stuff.” She powered through that role for 3 and a
half years because she felt “you have to kind of be in a job to get another job.”
At the time, her aspirations were focused on the social aspects of her life, and her career
was not at the forefront. She had sisters in a major EU city and admired their social life outside
of work, and she focused on getting a job closer to the city they lived. She found a position
closer to her sisters and enjoyed the work she was doing. She recalled getting “loads of really
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good experience” and very interesting projects. After being at that firm for 2 years, she was made
an associate “out of the blue.” She was shocked at the promotion because she wasn’t expecting
it. She recalled,
I remembered looking at that the letterhead. So, the letterhead of this organization, and all
of the people on the letterhead, nearly all of the people were men. They had one female
director, and I think they had one or two female associates, and the other nine names,
directors and associates, was all men.
She remembered that all of the female associates had left the company for various reasons and
remembered thinking it would look strange to have all men on the letterhead.
Six months later, Candice was made an associate. She shared that the promotion was not
as gratifying because “they only made me an associate because they need a woman on the
letterhead. … It wasn’t like I’m so brilliant; this is where I belong. … I’m just convenient for
somebody.” At the time of her promotion, she was the only qualified female professional
working in the office. She shared the promotion news with her father. His reaction of happiness
and his interpretation that his daughter found a company she could stay in for the long term
prompted her to seek her next role. She recalled, “I couldn’t possibly imagine staying in this job
doing that kind of work for the rest of my career.” So, she found a position in a different EU
country where the average working age was 26. There was a void of working experience
between the ages of 30–45 because most of the older generation had moved away during the
previous recession period.
Candice moved to this country to fill a void in her experience during a time when the
country’s economy was demonstrating strong economic growth. She enjoyed working for this
company for 2 years but understood very quickly that her accent and her physical appearance
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would limit her career potential. She shared there was historical animosity between the country
she immigrated to as a child (herein called EU Country A) and the country she was working in
(herein called EU Country B). Although she enjoyed working for this company, she felt that she
had
to take on the burden of whatever EU Country A had done to EU Country B 400 years
ago. And I found that quite difficult. And I found it difficult to the point where I thought,
I’m not really going to make much of a career for myself here because it’s all about your
network and who you know. And the fact that I have this EU country A accent and also
the fact that I’m Black. [It going to make growth here challenging].
She shared that she did not think being a woman was as limiting as being Black and
being from EU country A. She shared that she and another Black man from North America were
the only two Black people at this firm. She noted that the firm in EU country B had employed
more White women as fully qualified professionals than any other firm in her career. However,
the majority of these women were from EU country B. Candice noted that her industry is mostly
White-male-dominated. However, she experienced that women from EU Country B tend to get
fair treatment, have opportunities, and can excel in their careers if they are from that country. So,
she decided to seek a position that supported a move back to her home EU country.
Candice shared that regardless of women seeming to have a better chance at success in
EU Country B, women across the construction and engineering industry still had historically low
representation. She recalled that when she received her qualification, she was provided with an
overview of the industry demographics. She recalled that in the year she was qualified, women
made up “something like 10% or less than 10% … and women of color made up something like
3% or 4%.” She shared that while there has been a significant increase in the number of women
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in her industry since her qualification, she has not seen any significant increase in the number of
women of color. In fact, she noted that she has only met two other Black females that run their
own practices.
She shared that there are now internet resources available to women of ethnic minorities
where these women can advertise their businesses. She also shared that consumers that are
looking to support a particular ethnicity can use a particular website to find the type of business
or business owners they want to support. She also noted that there are now forums where women
of color can find support. Unfortunately for Candice, none of these resources or support groups
for women of color were available while she was growing her career.
In 2020, Candice noticed a shift in societal awareness regarding diversity and inclusion
policies and practices. She shared that public companies looking to procure an engineering and
construction firm were asking about the firm’s diversity and inclusion practices before
considering bids from firms. The societal shift that came about in 2020 inspired Candice’s
company to formalize the support of employee resource groups that had already been in place in
an informal capacity. Candice shared that other than employee resource groups, there is no
additional formal support for people of color at her firm. However, she also noted that they have
had workshops about diversity and inclusion practices centered around things such as gender and
disabilities. Candice shared that there are two Black men in her firm. One is on her team, and the
other is on another team. For the Black man on her team, she offers support and guidance.
However, for the other person of color in her firm, she noted that he is faring well on his own.
She noted that “some people don’t need something. … They can just find their own way and
make their own path. And they’re focused and determined sufficiently to just do it by
themselves.”
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Participant 5: Audrey
Audrey is of West African descent and works as a director in the software and services
industry. She immigrated to an EU country as a university student, where she studied
international business and modern languages. She has 15 to 20 years of leadership experience,
and she currently lives and works in an EU country for an S&P Global 500 company ranked
between 300–500. It should be noted that Audrey’s career and the results reported in this section
span across several EU countries.
Audrey was initially interested in a career in fashion. However, her first job after she
earned her university degree was with a small software and service company. She noted that
although the company provided a source of financial independence, she did not see a future with
the small company, and she wasn’t feeling inspired to stay in that industry long-term. Audrey
was contacted by a recruiting agency for a position with an S&P Global 500 software and
services company ranked between 300–500 in a different EU country. Audrey recalled she was
hesitant to move to the other EU country because she was unsure if she would find the same
level of energy or multicultural opportunities in that city. She consulted with those close to her
and decided to move because the company was a larger well-known company.
After she moved to this new company, she was excited about the innovation the company
was doing, she was intrigued and curious about the low representation of Black women, and she
was motivated about being in a totally new area of the industry. She began to consider the
software and service industry as a serious career path. She recalled being the only woman on her
team and being the only Black woman on her team for many years and for most of her career in
the industry, which was challenging for her. She shared that although she was challenged by the
lack of representation, she also viewed this as an opportunity to pave a pathway for others that
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looked like her. Around the time when she was considering her career options, she decided to
stay in the industry because she saw it as a chance to be a trailblazer for other underrepresented
minorities, and she was enthusiastic about the innovation aspects of the business.
After taking the decision to stay in the industry, she took another role with a different
S&P Global 500 software and services company ranked between 300–500 in a different EU
country. At this point in her career, Audrey had lived and worked in three different EU countries
in the software and services industry with increasing responsibilities. Audrey described her
career’s two worlds. The first was where she was a salesperson, which led to being a sales leader
managing big accounts and teams of people. The second was the alliance management side,
where she was responsible for building partnerships and expanding the business. She recalled
that she did not consciously pursue leadership roles but was thrust into them due to her success
as a salesperson, which advanced her into sales leadership that advanced her into alliance
management.
Due to her success in regional alliance management, she was requested to take a global
alliance management position which would require a move to her fourth EU country. She was
less enthusiastic about this move because she did not have positive experiences with people in
that EU city. She was happy in her current EU country, and she did not want to upset that
balance by moving to this other EU city. Therefore, she initially turned the position down but
eventually decided to move and take the global role. Once she moved, she shared that although
she was a success for her first 2 years there, she suffered personally because she was not finding
the same way of life.
Additionally, after her first 2 years of being successful in that role, she was assigned a
new manager who was difficult to work with. She recalled that her new manager was a micro-
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manager. She suspected that “he had something with women, from what I heard and the
experiences I had.” The experience with this new manager was so traumatic that she ended up
leaving the company “on very bad terms,” and she experienced “burnout” under this new
leadership. She shared, “I didn’t understand why [I am not succeeding in the role] because I was
very successful until he happened. … So, I decided to leave.”
Audrey made two additional successive career moves before she landed her current role.
She shared that her last two companies had significant diversity and inclusion platforms. One
company had significant programs about putting their employees first. She was very happy at
that company, and she found it difficult to take the decision to leave the company for her current
role. Nonetheless, she wanted to challenge herself to learn something new and to step outside her
comfort zone. She decided to move to her current role.
She reflected on the fact that in her current company, this is the first time in her career
“where I don’t feel alone as a color person and as a woman.” Audrey commented, “It’s
unbelievable everything that is available to you to make [you] feel part of a team, to make you
feel part of the company, to give you the space to grow as an individual.” Audrey shared that her
current company has programs centered around employee belonging where inclusion and
diversity professionals train employees on how to connect with people who are different and how
to make them involved in the teams. She shared they also have several programs around
employee growth focused on training and mentoring. She recalled feeling a sense of belonging at
her first virtual meeting with her team because “more than 60% of us were color people, from
India, from Africa, from the States.” Unfortunately, Audrey’s experiences with her last two
companies’ inclusion and diversity programs were the exceptions and not the norm of
experiences across her career.
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Audrey shared that for most of her career journey, she was often the only Black woman
in her work environment and that she encountered many barriers, aggressions (macro and micro),
and exclusive practices along her career trajectory that she would attribute to your race and/or
gender. She shared an experience when earlier in her career, she used to wear her hair in its
natural state of an Afro. She recalled leaving a meeting at work when a “work friend” pulled her
aside and told her that her hairstyle was not professional. The work friend encouraged her to
“wear your hair differently to meet the executives so they know what you [are] capable of before
going out with your natural hair.” Audrey was shocked because she couldn’t believe that her
natural hairstyle could be associated with her competencies. This interaction had a traumatic
effect on Audrey and influenced how she showed up in her professional settings for several years
after that experience.
Participant 6: Hannah
Hannah was born and raised in Southern Africa. She has over 20 years of leadership
experience and is currently a senior leader in the healthcare industry, working in a non-EU-based
company that is ranked by S&P Global 500 between 100–300. Hannah shared that her career
options were limited as a Black girl growing up in Southern Africa because it was difficult to
access what she really wanted. She aspired to be a lawyer but chose the healthcare industry
because, at that time, it was more accessible for a Black girl in Southern Africa than law. Hannah
shared,
If you come from Africa, you have a different perspective to life. It’s today, it’s here, it’s
an opportunity, you go. It’s no time to think, like, oh, why me and why didn’t I get that? I
want this. I want that. People will just look at you and say yeah, I want a lot, too, and it’s
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not coming, so get real. … It’s only now that I’m older that I think, I wonder, how things
would have gone, but at that time.
Hannah shared that her ability to accept circumstances and make the best out of them has served
her well in her career and is something she considers a strength.
Hannah immigrated to her current non-EU country as a working adult, and she recalled
I quickly recognized the abundance of opportunities, that it was not like, you are a girl,
you do these, or you’re Black, you do that. And so, I tried to forge my path based on what
I could see and what I could feel I could achieve.
Hannah shared that when she moved to Europe, she saw a difference in the value of her
healthcare degree when compared to her former home in Southern Africa. She noted that due to
the limited number of healthcare professionals in Southern Africa, her training and skills utilized
on the job in Africa were much deeper, multifaceted, and dynamic than the work she was
allowed to practice in Europe, which was more siloed and singularly focused. She was not
satisfied with the limitations placed on her by European society in the healthcare industry, so she
decided to pivot and take advantage of the other opportunities available to her.
First, Hannah focused on learning the language of her new European home country. She
learned the language by working the night shift in the healthcare industry at a senior home where
the pace was slow, and she could perfect any language barriers. After she perfected the language,
she took a more demanding role where she used her intimate knowledge of Africa to prepare
business travelers for work aboard. She still wanted more out of her career, so she decided to
pursue a temporary position with her first experience in an S&P Global 500 company ranked
between 100 and 300 in Europe. The position at this company focused on multiple aspects of
employee health, including working safety in hazardous places. Hannah recalled, “I found that to
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be very fascinating because, in developing countries, hazards are just not interesting to anyone
because no one cares, really, at that time. Maybe today, the laws are different.”
The work at this company was very interesting, but one day, she had enough, and she saw
a new opportunity in her current company. That role would require her to use all aspects of her
previous experience in a new way, and it would introduce her to a new area of the healthcare
industry, working behind the scenes to understand how therapies impacted patients. She applied
for and worked in that role for 2 years. She saw another role that was even larger in scope that
would require her to move from behind-the-scenes work but at the entry-level of the work as she
was doing tasks that no one else wanted to do. She recalled, “With time, I realized that I knew
much more from my experience,” and she decided to apply for a role and got a position running
the operational side of the business. She did that for a while, and then she was promoted to lead
the team, and then later, she was promoted to lead the department. The time that it took Hannah
to go from the first position working behind the scenes to leading the department was 12 years.
After this time, Hannah applied for and got her current role as a senior leader in her company,
working in an area that helps her give back to people who come from and live in the same places
she comes from. She shared that her new role gave her “the opportunity to make a difference in
developing countries.” Hannah noted that her current role
brought back to me what I feel is lacking, where I come from. And I felt like I can make
an impact, and that’s why I applied because I thought… I have the skills and the
knowledge, but I also have the understanding of what’s on the ground.
Hannah enjoys the work she is currently doing because it aligns with her values, but the success
of her career has not come without its struggles.
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Hannah shares the same last name as her European husband, a fact that has created some
interesting circumstances throughout her career journey. Hannah shared a story about being
denied the first position she applied to work for in her current company because she was a Black
woman. Hannah had learned the local European language very well because of her time working
with the elderly. Additionally, it should be noted that during this time, the European practice of
putting photos on curriculum vitae did not exist. Therefore, Hannah performed very well in all of
the screening interviews and was invited to an in-person interview. When she arrived for the
interview,
The hiring manager and the hiring person were shocked, the HR person, because I was
Black. And they really, they didn’t know what to do with me, and they said to me, sorry,
we can’t pursue the hiring because we don’t know if the patients will accept a Black
[healthcare professional].
Hannah noted that after that experience, she applied for another job with the same
company and was denied again. She saw the second job she was rejected from posted again, and
she called the company to ask what they felt she was lacking. The hiring manager asked her to
interview again for the role, and Hannah was given the opportunity because the hiring manager
said that she had never had anyone that was gutsy enough to ask why they weren’t selected.
Hannah views her rejections as “Fine this person, this situation is not letting me in, but I will find
something that will let me. I will find a situation where I’m welcome.” She acknowledged that
the situations are upsetting, and she recognizes that sometimes the situations are discriminatory
“But I’m not going to go to the police with it. I’m going to find a way.” Hannah believes that
when comforted with discrimination in your career, “you can choose the dark side or the sunny
side.” She defined,
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The dark side is to say they didn’t hire me; they are racist. I’m not going to make it and
walk away and make that your story. And the sunny side is to say, you know what, it’s a
person who also works there, and [they] don’t own the company. And [in]this area, if
they don’t take me because I’m Black, it’s okay to know, then to be there and to be
treated badly.
Hannah shared that the sunny side is accepting the situation for what it is and keep knocking at
the other door for opportunities and looking for areas that are more open to inclusion and
diversity. In fact, Hannah shared that, from her perspective, the company has a lot more work to
do in the area of inclusion and diversity.
Regarding inclusion and diversity at her company, Hannah shared that she does not think
the company fully understands what it means for a company to be inclusive and diverse. She
noted that
We have statements that say diversity of minds and all these funny things that really
don’t mean anything. … For me, diversity means you actively look out for qualified
people that are different to what you have. Inclusion is by including them into the
organization exactly as they are. And the biggest challenge that our company, or what I
experienced, is that if you bring someone from [Asia] and … you give them an
apartment, and you give them a badge to go to work, it doesn’t work because they are not
included in the community where they live. And I feel even for a company like [mine],
they’re not there yet; to understand what it means [to have] inclusion.
Participant 7: Gabriella
Gabriella is an excellence leader in the healthcare industry, working for an S&P Global
500 company ranked between 100 and300. She has 15 to 20 years of leadership experience in
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Europe, and she currently lives and works in a non-EU country. It should be noted that the
majority of Gabriella’s experience and the results reported in this section are from her time as a
citizen of the EU. Gabriella was born and raised in an EU country, and she is of West African
descent. Her initial career aspiration was to become a pediatrician, but she did not get the grades
required to study medicine. Her mother was an esteemed professional in the healthcare industry,
and Gabriella witnessed the positive impact her mother’s career had on their community.
Therefore, her mother’s profession influenced her secondary choice of study.
Gabriella recalled thinking that she would make the most of her secondary choice of
study by working closer to patients while they were being treated for their health issues. After
earning a degree in a healthcare field, her first job was working at a patient treatment facility,
and she really enjoyed the work she was doing, but she knew she wanted to work in pediatric
health. After a few years of working with adult patients, she transitioned to work with pediatric
patients and later transitioned to work in women’s health care, where she got to care for both
women and children. She recalled that although she was happy working in women’s health care,
she felt she was missing an understanding of how businesses work.
Gabriella shared that her father works in the financial services industry, and her brother
works in the legal service industry. She recalled that when she spent time with her father and
brother, they often talked about politics, economics, and current affairs, and she “realized I
couldn’t contribute a lot to those conversations.” She recalled, “I wanted to be very worldly… I
didn’t want to be pigeonholed. I wanted to develop a breadth of skills that gave me more
options.” Therefore, Gabriella decided to explore opportunities where she “could work in more
mainstream organizations” and advance her business acumen. Gabriella knew the transition from
a purely scientific space into a mixed science and business career path in the professional
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services industry was possible because she had witnessed someone from her innermost circle
make the transition. Gabriella shared her desire to transition into professional services with this
person in her inner circle, and they created an opportunity for Gabriella to meet someone else
who had made the switch and was doing the same type of professional services Gabriella was
interested in pursuing. The connection described her experiences of “working with big
corporations and working on healthcare projects.” This really piqued Gabriella’s interest because
it described exactly what she wanted to do. Gabriella recalled thinking the professional services
career path would mean she “wasn’t stepping out completely of what I knew, but there was also
the opportunity for me to learn business skills and a different set of skills in [the professional
services industry].”
Gabriella’s connection created an opportunity for her to speak with other people in her
company, and Gabriella was offered a position working in that firm. She described her first few
years in the professional services space as a struggle because she did not really have any support.
She shared she was determined not to fail, so she would push herself to work extreme hours, and
she would find people who could teach her the things she did not know. She was determined to
learn whatever she needed to learn, and she refused to quit only a year or two into the new role.
She shared that she had a mix of a few good managers and some really bad managers. The good
managers were helpful during her transition because they were patient and showed her how to do
things and how to use the network to their advantage without criticizing her for the things she did
not know. She described the professional services industry as a space where you never get fully
comfortable because there is always a cycle of being thrown in the “deep end, ramp up, find your
feet, get secure, deliver projects, start again.” Working in this space created resiliency because “it
gave me the opportunity to not be scared of taking on new tasks in that way.”
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However, Gabriella felt she was suffering personally due to the constant travel involved.
She worked in that space for 7 years before she was offered a more stationary job by one of her
clients in a completely different area of the healthcare industry. Gabriella excelled in this area of
the healthcare industry partially because of the leadership style of her manager at the time. She
recalled that her executive invested in her development by giving her stretch goals and pushing
her to challenge real or imposed limits. Unfortunately, this superior ended up leaving the
company, which left her exposed to a level of “organizational politics” that she refused to suffer
through. Therefore, she began to seek new opportunities. She accepted her current position
because it offered an expansion of scope and skills in a larger organization. Gabriella noted that
“my professional journey was just unguided. And it was somewhere between luck, opportunity
and maybe, just a willingness to take on new opportunities.” When she reflected on her career
journey and opportunities to advance her career in her current organization, she noted the
company still has more work to do.
Gabriella described her company’s inclusion and diversity practices as having one body
with two arms going in different directions. The North American “arm of the business has
diversity and inclusion down. They have a strategy, they have a led, [and] the led has a unit.” She
described the European arm of the company’s diversity and inclusion practices as being in “the
early days” and less mature than the North American arm of the business. Gabriella speculated
that her company sees diversity and inclusion issues as a North American problem that they are
reluctant to address because they did not really connect the issues to European society. She noted
that the globally witnessed murders of an unarmed Black man have “opened the floor for people
to be speaking up about the diversity experiences, to be speaking up about the inequities and all
the established ways of doing things, are [there is] now [a] spotlight on them.” She shared that
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the European leg of the company has an immature diversity and inclusion strategy that uses “soft
language,” does not directly tackle race, and focuses on having diverse nationalities. Gabriella
does not believe that nationality-focused initiatives address issues related to diversity and
inclusion. She provided the following example:
Not every South African is an underrepresented South African. If you live in Cape Town
by the water, in a mansion by the water, your experiences are different from somebody
who lives in the shanty in Cape Town, but you’re both from South Africa… My view of
where our organization is, it’s just very. … We could be a bit more intentional; we could
be a bit fiercer about really tackling it, and we could just call things out a bit more, but I
think we’re just playing it softly.
Thematic and Phenomenological Findings
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived
experiences of Black female leaders working in European-based companies as they aspire to
higher leadership levels. The research objective is to probe into and interpret how Black
women’s experiences influenced their approach to navigating the leadership echelons. The
qualitative phenomenological research design helps create a composite description of their
experiences and helps to define the meaning Black women leaders give to the events they
experienced from their standpoint. Standpoint epistemology provides oppressed people a voice to
express the failures of the social structure (Crețu & Massimi, 2020). The research objective was
achieved by studying seven individuals who shared the experience of living and working in
European society and identifying themes around their experiences based on the data. The
following three themes, representing the essence of the phenomenon, were identified through
interviews: navigation of complex European social structures, internal desire to succeed
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regardless of obstacles faced, and becoming the change they want to see. The three themes were
further supported by 10 subthemes which also reflected the composite description of the essence
of the phenomenon. The 10 subthemes represent the textural and structural descriptions of the
phenomenon (Creswell & Creswell, 2018; Moustakas, 1994).
In summary, this study’s findings support the assertion that Black women living and
working in Europe have unique experiences. They face the challenges of navigating
intersectionality in a dominant European social structure, and European companies’ inclusion
and diversity policies and practices do not adequately address issues related to intersectionality
(Agustín, 2013; Alinia, 2015; Crenshaw, 1989; Hill Collins, 1990; Kantola & Lombardo, 2017;
Moffitt et al., 2020; Rousseau, 2013; Stojanovski et al., 2019).
Theme 1: (Essence) Navigation of Complex European Social Structures
According to Kang et al. (2017), a social structure is a set of long-lasting social
relationships, practices and institutions that can be difficult to see at work in our daily lives.
Social structures, via agency by social institutions such as the government, work, law, media,
etc., can limit possibilities but are not fundamentally unchangeable (Kang et al., 2017). Black
women, due to their lowest position in the corporate power hierarchy, in terms of number and
placement in leadership positions, directly experience the oppressive effects of the European
social system and are forced to navigate a foreign and complex social structure in ways that
members of the dominant groups do not (Bell et al., 2001; Crenshaw, 1989; Kang et al., 2017;
Lorde, 2007; Rosette & Livingston, 2012). According to Alinia (2015), Black women have a
group knowledge and consciousness based on a collective memory, a shared history, and
common daily experiences of being a Black woman, which accounts for the essence of
collective experience. This study’s findings corroborate that successful Black female leaders
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must learn to navigate the complex social structures of Europe, which are unknown to them
when they enter their careers. The navigation of the complex European social structures
(essence) is understood in terms of four subthemes (i.e., textual and structural elements of the
phenomenon: ow representation, which is characterized by invisibility, which leads to them
finding their own way, missing a sense of belonging, finding and cultivating support systems,
and learning to use the European social power structures.
Subtheme 1: Invisibility (Finding Their Own Way)
All seven participants described low representation where they were the double only,
the only Black woman and the only Black person for the majority of their careers in Europe.
The low representation is experienced in their early career by a subtheme of invisibility to the
dominant culture, which is expressed during their early careers as an unguided career
exploratory period as discussed in their personal narratives. All seven women discuss having a
singular aspiration, such as becoming a scientist, being financially independent, or having a
socially respectable profession, at the start of their careers without really having a longer-term
career goal in mind. After more exposure in their fields, which came in various forms, such as
taking lower roles, watching White colleagues be promoted at faster rates, taking one or more
lateral roles, and they used the career exploratory period to focus and drive their careers.
After Irene finished school, she wanted to pursue marketing but recalled that it was very
difficult to get into marketing due to its competitive nature. She took several steps to bridge any
gaps in her experience. However, she was unsuccessful in obtaining a position in marketing
because she was told that she “didn’t have the right type of research experience.” Irene did not
understand this feedback because she had watched her non-Black and non-female peers with
similar backgrounds navigate the transition from market research into marketing.
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Regarding her early career aspirations, Bernadette stated, “I’ve never really had that, kind
of, one goal. Like, I more [did] a zigzag of, I want this type of experience, or I want this type of
responsibility. So, I’ve never had a single focus.”
Candice shared that her entry into the workforce was “focused on finding work and
keeping work and getting my exam. And, I have to say I didn’t give my career any more
thoughts other than that because that was all I wanted to achieve.”
Stella recalled, “When I first entered the workforce, I wanted to be a scientist, and I
didn’t really think of what level of scientists, but I just knew I wanted to be a scientist.”
Audrey’s first job after she completed her university degree was with a small software
and service company. She noted that although the company provided a source of financial
independence, she didn’t see a future with the small company, and she was not inspired to stay in
that industry long-term. After she moved to a new company, she was excited about the
innovation the company was doing, she was intrigued and curious about the low representation
of Black women, and she was motivated about being in a totally new area of the industry. She
began to consider the software and service industry as a serious career path.
Hannah shared that when she moved to Europe, she saw a difference in the value of her
healthcare degree when compared to her former home in Southern Africa. Hannah focused on
learning the language of her new European home country by working the night shift in the
healthcare industry at a senior home. After she learned the language, she “tried to forge my path,
based on what I could see and what I could feel I could achieve.”
Gabriella recalled thinking that she would make the most of her secondary choice of
study, and she worked different roles but knew she wanted more. She noted, “I wanted to be very
worldly. … I didn’t want to be pigeonholed. I wanted to develop a breadth of skills that gave me
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more options.” Therefore, Gabriella decided to explore opportunities where she “could work in
more mainstream organizations.”
The lack of social identity at the start of their careers, due to the low representation and
understanding of where they fit into the European Social Structures, is lived via a period of
career exploration as the women defined their place in European society. Purdie-Vaughns et
al. (2008) and Cohen and Garcia (2008) proposed that social identity creates a psychological
impact that directly influences a person’s performance, especially for individuals whose
identities were historically devalued. Because there is a rejection of the toxicity of race
relations across Europe that unconsciously stems from the historical sediments of colonial
modernity that formed Europe and its collective identity (The Economist, 2020; Lépinard,
2014; Lewis, 2013), these women go through a period of unguided career exploration due to
the invisibility caused by low representation, which is not experienced by the dominant
culture. In addition to experiencing a period of unguided career exploration, the women
encounter a missing sense of belonging as they navigate the social structure of European
society.
Subtheme 2: Missing a Sense of Belonging
According to Cohen and Garcia (2008), “social identities can effect motivation to
achieve through their interaction with a sense of belonging” (p. 365). Belonging is defined as
“the minimal conditions needed to make individuals feel connected to others in an achievement
domain” (Cohen & Garcia, 2008). All seven of the women reported experiences where their
sense of belonging was negatively impacted by members of the dominant culture. However, all
seven women also described different styles of resiliency to combat these types of interactions.
Resiliency is described by researchers as an individual’s ability to maintain adaptive
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functioning in the face of trauma (Bonanno, 2004; Tsai et al., 2017). Fergus and Zimmerman
(2005) further characterized resilience as one’s ability to either foster a positive outcome or
diminish or avoid a negative outcome. When facing a questioned sense of belonging in a
dominant European culture, this study found this was navigated by these women via a
subtheme characterized by different styles of trauma management and finding and creating a
support system to help insulate them during the conformations.
According to Watson and Henderson (2023), “experiences of discrimination are
directed toward people due to their belongingness in a particular social group, it is [therefore]
important to consider the ways in which discrimination may affect the appraisal of one’s
membership in social categories” (p. 214). This study’s findings showed three ways of trauma
management leading to increased resiliency in difficult circumstances. When facing questions
regarding racial and gender discrimination, the participants processed their experience in one of
three ways: avoidance of racial discrimination characterization, acknowledgement of racial
discrimination but rebounding from experience, and a combination of avoidance and
acknowledgement of racial discrimination characterization.
Avoidance of Racial Discrimination Characterization. Irene and Candice seemed to
avoid classifying their experiences as racial discrimination and noted they felt more stigmatized
by their gender than by the combination of their race and gender. Irene shared, “I’ve never
overtly had anybody treat me badly because of my race or gender. But only gender, maybe. But I
think it wasn’t just me.” Candice shared, “Not about my race; I think about my gender.”
Combination of Avoidance and Acknowledgement of Racial Discrimination. Stella
used a combination of avoidance and acknowledgment. She shared,
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Because I’ve grown up so much in Europe, I frequently say that I normally put racism as
one of the last cards. I will put one or two other reasons for something or rationale
because, and I say this to my children, when you’re a Black person in Europe, if you want
to find racism, you will find it, and you will find it every single day, and it will kill you.
So, I frequently, I said to my kids, and I do this myself, if there’s a situation, I tried to
analyze the root cause and then see if I come to racism at the end of it, so that’s why I
would say, probably once during my leadership journey.
I classified the responses of Irene, Candice and Stella as avoidance of racial
discrimination because when directly asked about barriers faced because of their race and
gender, they recalled experiences of discrimination linked to their gender but not their race.
However, each of these women, at different points during the interview, described situations
where their sense of belonging was impacted in the European social group. For example, Irene
discussed feelings of frustration and horrification concerning her company’s diversity and
inclusion programs. Around the time of the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed American
Black man, Irene shared that her company initiated a seminar on diversity and inclusion. During
the seminar, she shared that the organizers acknowledged the globally publicized murder and
stated,
In America, obviously, there’s been a George Floyd, and you know there’s lots of things
going on there, but in Europe, in actual fact, we don’t have any Black people, so we don’t
need to worry about that. I was horrified.
Irene further shared, “That was their policy and essentially what they were saying is we don’t
need to bother about that because it’s not a priority, and it was to me.” She sought support on this
topic from colleagues during a team meeting. She recalled,
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So, on the call was myself, my boss, and his other direct reports, one of which is [another
person of color from Asia]. And, clearly, nobody understood. I said, you know, isn’t that
what Black Lives Matter is about? It’s, you know, not saying there are no Black people in
this company; therefore, we don’t need to worry about it. This is about recognizing … I
was really, really shocked. And I still am, to be honest, like I was moaning to everybody
about it.
Irene noted, “I think it was just a total lack of recognition that there was a problem.”
Candice shared that her company has employee resource groups (ERG) centered around
historically marginalized groups. Regarding the Black employee ERG, she noted,
And then we have a band of people of color which is me and about six guys, I think, I
think it’s just about six of them. But what’s really sweet is, is that we all sort of
acknowledge each other, but we don’t make a big, make a big noise about it, but we all
know what we’re talking about.
Candice also discussed a decision to make a career move due to a lack of belonging when she
was working in [EU country B]:
[I] thought I’m not really going to make much of a career for myself here because it’s all
about your network and who you know, and the fact that I have this [EU country A]
accents. And also, the fact that I’m Black and possibly even the fact that I’m woman isn’t
really helping. Though I don’t think that being a woman part wasn’t probably such a big
deal. I think it was just the being [EU country A] and being Black.
Stella also shared an experience linked to the murder of George Floyd, where her sense of
belonging was impacted. Stella noted that her team routinely discusses current events around the
world in their morning chats. She recalled,
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And then the week where we had the George Floyd incident, people came in and talked
about everything else but that. And that was like front and center. I didn’t bring it up
because I thought somebody would bring it up, but nobody brought it up. And I didn’t
say anything. … And that was in May or something. But then, in August, we were talking
about diversity and inclusion at a meeting, and I said to them, do you guys know that
back in May when this happened, I felt really sad, and I felt really alone on this team.
And they were all, like, really shocked and really sad that I felt that way. And I explained
to them, I said, you know, not bringing up something is worse than bringing it up and
making a mistake because at least I know you care. But not bringing it up at all.
Watson and Henderson (2023) asserted, “Experiences of discrimination are directed towards
people due to their belongingness in a particular social group, it is [therefore] important to
consider the ways in which discrimination may affect the appraisal of one’s membership in
social categories” (p. 214).
Acknowledgement of Racial Discrimination but Rebounding From Experience. On
the other hand, Gabriella, Hannah, Audrey, and Bernadette felt that they had directly experienced
barriers as a result of their gender and race. However, each of them chooses to process the
experience for what it was and rebound through the experience. For example, Gabriella noted,
If you asked me for this precise evidence, I think what we’re great at doing in Europe is
… it’s subtle. You’re excluded. … The trope of “aggressive” or words to that effect are
used. And when they get used, and they show up in your appraisals, then they act as
subtle barriers because they think, “Oh well, you’re not ready for the role… So, it’s
subtle.
Gabriella continued,
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I’m not one to pull the race card, but I think race [discrimination] is subtle, and it’s
erosive when you start encountering these things. It erodes you. … As women, we’re
already struggling with our self-image and self-confidence, and as a Black woman, it can
be quite erosive, so watch out [how it’s processed].
Bernadette felt that she encountered barriers to her well-being because of her gender and
race by the language used that was directed toward her. Audrey reflected on a discussion with a
colleague where she was told by the colleague that her natural hairstyle was unprofessional and
that she should wear her hair differently. As a result of that conversation, Audrey did not wear
her hair natural for many years. Hannah shared that in the face of discrimination, she accepts the
situation for what it is but keeps knocking at the other door for opportunities and looking for
areas that are more open to inclusion and diversity.
The study found that perhaps the difficulty to directly call someone’s action in the
dominant European culture an act of racial and gender discrimination is because race was
officially removed from the European vernacular following World War II (Moffitt et al., 2020).
In the context of Europe, racialized oppressions existed in society as a result of the history of
European imperialism (Emejulu & Sobande, 2019; Müller, 2021). Therefore, the participants
may struggle to define race discrimination because it is culturally taboo to discuss it as part of
European society. It is also possible that the women are challenged to call an incident racial
discrimination because they are encountering microagressions. Microaggressions are said to have
a harmful and cumulative psychological impact over time, thus impacting the leadership
development of Black women (Holder et al., 2015; Sue, 2010; Weiner et al., 2021). Racial
microaggressions toward Black women are well documented by U.S. researchers and are
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characterized when Black women are frequently exposed to small verbal, behavioral, and
environmental interactions that are negative, derogatory, or hostile.
In addition to the afore-noted three ways of trauma management, this study found that for
Black women to navigate the complex social structures of Europe, they must find and cultivate a
support system that helps to increase resiliency in difficult circumstances.
Subtheme 3: Finding and Cultivating Support Systems
Researchers are aligned that employee well-being, such as engagement, stress, or
burnout, is directly attributed to job characteristics (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007). Difficult work
environments, such as high pressure or emotional demands, can lead to impaired health issues
(Doi, 2005; Halbesleben & Buckley, 2004). On the other hand, organizational resources such as
social support and autonomy are linked to employee well-being, where work engagement and
commitments are increased. The findings of this study showed that all seven women had to find
and cultivate support systems outside of their work environment. The support systems that the
women found to cope with work challenges were broken into two categories: people and
activities.
People. All women noted needing a human connection and someone that understood
their position in European society. They all noted having multiple human support systems
available to them when dealing with workplace challenges. Bernadette, Audrey, and Gabriella
found a close-knit small group of girlfriends they leaned on when times were challenging or
when they just needed to let their hair down and have fun. Bernadette and Gabriella’s group
consisted of all women of color, while Audrey’s group, although not all women of color, were all
considered foreigners in their work environment because they were not originally from the EU
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country in which they worked. Hannah, who is married to a man of European descent, called her
coping strategy “forming your own tribe,” and she shared that she deliberately
chose to work internationally because it’s better than the local organizations. If you work
for [non-EU country X] organization, they are very discriminate. They discriminate upon
women. So, if you’re Black on top of that, it doesn’t help. … [Regarding] coping
strategies, one of them is having international friends and going abroad on holidays,
going to places where you meet other people that are like us, couples like us, and keeping
away from the local things. I’m not involved in anything local, even where I live. I’m not
in the community.
Bernadette and Hannah noted having female mentors of American descent with the
experience of living in a racially polarized and confronted America helped to act as sounding
boards. It should be noted that these mentors were from previous roles or experiences. The
women also sought support from family members such as parents, siblings, or spouses. Stella
shared, “Knowing that I have people that would support me and knowing that I have people who
understand what I’m going through is, I think that, that helps me manage those challenges.” She
shared that her spouse, who is European, is a big part of helping her to deal with challenges at
work. She noted, “He also opens up my mind to thinking. I would say that on most topics, in my
career and my leadership journey, I would say that his perspective and mine are very similar or
complimentary.” In addition to leaning on human connections, the women also noted relying on
activities to help them through difficult times.
Activities. Several of the women noted that physical activities such as cycling, walking,
or yoga play a significant part in helping them manage workplace stress. Audrey also shared that
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she focuses on ensuring she is living an overall healthy lifestyle to keep stress levels low, while
Stella spends time reflecting on her experiences to allow room and space for healing.
In addition to taking care of their physical and mental health, several of the women also
shared that they used fashion as a form of personal expression or healing. Candice shared that
when she first started her career, she felt outside of her comfort zone and was not sure she could
deliver what needed to be delivered in her career, so she would use fashion as a way to make
herself feel better on the outside what she felt she was lacking on the inside. Candice recalled
feeling like that for many years until she had her child, and it became exhausting. She noted, “I
do it now for myself and for my own pleasure because it’s something that I enjoy doing, but I
definitely remember doing it to try and dress the part.” On the other hand, Bernadette and
Audrey used their love of fashion to express their inner confidence. Bernadette noted that “I
would buy really great shoes, like power shoes.”
Regardless of whether the women used human connections or activities to cope with
workplace stress, they all had to find ways outside of their companies to help them manage the
challenges they faced during their careers. It should be noted that Bernadette, Stella, Candice,
Audrey, Hannah, and Gabriella discussed ERGs, a form of support system, at work. However,
the majority of the ERGs discussed were started later in their careers and were initiated by the
participants themselves, with the exception of Audrey and Gabriella, and are discussed in more
detail in the final section of this chapter.
Subtheme 4: Learning to Use the European Social Power Structures
According to Clark and Estes (2008), organizational culture is the most important work
process because it dictates how people in an organization work together to get the job done.
Schneider et al. (1996) wrote that organizational “culture captures a less conscious, more subtle
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psychology of the workplace.” Haveman (2022) discussed organizational culture in terms of
social capital, where, in general terms, it is defined as an individual’s connection to current or
former colleagues or connections to someone in power. A person with high social capital has
connections to people in positions of power, which means that the individual has more access to
resources and information (Haveman, 2022). Kang et al. (2017) stated,
People with less power and resources often experience the effects of oppressive social
systems in ways that members of dominant groups do not. From the “bottom” of a social
system, participants have knowledge of the power holders of that system as well as their
own experiences, while the reverse is rarely true. Therefore, their experiences allow for a
more complete knowledge of the workings of systems of power.
Black female leaders, when they enter the workforce and as they grow their careers, do
not have the same access to power and privilege as White women and Black men because of
their difference in position to White men (Bell et al., 2001; Rosette & Livingston, 2012). Halevy
et al. (2020) noted that “Individuals often influence others’ relationships, for better or worse.”
These researchers proposed that “social influence processes that impact others’ social networks
as brokering and advance a multifaceted model that explains how brokering behaviors can create,
terminate, reinforce, and modify others ‘network ties.” James (2000) performed a study in the
United States that showed race “moderated the relationship between human capital and
promotion rate which suggest a type of treatment discrimination against Black people” and “that
social capital mediated the relationship between race and psychosocial support.”
Due to their difference in position in the power dynamic when they enter the workforce,
this study results suggest the findings of the James (2000) study could also be relevant for Black
women in Europe because the data of this study showed there is an absence of psychosocial
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support (discussed in the previous section) and that the participants may experience a slower rate
of career advancement than their White counterparts due to the process of early career
exploration. Regardless of this fact, all seven study participants noted a period where they had to
learn to navigate the resources and information in European organizational cultures via brokering
a network of those in power and leveraging allies and understanding how to use their unique
positions to their advantage.
Learning to Leverage Organizational Networks and Allies. As discussed previously,
all seven had to learn the skill of leveraging organizational networks and/or allies. The following
are a few notable examples. Irene noted that her father, who was an EU immigrant from the
Caribbean Islands, taught her that because she was Black and a female that she would need to
work harder than her White colleagues to grow in her career. Irene shared that in her early
career, she originally felt crippled by the notion that she would have to work harder than her
White peers, and this impacted her confidence. Therefore, she focused on being a hard worker,
did not engage so much in the networking aspects of work life, and let the quality of her
represent her capabilities. As she progressed in her career, she observed that her White
colleagues were advancing at a much faster rate without putting the same effort toward their
work. While her White colleagues were progressing in their careers, Irene was struggling to get
her voice heard due to her lack of self-confidence.
Irene shared that a former boss noted that the success of his career was because he “knew
how to play the game in large corporations.” Irene recalled, “but he wouldn’t deliver it himself
necessarily.” Instead, he used the talented members of his team to deliver. She recalled that this
same manager had a hierarchy of those he entrusted to support his deliverables, and she used to
be one of his top talents. She noted that he told her, “You are Number 2.” However, after Irene
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took some time off to have her child, she noticed a change in her boss’ hierarchy chain of
command because her priorities shifted to her child. She recalled,
I felt myself being pushed down, and it was partly because, when he went on his global
trips, which I’d already said I didn’t want to go on global trips, he and this male
colleague of mine went everywhere together. So even when it wasn’t necessary, they
went on these trips together. But what I noticed was that they were succeeding. So, even
though they weren’t even doing the work themselves, they were succeeding by the
contacts that they made. And so I guess what I thought was, I need to get better at the
contacts.
Irene also shared that her current manager, who has a significant role in the company,
spends “80% of his time networking and getting buy-in.” These observations were important for
Irene’s organizational intelligence because the first one helped shape a learning on the
importance of networking which would require increased confidence, and the second highlighted
what might be needed at higher levels. As she has grown as an individual and in her career, her
confidence and self-efficacy have grown to the point that she owns the right and takes advantage
of taking up space in her work environment.
When Bernadette lived in North America, she was identified as a talent in the S&P
Global 500 top 100 ranked company that she worked for, and she had very positive experiences
with mentors and sponsors in that networking environment, including when she took her first
position abroad with the same company. However, when she reflected on the challenging and
painful times at the non-profit organization, she commented that if she had a trustful and allied
relationship with one of the board members:
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I think I probably would have turned to her more for pre-conversations before I thought
something was going to happen to get a steer. I would have revealed, maybe, my
anxieties to her before something and then said so, how do you recommend that I handle
this?
Candice shared her difficulty with networking. She noted that in her field, she has to go
to conferences to network with people in her industry, and she finds starting conversations with
strangers “incredibly difficult.” As her career has grown and she became more comfortable with
her place in the organizational culture, she earned to lean into her discomfort and coach herself,
with the support of family, through this area of her career.
Audrey commented that she learned from previous mistakes the importance of
organizational networking, particularly if one wants to sell an idea that is different from the rest
of the people on the team. She commented, “There is a way of introducing the idea. There is a
way of quantifying what the group is thinking about.” Audrey uses informal chats to quantify
what her team members are thinking before any meetings on a topic to leverage greater influence
and cultivate allies. Audrey noted, “It's important how you build your network within the
company. … And, offline or [before] the meeting, give a call or give a chat, [for example]: Hey,
what do you think about this? What’s your idea on this? What are your views with this project?
Be one step ahead of what’s going to happen.” The strategy of going into meetings prepared with
an understaning of the organizational network is one of her learning regarding the use of
networking and allies.
Gabriella decided to shift her career in a different direction to grant her more
opportunities and agility. However, when she shifted her career in a new direction, she was
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operating in an unknown space, and she needed to build her skills and capabilities and show her
value quickly. Gabriella recalled this experience
taught me about networking. The jobs you get in my [field] was very much around your
network. So we’re constantly having coffees with people. It was a coffee culture. You’re
telling people about yourself and this thing, and people have 2 or 3 minutes [to spend
with you].”
Gabriella had to quickly learn to navigate the networking space since her ability to work
counted on it. She shared that because her field is White male-dominated, she adapted and
learned to speed more time in the pub with her colleagues even though she does not prefer to
spend her time there. She learned that this side of networking is important when they are trying
to decide who will be promoted because it is important to be seen “engaging with them in a way
that’s meaningful to them.” Additionally, she had to learn how to be quick on her feet with ideas
about what made her uniquely qualified, from all the others, to do the job her clients needed to be
done. In addition to learning the importance of networking in organizational cultures, these
women, as Gabrielle’s experience noted, also learned how their low representation could also be
seen as a strength that could be leveraged.
Recognizing Her Uniqueness as a Strength. The historically low representation of
Black people in European society is attributed to the history surrounding Black access to Europe,
which was tightly restricted (Hondius, 2014). This author highlighted the racial oppression and
resistance by stating that being Black in Europe means being the first, the only, or one of but a
few Black persons in a social setting. As European lawmakers adjusted from the colonial to
postcolonial period, the laws and societal practices also shifted, yet there is still an overall low
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representation of Black female leaders, as highlighted in this study. However, these women
learned to use and view their low representation as a strength.
Several of the women discuss the fact due to the low representation of Black people in
their work environments, when they walk into a room, they automatically stand out, and they
discuss learning to use this fact as a strength rather than a disadvantage. Hannah noted,
When I walk into the room, I let the people see me. In the sense of I don’t skirt around
and be apologetic of being Black or being a woman. When I walk into the room, I let the
people look at me, see me, absorb me, before I start to work. And I welcome those crazy
questions because I know they will come. And instead of being defensive, when I was
young, of course, I was defensive, instead of being defensive, I address them to say
something, be ready.”
Audrey asserted,
You need to build a brand around [yourself]. They need to be a brand. You need to know
you are unique. … What’s your uniqueness? Mine is the smile. Whatever happens, I
smile. … But you need to have a brand, like, strong woman, friendly, you know, like, you
need to have a brand. You need to cultivate your uniqueness. … Whether it’s your hair,
whether it’s your style, your skills. Cultivate it. Cultivate something, be unique and be
proud of it. And network, network is everything. I mean, if you don’t have a network, it’s
very difficult to have a career, very, very difficult.
Stella stated,
Deal with being the only Black woman in the room. Deal with speaking your opinion.
When you feel alone or you feel your voice is not listened to, it might make you
uncomfortable; you might be an introvert, but be brave. And I think, most importantly,
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focus on the advantages and focus on the fact that you’re building the path for the
generation to come. So everything is difficult for you, focus on the fact that if you make
that much difference, it will be easier for our children and the next generation. And I
think that that’s important to say. And also celebrate your culture, you know, if you want
to wear African material top to work or a skirt to a social event, do that. I tie my head,
African style, for certain events at work, and I do that because it’s part of my culture.
And then people ask me about it. Then I tell them a bit more about the culture. So, I
would say, if there’s elements of your culture that you want to bring in yourself to work,
do so because then you get an opportunity to educate people.
Stella also noted, “Being different has been positive for me in my career. And it’s made me
memorable, and I’ve used that ability to push to the next level.”
Theme 2: (Essence) Internal Desire to Succeed Regardless of Obstacles Faced
Black women leaders, due to their dual minority status, face significant and unique
barriers to their career advancement. These barriers have been termed the concrete ceiling or
concrete wall (Beckwith et al., 2016; Bell et al., 2001; Bloch et al., 2020; Carton & Rosette,
2011; Coachman, 2009; Davidson, 1997; Piazza, 2016; Tan, 2017). It is important to note that
the term “concrete ceiling” is different from the glass ceiling because the glass ceiling only takes
into account gender or race inequality, not a dual minority status (Cotter et al., 2001;
Dominguez, 1991; Jackson, 2001; Tavakolian, 1993). These researchers noted that the concrete
ceiling or concrete wall describes the barriers that exist between Black women and higher
leadership levels because not only is it nearly impossible for these women to break through it on
their own, but it is also impossible for them to see through it.
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However, with an internal desire to succeed, it is possible to break through these barriers.
The following section discusses some of the barriers the study participants faced and how their
internal desire to succeed helped to push them past these obstacles. This section discusses the
participants’ internal desire to succeed regardless of obstacles faced (essence) and is understood
in terms of four subthemes (i.e., textual and structural elements of the phenomenon): a refusal to
take “No” as an answer by pushing past barriers, fighting through painful experiences of
workplace resistance or oppressions, leading in glass cliff situations, and cultivating mental
strength and persistence required to face the obstacles during their career ascension.
Subtheme 1: Refusal to take “No” as an answer (Pushing past barriers)
Fink (2013) noted that truly resilient people are motivated to push past obstacles by a
deep passion or interest in a subject. The participants in this study all shared an internal desire to
succeed in the face of the many obstacles they faced. For example, some of the women were
motivated by being a trailblazer for others, some used the sources of resistance and oppression as
a motivating factor, and some were inspired by what they saw family and/or friends achieve.
Regardless of what the actual deep passion or interests that motivated them, they all refused to
take “No” for an answer and pushed past barriers that were placed in their way. Below are a few
examples.
Hannah shared that she has faced many obstacles during her career journey. A few
examples regarding job rejections were detailed in her personal narrative section. In her
interview, she reflected on her philosophy of accepting the situation for what it is and looking for
other areas of opportunity. Hannah shared that she did not always take the “Sunny Side”
approach. During her early career, she used to be defensive when she encountered barriers. Later
in her career, she had an American White woman mentor that was empathic to Hannah due to her
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own experiences living in a racially polarizing America. This mentor was an ally and gave
Hannah words of wisdom in the form of a parable. This parable helped her navigate barriers for
the remainder of her career. The parable is as follows:
When you walk down the street, and there’s a hole that was not there in the morning, you
fall in the hole. You come back tomorrow, and there’s the hole. What do you do? You go
around it.
This parable helped Hannah focus her energy on finding a way around the holes rather than
continuing to fall into them or fighting with someone to fix the whole.
When Audrey started her current role, she was given the task of meeting 25 vice
presidents (VPs) in her first 3 months to build her network. Because Audrey had the learned
experience to understand the power of networking and branding herself, she met all 25 VPs in
her first month. Her boss was impressed by the speed she completed this task because he had
difficulties meetings with some of the people on the list. By setting the stage very early with
these VPs, Hannah was effectively creating allies in her new company. By this point in her
career, Audrey had encountered many barriers along her journey and learned that barriers are just
detours. In fact, Audrey asserted, “If you close the door, then I will enter into by the window.”
Subtheme 2: Fighting Through Painful Experiences of Workplace Resistance or Oppression
Rosette and Livingston (2012) proposed that Black female leaders may be
disproportionally penalized for making mistakes on the job, which leads to the notion that failure
is not an option for Black women. While that may also be true for Black women in Europe, this
study found that Black women may also feel that failure is not an option because they are
preparing the path for the next generation of both Black people, such that they will endure fewer
hardships, and White colleagues, such that they are more versed in engaging with Black people.
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The results of this study were that all seven participants, at different points in their careers in
Europe, had to fight through painful experiences of workplace resistance or oppression that made
them feel overlooked, undervalued, and unappreciated. Black feminist thought is explained with
concepts of invisibility in relation to systemic oppression and hypervisibility, where Black
women are represented in stereotypically commodified ways (Jefferies et al., 2018; Marbley,
2005; Mowatt et al., 2013; Owens et al., 2019). This study’s findings showed that they
encountered stereotypical bias and situations where they felt they could not show up
authentically as themselves. The following are a few examples of the workplace resistance or
oppression that these women faced and the meaning they placed behind those experiences.
Stereotypes Against Capabilities. Audrey noted that she felt she encountered many
barriers along her career journey. Her personal narrative discusses her interactions with
stereotypical bias that linked her competencies to how she chose to wear her hair. This
interaction made her feel like she could not show up authentically as herself. Although she was
deeply impacted by that experience for many years, she later learned to use that experience to
educate her colleagues that her competencies are not linked to how she shows up naturally in this
world by wearing her hair in an Afro.
Another impactful example was one that made her feel overlooked, undervalued,
unappreciated, and stereotyped, but she used the painful experience as an opportunity to educate
her White colleagues. In this example, she recalled that a director of one of her clients brought
her in to lead a project to improve some of the company’s business processes. Audrey had been
working with the director for a while but had not met the entire team. Audrey was brought into
the company to lead the meeting and share the strategy. Audrey arrived early for the meeting, as
this was her practice to ensure all things were ready, and the receptionist placed her in the
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meeting room. Audrey noted, “I didn’t sit at the table. I sat against the wall with my laptop. And
I was well-dressed. I’m always well-dressed when I go to work.” The director had not yet
arrived, but the team of all White men who were freshly out of school started to arrive and talk
among themselves. Audrey recalled,
One of them said to me, Ms., is the coffee here? And I didn’t say anything. So, they all
chitchat and decide what they wanted to drink, and he came and give me a paper note that
this is what they wanted for coffee. So, I took the paper, I went out to the reception and
the guy at the reception, who was also Black, saw me and I asked him where’s the coffee
machine? He was like, what do you mean, where’s the coffee machine? You want a
coffee? I said no, they want some coffee in the room. Where is the coffee machine? And
he was like, no, I’m not gonna let you do that. I said yes, you are going to let me do that.
So, I went there, I made the coffees, and I came back with a trolley. And when I entered
the meeting room, the director of the team was there, and he was like Ms. Audrey, what
are you doing with this? And I was, like, they asked me for coffee, so I went to pick up
the coffee. And the face of those people was unbelievable because then they realize who I
was. And what I was. I was the one deciding if they were going to work on the project. It
was very painful. I almost wanted to cry when I was making the coffee. But those faces,
and the meeting I had after, it was one of the best meetings I did. And the guy who asked
me to do the coffee was fired. He rung me after to apologize and everything. And I found
him a job after that.
Audrey had an ally in the director who refused to allow his team to treat her that way.
Audrey clarified the reason she was so determined to make the coffee was to prove a point to
these young men and to use it as an opportunity to educate them. Audrey commented that she
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was expensively well-dressed and did not feel that she looked like a coffee woman. Based on
their reaction to her, these men concluded that the only reason for there to be a Black woman
sitting in a conference was to get them coffee. These men did not notice that she was well-
dressed, and they did notice her laptop. Therefore, she used this opportunity as a chance to
educate them at a cost to her well-being. Audrey noted, “This guy. He’s never going to do that
again with a Black person in his life.” Audrey noted,
I had some [experiences] like that. I think this one was the most impactful. I’m a bit
emotional when I talk about that. People think that they know you because you have
something or the color of your skin, and they can treat you like they want, but give them
the change.
She shared that the reason she chose to help the young man find a job after that painful
experience was that she felt he was authentically remorseful for his actions, and she believes that
people are limited by their upbringing. She noted that if you are taught by your family that Black
people are a certain way, then you are limited by your ignorance. It should be noted that Audrey
has worked in several EU countries, and she noted that she has encountered intersectional
barriers in both places. However, she felt she encountered more barriers in one EU country than
the other which she noted could possibly be attributed to a difference in the history of
colonialism between the two countries.
Irene shared an experience where her previous manager told her, “I have a brain the size
of the planet, and you have a brain the size of a pea.” Irene recalled that this manager was like
that with everyone, but she found that type of interaction crushing because she was already
lacking in self-confidence, which was impacting the way she showed up at work. She found
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support in the form of an assertiveness course. Irene uses these types of interactions as
motivation to improve herself so she shows up more authentically.
Stella encountered an experience where she was denied a higher leadership role with
increased responsibilities at a former S&P Global 500 company ranked between 100–300. She
asked the hiring manager to provide feedback on why she was not selected. Stella recalled the
hiring manager’s reply was, “I just didn’t think you’d be a fit for this role.” Stella found this
feedback interesting because she had already been working with the key stakeholder who already
commented that Stella would have been a great fit for the role. Therefore, Stella asked the
manager for clarification regarding her feedback. The manager informed Stella, “I think there
may be personalities of the different people in that leadership team, and I think you would
conflict with them.”
The feedback was not what she expected to hear. Approximately a month after she was
denied the role, she was offered a long-term talent incentive bonus where she would receive a
large sum of money if she stayed with the company for a given period. The company’s offer of a
talent retention bonus did not align with the feedback of the hiring manager and the decision not
to promote her to the next level in a leadership role. Refusing to accept the mixed signals from
the company that left her confused and overlooked, she made a decision to leave that company.
In addition to dealing with stereotypes about capabilities, this study also found that the women
encountered barriers related to their physical appearances.
Stereotypes Against Physical Appearance. Joseph-Salisbury and Connelly (2018)
proposed that White supremacy is maintained and perpetuated through certain aspects of
centering Black hair as a site of social control that is embedded in key social instruction, such as
work. Researchers are aligned that a Black woman’s right to wear her hair in its natural state,
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unfortunately, is still an area of potential racial discrimination in the United States (Donahoo &
Smith, 2022; Joseph-Salisbury & Connelly, 2018; Pitts, 2021). This study found that Black
professional women in Europe have also felt stigmatized by their choice of hairstyle. Several of
the women discussed topics related to hairstyles in their interviews. Audrey’s hair story was
discussed in her personal narrative, where she was told that her natural Afro style was not
professional. Audrey had a boss later in her career who was from Latin America and who was a
homosexual male working and living in Europe. This boss embraced diversity and inclusion and
encouraged her to embrace being different. Audrey noted that now she fully owns her right to
wear her hair in whatever style she wants and uses it as an opportunity to educate people that a
hairstyle does not define competency.
Hannah shared a story of a Black female colleague who is encountering a hard time at
work because she wears her hair in dreadlocks and has to fight against stereotypes related to her
hair and how she carries herself. Stella commented earlier in her career,
For the longest time, I decided not to do anything with my hair different. So, normally, I
would have been doing the braids and the weave and this and that, but I felt as if it
brought too much attention to hair all the time. Too much, all the time, so it was easier to
go to one hairdo and stay there.”
Stella has learned to own the right to wear her hair as she pleases and now informs colleagues
it’s not a topic she is willing to discuss. Bernadette similarly felt that her hair drew unwanted
attention. She noted that she felt people would ask questions about her hair with underlying
judgement in their questions.
Stereotypes Against Communication Style. In addition to stereotypes about their hair,
several of the women also discussed stereotypes related to their communication style. Motro et
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al. (2022) proposed that “race and reactions to women’s expressions of anger at work:
Examining the effects of the “that observers are more likely to make internal attributions for
expressions of anger when an individual is a Black woman, which then leads to worse
performance evaluations and assessments of leadership capability.” Several of the women in this
study noted that they felt the need to moderate their communication such that they are not
typecast by stereotypes based on their gender and/or their race. For example, Gabriella shared
that her field is White male-dominated, and she feels she has to be very careful how she engages
people to ensure she is not typecast by whatever preconceived notions they may have of Black
women act. She measures her words and communication strategy so that she is not cast as an
angry Black woman. In addition to dealing with stereotypes, the women discussed working
around stereotypes about their capabilities.
Subtheme 3: Leading in Glass Cliff Situations
According to Ryan and Haslam (2005), women are more likely to be placed in leadership
roles they termed the glass cliff, which are roles that are risky or precarious. Researchers assert
that glass cliff situations are another form of discrimination that women must fight (Ryan &
Haslam, 2007). This study found that the participants were also given glass cliff situations where
they were placed in difficult leadership positions.
Hannah shared two experiences where she was promoted to lead the team, and the team
was so outraged that she was chosen as the leader that they insulted her and her capabilities. In
one case, the team had become so belligerent that the leadership allied with her and encouraged
and empowered Hannah to fire the next person who insulted her so that there would be peace on
the team and so they would respect her position of authority. She encountered another case
where one of her employees gave her a particularly difficult time. She recalled, “There was one
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guy who really harassed me. And at the end, HR had to come in and take him out because he was
calling me all names under the moon because he could not accept me to be his boss.” Hannah
shared that years after this situation where the employee had to be removed from the office, her
former manager approached her and said, “We should have done more for you, and I owe you an
apology.”
Irene shared a situation of working with a difficult manager. She found working with this
manager difficult because their communication styles were so different that they had a hard time
understanding each other. Additionally, her manager did not provide a vision for the team, and
he created an organizational structure where all the people he considered “a little bit annoying”
reported to Irene instead of himself. Because Irene had already been on a self-improvement
course about recognizing different working styles, she was recognized and utilized the strengths
of her team members to address challenges and deliver high-quality work. She unified them
under a team vision. Although Irene was given what the manager considered annoying people to
lead, she learned, based on her own experiences of being made invisible or under-appreciation,
to value their differences and see them as tools to leverage team success.
Bernadette’s personal narrative describes a glass cliff situation where shortly after taking
the role at the non-profit organization, she was given a new department to lead. As she was
getting to know her employees, she learned that one of her new direct reports, another Black
woman, was in the midst of suing the non-profit for unfair treatment. Bernadette noted, “Still to
this day, I’m suspicious that they had her report to me because they figured it would be easier for
a Black woman to fire another Black woman.” In the end, Bernadette’s experience was so
painful with the non-profit that she ended up leaving and did not know what happened to the
other Black woman.
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Subtheme 4: Metal Strength and Persistence
All of the women interviewed demonstrated resilience when facing obstacles as they
ascended to higher leadership levels. Their resilience was fortified by mental strength and
perseverance cultivated throughout their lived experiences. These women did not take “No” as
an answer, and they refused to let setbacks, stumbling blocks, stereotypes, language barriers or
anything else deter them from making a difference. Failure was not an option. These women
were tenacious in their career endeavors and refused to be confined to European society's
limitations. All of these women have a strong sense of accountability to pave the way for others,
and they were fearless in the face of fearful circumstances. Hannah summed up the experience of
Black women cracking the concrete ceiling as “It’s tough, and it’s not because you are soft. It is
tough.” It is important for Black women to understand when you are the first and the only, your
experiences are hard because it's hard. It's not hard because it’s a reflection of your capabilities.
Therefore, mental strength and perseverance were built through self-reflection, going through
personal development such as self-improvement courses, having a support system, such as
friends and family, and having professional mentors and allies who can help navigate spaces and
rooms where Black women may not be present.
One subliminal tone that was threading through the theme was a notion of cognitive
overload. The women expressed feelings of exhaustion or needing a break during the career
progression. It is possible that the other two themes of the essence of this phenomenon are taking
their toll on the participants, creating a certain cognitive overload. In other words, it is possible
that simultaneous navigation of the complex structures of European social culture and an internal
desire to succeed regardless of obstacles faced are creating cognitive overload in Black women.
Paas et al. (2003) discussed cognitive load theories and research related to cognitive overload for
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learners in a multiple-media environment. It is possible that these women are experiencing
cognitive overload, the same as what multiple-media environment learners encounter. However,
it is presented here as a subliminal theme and not a part of the essence due to insufficient
evidence.
Theme 3 (Essence): Becoming the Change They Want to See
Researchers assert that European policies on anti-discrimination are immature and do not
effectively address the intersectionality of individuals (Agustín & Siim, 2014; Kantola &
Lombardo, 2017; Kovačević & Šehić, 2015; Moffitt et al., 2020; Stojanovski et al., 2019).
Researchers asserted that the lived experiences of minority women are misrecognized and/or
erased in both European policymaking and civil society and movements (Emejulu & Bassel,
2017, pp. 185–208). European social practice and policies centered on multiple discrimination,
where bias can take place on several grounds separately (Kovačević & Šehić, 2015), has left the
women interviewed in this study frustrated and missing a sense of belonging at different stages
during their careers because these practices do not consider the intersectionality of Black
women and how they can encounter multiple discriminations simultaneously. With the
exception of Audrey, whose current company is a North-American-based company, and
Bernadette, that worked for three different companies in Europe and had one good experience
out of three, the women report experiencing immature diversity and inclusion policies and
practices, as noted during the personal narratives, thus forcing them to become the catalyst of
change they want to see.
Subtheme 1: Being Inclusive Leaders
All seven of these women, because of their experiences of missing a sense of belonging
and having to learn to navigate the social structures on their own, have become advocates for
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other marginalized groups. Many of the women have been responsible for leading initiatives to
create ERGs at their companies, where the purpose is to be a place that fosters inclusion,
diversity and a support system that helps to navigate the workspace. While Bernadette was at the
first company in the EU, she was the executive sponsor for the LGBQT+ ERG. As sponsor of
this affinity group, she would travel to industrial areas to speak with “brawny, rough guys in
these industrial environments, and I’m going to talk about LGBTQ rights as a Black woman.”
Bernadette shared a really poignant moment she felt had really helped to shift a mindset when
she recalled,
I can still remember one time going into this group. They were all these super gruff guys.
You can tell they had been pulled off the line to listen to me for 20 minutes. And so, I
was talking to them about why you need to be an ally. And one guy, super rough guy,
team leader, almost started crying. And then he revealed to me that he found out years
later that someone who had been on his team. He revealed this in a room of all these
people that someone on his team was gay and had never revealed it. And I had just made
the case that if your team can’t trust you and they can’t trust you with facts about
themselves, you can’t have an environment of trust, and trust in an industrial setting is
super critical for safety. And so, he said to me, “I just had an awakening,” and told the
room the story. And I’m in tears. He’s practically in tears.
Bernadette was passionate about supporting other marginalized groups, and she stated, “The
ability to talk about affinity is definitely part of my comfort and sense of belonging.” Despite the
trauma she experienced at the non-profit organization (her second role in Europe), she was
successful at launching an affinity group geared toward women, and she launched a human rights
initiative for the non-profit organization during her tenure. She also tried to start affinity groups
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at her final company in Europe, but this attempt was blocked by the leadership at that company,
as noted in her personal narrative.
Stella, Candice, and Hannah were responsible for initiating an affinity group for Black
women at their respective companies. At the time of the interviews, two of the women had also
gotten the sponsorship of executive support. Stella shared an experience where her company
recognized that its company-branded stock photos were not inclusive. Therefore, she lobbied the
affinity group to be a part of changing the photos that represented the company. She asserted,
I went in a minute and got my picture taken because if there is any young girl, Black girl
out there who sees a [company] presentation or goes on the website and sees the picture
of me, and it gives her the guts to apply for a job, then I’m totally fine with it. … I was
asked to be in this photo shoot originally because I’m in leadership and I’m a Black
woman. They were like, let’s make use of that. But if it can open the doors for others,
quite frankly, hell to the yes.
Hannah shared that her ERG comes together to try and help each other prepare cases for
impactful changes that will directly help marginalized groups globally. She noted,
So that’s what we do. We try to come from the bottom because we don’t want to have a
triangle at the top, one person yelling at people. We try to make it as broad as possible,
and people fight for their areas. They drive change for their areas, and it has been quite
effective.
These women are all also very mindful and intentional about being inclusive leaders.
Every last one of them discussed topics around differences being valued and how they bring that
into their team environments. Regarding difficult conversations with team members around
different styles or ways of working, Gabriella noted, “I want to always be honest with people. I
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don’t want to hurt your feelings, and I’ll say it to you in a nice way.” As noted previously, Irene
branded her leadership style around inclusivity and valuing differences for the betterment of the
team. Stella shared that if she has someone different on her team, she would reach out to that
person and ask how they are feeling and what ideas that person might have about being more
inclusive as a team.
In addition to leading the creation of ERGs and effecting change in their organizational
cultures, all of these women offered pearls of wisdom for any leader working in Europe that sees
the issues of inequity but does not know what to do to support or how to help other Black woman
hoping to achieve acceleration her leadership career in Europe.
Irene stated, “understanding that there is a problem.” She asserted that you do not have to
take a formal survey about race, which is stated to be illegal in Europe, to know that there is low
racial representation in the company. She affirmed all companies need to do is open their eyes
and see. Bernadette noted the importance of mentors and sponsors, sponsors even more so than
mentors. She asserted,
I think, having a board member, so if you’re talking about a woman like me who is in the
C-suite, having a board member, someone who is in governance, is a sponsor/coach, I
think would be great because, presumably that most board members are not going to be
Black women or people of color, it could be like a reverse mentorship opportunity, in a
way, because boards need to be savvier about the responsibilities of creating inclusive
organization. So, I think it could be a win, win.
Gabriella further expanded on Bernadette’s comments by asserting,
Understand their stories, understand their challenges, and then partner with them to give
them valuable insights on how to navigate the environment. And then, when they’re not
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in the room, speak for them, speak for them in those places, in those rooms where they
don’t have access to. Champion them in those rooms where they don’t have access to,
and then call out your peers. Call out your peers if you see any behaviors that you think
could be just ignorant [behaviors]. Call these things out. When there’s a room full of
people just like you, invite those people that don’t really get invited, invite them, bring an
extra chair, and invite their voices into spaces.
Bernadette also noted that companies should not expect to succeed in a room filled with White
men. She noted it’s important for companies to hire diverse candidates in significant roles
because it means “that the organization is more hospitable than just symbolically interested.” She
asserted, “Put some women on rotation or make sure you’re hiring them in the roles that have
endowed power in your institution because every institution is different.” Gabriella expanded on
this point by noting
I think there’s something about intentionally looking for the most underserved. You have
to go and look for them. And that means sometimes diversity programs may miss out on
these people because intersectionality means they’re at the bottom, bottom, bottom,
bottom of the barrel.
The women also commented on the importance of leaders communicating and being
curious about who they are as a person, such as trying to understand their background and then
connecting with them as human beings and learning what their career aspirations are. Audrey
summarized, “You need to find something to connect with the person beyond the gender or their
color, definitely.” Candice noted when you’re trying to climb the corporate ladder: “You don’t
know what you don’t know.”
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Therefore, leaders should be more curious and talk to Black women to understand who
they are and what their goals are and help them navigate the social structures in which Black
women are automatically disadvantaged. Hannah asserted that leaders should be allies and be
aware if their Black employees are excluded in places where they should be present. She stated,
“If you have a qualified woman of color in a position where she’s kept down, make this visible
[and challenge the exclusive actions].” She also noted leaders need to first notice the absence of
people of color, then try to understand why there is an absence of color and then advocate for
qualified people of color.
The women would also advise being mindful of comments that are derived from racial
stereotypes. For example, if it’s hot outside, do not assume or make statements that a person of
African descent must be used to hot weather. These types of comments have no place in the
workplace because a person’s origins do not mean that they like or are used to a certain type of
weather, especially since as we age and change physical location, our physiology may also
change.
Subtheme 2: Helping Other Underrepresented Minority Groups
In addition to leading the creation of ERGs and effecting change in their organizational
cultures, all of these women use their networks and this study to offer really sound advice for any
other Black woman hoping to accelerate her leadership career in Europe. The women are aligned
that it is important to show up authentically as yourself and be proud of your culture. If you want
to wear African print clothing articles in places of business, do so proudly, as it gives you the
chance to educate people about your culture. The women shared that it is also important to
understand and be intentional about your career aspirations from the beginning of the career
journey. They emphasized the importance of building and maintaining a professional network.
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They noted that it is important to learn from those that are more experienced and shared that
mentors and sponsors are key to navigating professional spaces.
Bernadette noted that Black women need a sponsor who may not look like them but has
the acumen traits that they want to grow and a personality that will complement their growth.
Stella noted getting used to being the only Black woman in the room and ensuring that one is
using one’s voice when one has a seat at the table, even when it is uncomfortable. Hannah noted,
“Show them the value you bring instead of showing them what they’re not giving you.” During
challenging or difficult times, focus on the fact that you are blazing a trail for generations to
come. The women also recommended it was important to wrap one’s arms around other Black
women and not view them as competition for the one and only spot. Instead, they should lift each
other up and help each other navigate the spaces that are foreign to both. Gabriella affirmed,
“Celebrate ourselves, champion ourselves.” Audrey and Stella noted being bold, owning one’s
uniqueness and using that to one’s advantage. Stella affirmed, “There is no position that a Black
woman cannot attain. There’s no position that you cannot attain as a Black woman. So, keep
your eye on the ball, don’t let anybody tell you different.”
In this vein, the women affirmed the notion that a strong support system in the form of
family, friends, or ERGS is imperative to maintain well-being along the career journey. The
women noted finding people with whom to have a good laugh or cry. Hannah noted, “Talk to
other people, don’t try to go for it alone. And it’s not because you’re not smart, that you don’t
understand the system. You cannot understand it alone.”

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Phenomenological Essence Summary
The phenomenological analysis of the interview data yielded three themes (essence) and
10 subthemes (textual and structural elements of the phenomenon), which are shown in Figure 2.
Black women living and working in Europe who ascend to higher leadership levels navigate
complex European social structures, have an internal desire to succeed regardless of obstacles
faced and become the change they want to see.

Figure 2
Essence of the Participants ’ Lived Experiences

Theme 1
Navigation of Complex European
Social Structures
Subtheme 1:
Invisibility
(Finding their own way)
Subtheme 2:
Missing a Sense of Belonging
Subtheme 3:
Finding and Cultivating Support
Systems
Subtheme 4:
Learning to use European Social
Power Structures
Theme 2
Internal Desire to Succeed
Regardless of Obstacles Faced
Subtheme 1:
Refusal to Take “No” as an Answer
Subtheme 2:
Fighting Through Painful
Experiences of Workplace
Resistance or Oppression
Subtheme 3:
Leading in Glass Cliff Situations
Subtheme 4:
Mental Strength and Persistence
Theme 3
Becoming the Change They Want to
See
Subtheme 1:
Being Inclusive Leaders
Subtheme 2:
Helping Other Under-
Represented Minority Groups
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The textual and structural elements, which Moustakss (1994) noted as the what, where,
and how participants experienced this phenomenon, is that they experienced a form of
invisibility in their early careers where they had to find their own way, and there was a missing
sense of belonging. Also, they had to find and cultivate support systems and learn to use the
European social power structures. For the participants to progress in their careers, they were met
with and had to fight through racial and gender bias that negatively impacted their well-being at
work. During these struggles, they had to refuse to take “No” as an answer, fight through painful
experiences of workplace resistance or oppression, lead in glass cliff situations and have mental
strength and persistence. Because the study participants have 15 or more years of leadership
experience and combined with their experiences of intersectional bias against them, they have all
become the change they want to see by being inclusive leaders and helping other
underrepresented minority groups.
The narrative of this study captures the collective essence of the experience of Black
female leaders as they ascend to higher leadership levels while living and working in Europe.
Although their individual stories are different, their collective experience illustrates that at the
intersection of race and gender in Europe, there are historically established, socially constructed
barriers at play that influence the career progression of Black women and potentially other
double minority European citizens. As noted in Chapter Two, the European population will
decrease, while 50% of the world’s population growth between now and 2050 is expected to
come from Africa (PWC, 2017; United Nations Population Census, 2012). The shift in
population and economic growth will be accentuated by talent migration as successful
economies draw people from weaker counterparts. This problem is important for Europe to
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address if they want to compete in the global race for talent. The next chapter will propose
recommendations to address this problem based on the findings of this research.
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Chapter Five: Recommendations
Researchers globally have argued if there is a business case for diversity and inclusion
intently over the last several decades, as discussed during the literature review section of this
work (Chapple & Humphrey, 2014; Lückerath-Rovers, 2013; Shehata et al., 2017; Terjesen et
al., 2016). Herring (2009) concluded that in the United States, “racial diversity is associated with
increased sales revenue, more customers, greater market share, and greater relative profits and
gender diversity is associated with increased sales revenue, more customers, and greater relative
profits.” There is a lot of research conducted in the United States about holistically advancing
diversity, equality, and inclusion (Barnett, 2020; Jimerson et al., 2021; Nora, 2022; Ware et al.,
2021). On the other hand, historically in Europe, gender diversity was the most protected ground
of discrimination (Verloo & Lombardo, 2007). It is important for multinational companies based
in Europe to understand how to attract and retain Black women because they were awarded the
highest number of post-secondary degrees in the United States (NCES, 2019). However, there
was very little English-language literature on the experiences of Black female leaders as they
aspired to higher leadership levels while living and working in Europe.
Discussion of Findings
Black feminist thought theory was the theoretical framework used in this study to
investigate the relationship between a Black woman and society or between human agency and
social structures, as Alinia (2015) noted. Black feminist thought theory shows how domination is
organized and operates in the structural, disciplinary, hegemonic, and interpersonal domains of
power (Alinia, 2015). This study sought to fill a gap in English-language research on the
subjectively distinct leadership journeys of Black women in Europe to reveal and interpret the
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core factors contributing to their ascension and describe how multinational corporations can
support Black women as they breach barriers.
As noted in the literature review, Hill Collins (2009) asserted that the universality of
intersecting oppressions as organized through diverse local realties supports the use of Black
feminist thought theory across international contexts. This study’s findings provide evidence that
Black feminist thought is a useful tool to explain the unique lived experiences of Black female
leaders and that this theory is applicable regardless of the organization of the matrix of
domination. In other words, this study found evidence that the workplace experiences of Black
women in the United States, as noted in the literature review, such as microaggressions,
stereotypes against their race and gender, and invisibility, have a high probability of being
experienced by Black women in Europe.
Black feminist thought theory provides a useful tool for Black women in the United
States and in Europe to describe their experiences from their perspective because it highlights the
interconnected oppressions they encounter. In the case of this study, although participants’
individual stories are different, their collective experience illustrates that at the intersection of
race and gender in Europe, there are historically established, socially constructed barriers at play
that influence the career progression of Black women and potentially other double minority
European citizens. This study’s findings support the assertion that Black women living and
working in Europe have unique experiences. They face the challenges of navigating
intersectionality in a dominant European social structure, and European companies’ inclusion
and diversity policies and practices do not adequately address issues related to intersectionality
(Agustín, 2013; Alinia, 2015; Crenshaw, 1989; Hill Collins, 1990; Kantola & Lombardo, 2017;
Moffitt et al., 2020; Rousseau, 2013; Stojanovski et al., 2019).
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Three distinct themes regarding the essence of their experiences emerged from this study:
navigation of complex European social structures, internal desire to succeed regardless of
obstacles faced, and becoming the change they want to see. In addition, 10 subthemes, which
reflect the composite description of the phenomenon, also emerged:
• invisibility in their early career, leading to them finding their own way
• missing a sense of belonging
• finding and cultivating support systems
• learning to use the European social power structures
• refusal to take “No” as an answer
• fighting through painful experiences
• leading in glass cliff situations
• mental strength and persistence
• being an inclusive leader
• helping other underrepresented minority groups
The recommendations proposed in this chapter are to conclude one of the original intents
of the study, which was to describe how multinational corporations can support Black women in
their attempts to breach encountered barriers. Following the recommendations, this chapter also
presents the study’s limitations and delimitations, recommendations for research based on this
study’s findings, and a conclusion.
Recommendations for Practice
The recommendations presented in this section are emergent from the findings of the
subject study and seek to enable more Black women living and working in Europe to progress to
higher leadership levels. Three distinct themes regarding the essence of their experiences
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emerged: navigation of complex European social structures, internal desire to succeed regardless
of obstacles faced, and becoming the change they want to see. In addition to the three major
themes, 10 subthemes reflected the composite description of the phenomenon. To address these
findings, I proposed five solutions:
• Recommendation 1: Formal mentoring for early career Black women.
• Recommendation 2: Improved human resource practices focused on increasing the
sense of belonging for Black women at work.
• Recommendation 3: Executive sponsorship for Black women in middle management.
• Recommendation 4: Black female ERGs in European companies supported by the
CEO Office and include executive sponsorship.
• Recommendation 5: Refocus European anti-discrimination policies by centering the
discussion on intersectionality.
The first recommendation is multifaceted as it strives to support Black women in their
early careers by helping them to understand the career options available to them in a given field.
It will also help them to understand how to network in the European power structures early in
their careers, and it seeks to retain them in a certain field because they have support to navigate
the societal and organizational culture structures. The second recommendation is aimed at
improving Black women’s sense of belonging in the dominant culture where there is a
significantly low representation of Black women. The third recommendation targets Black
women in middle management and seeks to support them with transitioning to higher leadership
levels. The fourth recommendation is twofold. First, having a Black female ERG supported by
executive sponsorship sends a message to the entire company that diversity and inclusion are
valued at the highest level. Second, a Black female ERG focuses on the support that Black
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women need to not only survive but thrive in a setting where there is low representation. It
should be noted that all recommendations are centered around creating a sense of belonging by
providing support networks, coaching, and mentoring opportunities, which researchers note as
being critical to positively affect the essence of this phenomenon, as highlighted by Caligiuri and
Lazarova (2002). The fifth recommendation focuses on re-centering European discrimination
policies on intersectionality. However, more studies like the subject study are needed to
determine where additional gaps are and what should be the areas of prioritization.
Recommendation 1: Formal Mentoring for Early Career Black Women
Researchers are aligned that mentors are important for the career development of women
(Dashper, 2018; Flippin, 2017; Helms et al., 2016). Mentoring, according to Anderson and
Billings-Harris (2010), is a “developmental sharing, caring, and helping relationship where an
experienced leader (mentor) invests time with an emerging leader (mentee or protégé) to enhance
the growth, knowledge, and skills of the emerging leader” (p. 128). The mentor provides
guidance and enlightened advice regarding the unwritten rules of success in an organization.
The results of this study found that all seven would have benefited from a formal mentor
during their early career journey because all seven participants went through an unguided career
exploratory period. All seven women discuss having a singular aspiration, such as becoming a
scientist, being financially independent, or having a socially respectable profession, at the start of
their careers without really having a longer-term career goal in mind. After more exposure in
their fields, which came in various forms, such as taking lower roles, watching White colleagues
be promoted at faster rates, and taking one or more lateral roles, they used the career exploratory
period to focus and drive their careers. However, pairing Black women with mentors earlier in
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their careers would support their professional development earlier as a mentor would also
provide career guidance and developmental assistance (Helms et al., 2016).
Informal mentoring occurs spontaneously, while formal mentoring is intentional in its
design and goal. Joo et al. (2012) defined formal mentoring as when a third party (an
organization) pairs a more experienced person (a mentor) with a less experienced person (a
mentee) with the intent to advance the personal and professional growth of the less experienced
individual. Based on the results of this study, I recommend formal early career mentoring to
avoid or decrease the time lost during unguided career exploration. High-performing Black
female employees would be identified via performance management tools that are already
utilized by most companies. Performance management tools typically involve assigning a
performance rating at the end of the year based on the attainment or acceleration of goals that are
set and aligned with her manager at the begging of every year.
Employees rated as high performers would be assigned a formal mentor. Additionally,
pairing Black females earlier in their careers will support their organizational awareness, help
them navigate corporate culture, and potentially avoid leadership pitfalls like glass cliff
situations (Ryan & Haslam, 2007), as researchers noted because a mentor’s role is to invest in
the overall growth of their mentee (Dashper, 2018; Flippin, 2017; Helms et al., 2016). Bell et al.
(2001) noted that White women had more success at finding mentors than Black women. The
results of this study seemed to affirm the findings of Bell et al. (2001), as the women discussed
engagement of mentors much later in their careers. Therefore, to pair early career Black female
talents, a formal mentor program designed at the corporate leadership level is recommended.
The goal of this recommendation is to match early-career Black women with senior
leaders to provide these women with exposure and development opportunities earlier in their
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careers. The mentor/mentee relationship for Black women is also to connect them to senior
leaders to increase employee engagement (Helms et al., 2016). By increasing engagement,
development, and exposure earlier in their careers, Black women in Europe will have access to
information and resources earlier in their careers, thus supporting advancement faster.
Recommendation 2: Improved Human Resource Practices Focused on Increasing the Sense
of Belonging for Black Women at Work
All seven participants, at different points in their careers in Europe, described painful
experiences of workplace resistance or oppression that made them feel overlooked, undervalued,
or unappreciated. In addition, this study found that, at times, they encountered stereotypical bias
and situations where they felt they could not show up authentically as themselves. Although their
individual stories are different, their collective experience illustrates that at the intersection of
race and gender in Europe, there are historically established, socially constructed barriers at play
that influence a Black women’s feelings of belonging in the dominant European culture.
Five participants reported experiencing immature diversity and inclusion policies and
practices. Therefore, this recommendation focuses on improving human resources practices to
make Black women feel more included. Lehan et al. (2020) noted that for organizations to
improve diversity and include practices, organizations must focus on the perspective and
experiences of people from minoritized groups and generate deliberate integration across
individuals and departments. For organizations to address issues of belonging, they must look at
the experience from their perspective (Lehan et al., 2020). Canlas and Williams (2022) proposed
a 12 needs individual and relational belongingness (IRB) model that “presents the various intra-
psychic needs of an individual seeking a sense of belonging in the workplace.” As seen in Figure
3, Canlas and Williams’s (2022) IRB model is “derived from synthesis of belongingness theories
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and is designed to allow practitioners to recognize the discrete elements that comprise a sense of
belongingness along individual and relational factors, as well as across personal and
organizational orientations” (p. 235).

Figure 3
Individual and Relational Belongingness Model

Note. From “Meeting Belongingness Needs: An Inclusive Leadership Practitioner’s Approach”
by A. L. Canlas and M. R. Williams, 2022, Advances in Developing Human Resources, 24(4),
225–241. (https://doi.org/10.1177/15234223221118953)

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Practically, to get an understanding of the organization’s initial belonging measurements,
companies should start by designing survey questions to measure perceptions of each of the IRB
model factors, as Canlas and Williams (2022) noted. Canlas and Williams also recommend
surveying both marginalized and non-marginalized employee groups to make a comparison
regarding perceptions of belongingness. If marginalized employees feel less belonging than non-
marginalized employee groups, the company can take additional actions to create a better space
of belonging. This could be done by working with Black female employees to understand, via
survey, the most significant issues and co-defining, using Lehan et al.’s (2020) three-step
approach, actionable steps to increase belonging. By combining the IRB model with Lehan et al.
(2020) three-step approach to describe the current state, define outcomes of interest, and develop
a plan, organizations could design an organizational belonging model that fits their specific
needs for Black women. The IRB model has four distinct quadrants composed of factors related
to the individual team, organization, and other (see Figure 3). Within each of these quadrants of
belongings, organizations would use the three-step approach to describe the current state of
belonging, define outcomes of interest to improve belonging, and develop a plan to tackle the
prioritize areas that are agreed to be the highest priority by Black women in their organizations.
Recommendation 3: Executive Sponsorship for Black Women in Middle Management
All seven participants noted during their career journeys that they had to learn how to
navigate in spaces where no one looked like them. They also noted that it is important to learn
from those that are more experienced and shared that mentors and sponsors are key to navigating
professional spaces. Bernadette asserted that Black women need a sponsor that may not look like
them but who has the acumen they need to grow and a personality that will complement their
growth. This recommendation focuses on European companies creating formal sponsorship
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programs dedicated to Black female leaders in middle management to help them navigate the
corporate structures to better position them for higher positions. Ibarra et al. (2010) noted that
high-potential women are over-mentored and undersponsored relative to their male peers, high-
potential women are not advancing or being promoted in their organizations the way men are,
and without sponsorship, women not only are less likely than men to be appointed to top roles
but may also be more reluctant to go for them. Erskine and Bilimoria (2019) defined sponsorship
in terms of White allyship:
[Leveraging one’s] White position of power and privilege and courageously interrupting
the status quo by engaging in prosocial behaviors that foster growth-in-connection and
have both the intention and impact of creating mutuality, solidarity, and support of Afro-
Diasporic women’s career development and leadership advancement.
White ally sponsorship is linking Black female middle management leaders with
executive members whose responsibility is to advocate for the leader under his/her guidance.
Sponsorship is different from mentorship, as sponsors go beyond giving feedback and advice to
their mentees (Erskine & Bilimoria, 2019). Sponsors could also support Black women to avoid
or navigate through glass cliff leadership situations based on their advanced experience in
leadership (Ryan & Haslam, 2007).
Furthermore, Erskine and Bilimoria (2019) and Ibarra et al. (2010) asserted sponsors use
their influence with senior executives to advocate for their protégés. Sponsors are allies that
engage in critical self-reflexivity, prosocial behaviors, which are behaviors or acts that benefit,
promote, or protect the welfare of the individual (Bolino & Grant, 2016) and tempered
radicalism, which is acting as a quiet catalyst that opposes prevailing norms and participates in
coalition building in solidarity with Black women. Cords (2013) asserted that, to fast-track one’s
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career, a person needs a sponsor who is a senior-level champion and believes in their mentee’s
potential and is willing to advocate for the next raise or promotion. Joo et al. (2012) asserted that
a sponsor helps a mentee develop a subtler set of required competencies that adjust behaviors
through self-awareness and learning.
Griffeth et al. (2021) noted that sponsor/mentee relationships are mutually beneficial for
the sponsor and mentee because they support female leaders by empowering them to achieve
their career goals and help implement societal change in organizations. Griffeth et al. (2021) also
asserted that women need to be aware of the distinction between mentoring and sponsoring and
how best to cultivate which relationship based on desired professional outcomes. Implementing a
top-down sponsorship program at the corporate level clarifies to organizational leadership,
sponsors, and mentees the overall corporate objective of creating more diversity at the senior
leadership level through the advancement of Black female leaders in the organization. Middle
management Black female leaders would be identified using the same employee performance
process discussed earlier, where high-performing leaders would be selected for sponsorship
based on their year-end performance rating. This recommendation seeks to support high-
performing Black female middle managers with transitioning to higher leadership levels through
White allyship, which means they will be advocated for in rooms where they are not present, and
sponsors will use their influence to advocate prosocial behaviors for protégés under their charge.
Recommendation 4: Black Female Employee Resources Groups in European Companies
That Are Supported by the CEO Office and Include Executive Sponsorship
As global demographic shifts, the European population declines, and Black women are
more educated (NCES, 2019; PWC, 2017; United Nations Population Census, 2012). This study
found that more attention is needed to support the needs of Black women in European
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companies. Welbourne and McLaughlin (2013) asserted that because ERGs are all about getting
people together to thrive and grow, employees are, therefore, more productive and energized
than their non-ERG counterparts, and ERGs are sources of competitive advantage in
organizations. This study’s findings corroborate this point. Bernadette, Candice, Stella, Audrey,
Hannah, and Gabriella all asserted notions that ERGs were important to their well-being and
growth at work. In fact, as noted in the findings, ERGs were so important that in the absence of
company-supported ERGs, many of the study participants founded their own ERGs in their work
settings. However, due to the positive impact of ERG on company culture (Green, 2018;
Seegmiller Renner et al., 2022; Welbourne & McLaughlin, 2013; Welbourne et al., 2017), I
recommend that they be supported by companies at the highest level in an organization. Green
(2018) found that ERGs facilitate learning and development activities for members and
positively influence non-members by operating as a community of practice to shift the
perspectives of non-members through informal learning.
Welbourne and McLaughlin (2013) concluded as companies become more aware of the
need for ERGs to advance organizational missions, ERG funding, influence, impact, and
evolution will expand. Based on this study’s findings, I propose that European companies
embrace Black female ERGs. Due to the difficulties they experience, it is important to have a
support group dedicated to them that expands their network of Black women who understand
their journey, can foster a sense of community, and can help each other grow with lessons
learned. As stated previously, Black feminist thought theory asserts that Black women have a
group knowledge and consciousness based on a collective memory, shared history, and common
daily experiences of being Black (Alinia, 2015).
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Therefore, a company-sponsored ERG would be used to foster that support that will help
them to navigate the complex social structures of European company cultures and assist their
advancement in these companies. Seegmiller Renner et al. (2022) showed that female leaders
that participated in ERGs changed how they thought or approached topics discussed during the
ERG sessions. Additionally, Seegmiller Renner et al. reported that an average of 89% of ERG
session participants implemented or planned to implement tools. Company support of ERGs
benefits both the employees and the company (Green, 2018; Seegmiller Renner et al., 2022;
Welbourne & McLaughlin, 2013; Welbourne et al., 2017) and is imperative for the advancement
of Black women.
Recommendation 5: Refocus European Anti-Discrimination Policies by Centering the
Discussion on Intersectionality
Researchers found that diversity policies focused on acknowledging and valuing
subgroup differences while valuing inter-individual differences increase perceptions of an open
diversity climate, which in turn enhances the leadership self-efficacy of minority employees
(Gündemir et al., 2017). However, according to researchers Agustín and Siim (2014), the EU’s
approach to diversity and inclusion is underdeveloped because it does not address
intersectionality, thus causing different dimensions of discrimination to compete in a hierarchy
of inequalities in terms of the level of protection. For example, multiple discrimination policies
emphasize gender and ethnicity or citizen and non-citizen but ignore the other categories,
creating gender and ethnicity and gender and citizenship policies around gender-based violence
but ignoring employment-related policies, which in itself creates inequalities in European society
Agustín (2013).
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This recommendation reframes the discussion on policymaking, as Agustín and Siim
(2014) noted, and proposes a dynamic multi-level model for gendered diversities at the
transnational level, which rests on inclusive policymaking by taking into consideration the
contributions from diverse groups of citizens situated in different contexts. Taking into account
the voices of this demographic of women can contribute toward a democratic intersectionality
perspective as a normative goal, which involves all concerned actors. This recommendation
means conducting more studies like the subject study and using the outcome to create hard
policies to address the concerns. For example, the low representation of women in this
demographic in Europe could be addressed by creating policies that improve the educational
opportunities for Black women, thus increasing the number entering the workforce as Verbeek
and Groeneveld (2012) and Agustín and Siim (2014) noted. Additional recommended studies
that will support reframing European policies are outlined in the recommendation for future
research section.
Limitations and Delimitations
The quality of study findings is directly proportional, according to Theofanidis and
Fountouki (2019), to the researcher’s ability transparently highlight the research limitations,
delimitations, and assumptions. It is with this tenet in mind that I highlight the limitations (things
the researcher cannot control) and delimitations (choices made that influence study data
collection) of the subject study (Theofanidis & Fountouki, 2019).
Limitations are non-controllable potential study weaknesses that can be associated with
the chosen research design (Theofanidis & Fountouki, 2019). Study limitations can influence
data collection, data analysis and conclusions (Theofanidis & Fountouki, 2019). As discussed
previously, a review of the S&P Fortune Global 500 companies revealed that there are no Black
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female CEOs for non-U.S.-based companies (Fortune Media IP Limited, 2023). This statistic
suggests that the sample size is a study limitation. The sample size of this study, seven, is well
suited for qualitative phenomenological research, as Creswell and Creswell (2018) noted. A
large-scale quantitative study across Europe could produce further insights regarding the
experiences of Black female leaders. However, as noted in the literature review, there is limited
English-language information, and I could not find any large-scale quantitative research
regarding the experiences of Black female leaders in Europe.
Phenomenological inquiry, the approach chosen for this study, is well suited for studying
highly emotional or intense experiences (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The positionality of the
participants and any perceived power imbalance is another study limitation that should be
considered because they could make the interview feel threatening. Sensitive or threatening
questions, such as questions about participants’ career experiences, are those that feel intrusive
or invasive to the respondent (Robinson & Firth Leonard, 2019). Another limitation is one of
social desirability, which is when participants edit their answers to portray themselves in a better
light (Robinson & Firth Leonard, 2019). For example, a participant may not want to be seen as a
person that complains, so she may edit her responses to not really reflect what she experienced.
To mitigate these types of limitations, the research design strategy was created to lessen
participant apprehension by creating a transparent space of trust between the researcher and
participant and by ensuring participant and company confidentiality (Creswell & Creswell,
2018). Dual confidentiality shifts the focus from individuals and specific companies to collective
experiences, which is the goal of this composite study. To further implement study transparency,
member checking was used to create trust and transparency with participants (Creswell &
Creswell, 2018).
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Delimitations are boundaries set by the author so the study’s goals can be met and are
usually centered around the researcher’s choice in theoretical application, objectives, research
questions, variables under study and study sample (Theofanidis & Fountouki, 2019). This study
contained the delimitations discussed in this section.
The first delimitation is centered around language barriers. Europe has many countries
with languages I do not speak or read. Therefore, due to language impediments, only English-
language literature could be used, and only participants who spoke English fluently were
selected. Language barriers are acknowledged as a delimitation of this study. To discuss this
delimitation, the author turns to Catalyst (2002), an international corporate consulting group. In
this report, the consulting group encourages companies in Europe to address gender inclusion
that will, in turn, address other elements of difference.
The assertion of Catalyst (2002) that gender should continue to be the focus of anti-
discriminatory legislation and not the intersection of race and gender is in opposition to Black
feminist thought theory. Black feminist thought theory asserts Black women have a unique
experience due to the intersectionality of their race and gender, which causes them to experience
multiple oppressions simultaneously (Alinia, 2015; Crenshaw, 1989; Hill Collins, 1989;
Rousseau, 2013). Several European authors asserted that gender, not race or any dimensions of
intersectionality, had been the predominant anti-discriminatory focus in Europe for the last
several decades (Agustín & Siim, 2014; Kantola & Nousiainen, 2009; Kovačević & Šehić, 2015;
Verloo & Lombardo, 2007). Therefore, I do not suspect that there is much more literature to
explore outside of the English-language doctrine presented in this study as a delimitation.
However, this is something that future researchers should explore.
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Another delimitation of this study, not previously discussed, is the fact that this study
focused on professional Black female leaders who ascended to higher leadership levels in
Europe. This was done intentionally, as the premise of studying intersectionality using Black
feminist thought theory means that peers or other women of color aspiring to also breach the
career barriers can learn from the participants’ experiences, making the study findings
transferable. However, based on the fining, I question whether well-educated Black women of
mid-high socioeconomic status experience some of the challenges discussed in this study due to
their dual minority status. Does a Black woman with even less socioeconomic access
experience an even more racialized European culture?
According to Lincoln and Guba (1985), qualitative research findings should have
transferability, which means the findings are applicable to other circumstances. A second
delimitation of this study was the participant selection criteria focused on English-speaking
Black female leaders that currently had or have previously held leadership roles while
simultaneously living and working in Europe for a minimum of a year, who have been promoted
to a higher level of leadership or whose leadership role expanded while simultaneously living
and working in Europe, and whose bidirectional reporting structure was also located in Europe.
One could argue that these very specific selection criteria exclude Black women who are not
leaders, excludes women whose bidirectional reporting structure may be located in other parts of
the world, omits women who do not speak English, and excludes other women of color who may
have had similar or different experiences of breaking through glass or concrete ceilings in
Europe. The results, therefore, are not generalizable to non-study participants.
However, this study’s findings revealed the core factors contributing to Black women
ascending to higher leadership levels in Europe. Peers or other women of color aspiring to also
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breach the career barriers can learn from the participants’ experiences, thus making the study
findings transferable.
Recommendations for Future Research
As discussed in the literature review, there is a lack of research on the experience of
Black female leaders living and working in Europe. Additionally, there is a lack of representation
of Black female senior leaders in Europe, as discussed by study participants and as evidenced by
the lack of Black female CEOs of European-based S&P Fortune Global 500 companies (Fortune
Media IP Limited, 2023). This study is important because it sheds light on the experiences of
Black female leaders so that appropriate career interventions can be developed, and it addresses a
gap in research that can serve as a basis for addressing the lack of representation of Black
women in executive leadership positions. However, this study is just the beginning of
understanding the lack of senior leadership diversity and the experiences of Black female
professionals in Europe.
One delimitation of this study was the requirement that participants needed to speak and
understand English fluently. One area for potential future search is including non-English-
speaking participants. This may help to support a larger-scale quantitative study across Europe
that could produce further insights regarding the experiences of Black female leaders, which
could help to re-center European discrimination policies on intersectionality to determine where
additional gaps are and what should be the areas of prioritization as discussed in
Recommendation 5.
One subliminal tone that was threading through the findings was a notion of cognitive
overload. Paas et al. (2003) discussed research related to cognitive overload for learners in a
multiple-media environment. The women expressed feelings of exhaustion or needing a break
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during the career progression. Additionally, some of the women who are mothers discussed
how they had to navigate the workspace and societal spaces, such as being treated “like the
nanny” when they picked up their children from daycare. It is possible that they are
experiencing some level of cognitive overload which impacts their well-being and career
advancement rate, the same as what multiple-media environment learners encounter because
they are navigating not just challenging workspaces but also social structures outside of work.
In other words, it is possible that simultaneous navigation of the complex professional and
social structures of European culture creates cognitive overload. Additional research
specifically looking at the cognitive load Black women in Europe encounter may help to further
understand the lived experiences of Black professional women in Europe so that appropriate
interventions can be defined.
Another potential area of future research is regarding the low representation of Black
professional women in Europe. Many of the study participants report being the first or the only
Black person or one of a very low number of Black people in the professional setting. Future
research could probe to understand why there are so few Black people entering the professional
workforce in Europe and do Black people in Europe have the same access and opportunity to
quality education as their White counterparts that would increase their numbers in professional
settings. Understanding and addressing early pipeline issues, like access to education, could
improve the low representation of Black women in leadership roles in Europe.
A final potential area of research that arose as a result of this study was regarding the
experiences of Black women in the mid-low socioeconomic. If well-educated Black women
with a mid-high socioeconomic status experience some of the significant challenges discussed
in this study due to their dual minority status, what do Black women with even less
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socioeconomic access experience, and could this be one of the reasons behind the low
representation of Black female leaders? Since access to Europe was previously well controlled,
as discussed in the literature review (Hondius, 2014), it would be important to understand if
Black women are generally relegated to lower socioeconomic status because they do not have
access to education and resources. Verbeek and Groeneveld (2012) and Agustín and Siim
(2014) noted that by creating policies that improve the educational opportunities for minorities
in Europe, there could be an increase in the number of minorities entering the workforce. Are
Black women commonly relegated to a certain socioeconomic status in Europe, thus limiting
educational opportunities and contributing to the low representation of Black women in
leadership roles in Europe?
Conclusion
Black feminist thought theory was used in this study to investigate the relationship
between Black women and European social structures in a professional setting. The core concept
of Black feminist thought theory is identifying the oppression and resistance of Black women in
social settings. This study’s findings support the Black feminist thought assertion that Black
women living and working in Europe have unique experiences as they face the challenges of
navigating intersectionality in a dominant European social structure, and European companies’
inclusion and diversity policies and practices do not adequately address issues related to
intersectionality. Three distinct themes and 10 subthemes regarding the essence of their
experiences emerged in this study. I proposed five solutions to address this problem. The first
four recommendations are centered around creating a sense of belonging by providing support
networks, coaching, and mentoring opportunities, which researchers note as being critical to
positively affect the essence of this phenomenon, as highlighted by Caligiuri and Lazarova
147

(2002). The fifth recommendation focuses on re-centering European discrimination policies on
intersectionality, which include conducting more studies like the subject study to determine
where additional gaps are and what should be the areas of prioritization. The recommendations
proposed in this chapter are to conclude one of the original intents of the study, which was to
describe how multinational corporations can support Black women in their attempts to breach
encountered barriers. Additionally, this study was conducted to close a gap in research regarding
the experiences of Black women living and working in Europe.
During the time this research was conducted, the world was still reacting to the video-
recorded and publicized murder of an unarmed Black man by police officers in America. In fact,
many of the study participants mentioned this during their interview as an awakening to the rest
of the world regarding what it means to be Black. The women report that as a result of the global
unrest surrounding this event, some companies made an effort to discuss diversity and inclusion.
Unfortunately, the efforts and reaction by European companies and work colleagues surrounding
this event sent a message to many study participants that they still do not understand what it
means to be Black in Europe.
It is with that notion that the following statements should be considered. A tiny flower in
a glass of milk is very aware of all the milk surrounding it. However, not every part of the milk is
aware of the tiny flower in its midst. The women in this study are the small flowers. They are
surrounded by the dominant European culture (milk), but they are floating gracefully and
fighting quietly the pre-established social structures of Europe. They are not screaming,
shouting, begging, or running to authorities demanding equity. They are not shouting racism
during every probable racist encounter. They are changing their environments one small step at a
time. However, I assert that more should be done to support their efforts, and they should not
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have to change the systems alone when both companies and employees stand to benefit from
more inclusive and diverse practices (Green, 2018; Herring, 2009; Seegmiller Renner et al.,
2022; Welbourne et al., 2017). Additionally, as demographics continue to shift and as more
Black women, who are highly educated, enter the workforce, it will be imperative for Europe to
shift the diversity, inclusion, and equity policies and practices to better reflect the changing
demographics of the world and to consider intersectionality as a basis for discrimination policies
and practices. This study’s findings show that, Europe, we have a problem, but intentional
corrective and preventative actions by the entire European community can be taken to address
the problem.

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Appendix A: Prospective Participant Email
Dear _,
My name is Laquisha Crawford, and I am currently a doctoral student in the University of
Southern California’s Organizational Change and Leadership program. I am conducting a
research study that examines the experiences of Black female leaders that have lived and worked
in a European-based company for a minimum of one year and I would like to invite you to
participate in this study.
The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of Black female leaders
working in European-based companies as they aspire to higher leadership levels. Examining
these experiences provides a foundation for understanding how the intersection of race, gender,
and the historically low representation of Black people in European society influenced the
leadership journey. The research objective is to identify common themes and understandings to
construct a composite description of the lived experiences of Black female leaders who lived and
worked in Europe while reaching higher leadership levels, thus breaking through advancement
barriers.
I am currently in the process of identifying potential study participants, and I would like
to ask you to consider being involved in this study. Due to the current COVID-19 global
pandemic, study participation is voluntary, confidential, and would involve one 60 to 90-minute
Zoom interview required within the next two months. It is imperative to highlight that participant
confidentiality is of paramount importance to this research. Therefore, should you choose to
participate, please note that personal and company information will be confidential and will be
preserved throughout the study and while reporting findings. Please also note that all interviews
will be audio recorded, and recordings will be transcribed in an effort to ensure the accuracy of
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the information provided. However, all recordings and transcriptions will be destroyed following
the completion of the study.
If you are interested in participating in this study, may I please ask you to use the link
below to complete the study criteria survey that will take approximately 5 minutes in order to
determine if you meet the requirements to be included?
[Link to be inserted]
After the completion of the study survey, should you be selected for this study, I will
contact you to set up the online synchronous Zoom interview for 60–90 minutes on the date and
time of your choosing. Prior to the interview, each participant will be provided a study
participant consent form and will be requested to provide a copy of her resume and online
professional profile (if applicable). Thank you for your consideration.
Kind Regards, Laquisha E. Crawford
Doctoral Student, University of Southern California

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Appendix B: Criteria Questionnaire
Participant name:
Participant current resident location (country):
Participant e-mail:
1. What is your gender?
Male
Female
Non-binary
I do not wish to disclose
2. What is your country of origin? _______
3. What is your native language? ________
4. According to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), my
ability to communicate in English is:
Beginner/elementary (A1/A2)
Intermediate/upper intermediate (B1/B2)
Advanced/mastery (C1/C2) or Mother Tongue _
I don’t know
5. In my current role or within my career, I have lived and simultaneously worked in a
company located in Europe for 1 year or longer.
Yes
No
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6. How many years did you live and simultaneously work in a company located in
Europe?
Less than 1 year
1 year to 3 years
Greater than 3 years
7. While living and working in Europe, my direct manager also lived and worked in
Europe.
Yes
No
8. While living and working in Europe, my direct manager’s manager also lived and
worked in Europe.
Yes
No
9. While living and working in Europe, I have or had at least one or more direct reports
that lived in Europe.
Yes
No
10. While living and working in Europe, I have been promoted at least one level of
management, or my leadership role was expanded to increased responsibility
within the organization I worked for.
Yes
No
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11. While living and working in Europe, I left the European organization I worked for to
join a new European organization in order to be promoted to at least one level of
management or took on a leadership role that had more responsibility.
Yes
No
12. For the purpose of this study, the term “Black” is used to describe any person of
African, Afro-Caribbean, or Afro-Latina descent or any person that has at least one
biological parent of African, Afro-Caribbean, or Afro-Latina descent. Although I
may or may not agree with this definition of Black, I am willing to participate in a
study that uses this designation.
Yes
No

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Appendix C: Informed Consent Form
Study Title: Europe’s Leadership Barriers
Principal Investigator: Laquisha E. Crawford
Department: Rossier School of Education

INTRODUCTION
We invite you to take part in a research study. Please take as much time as you need to read the
consent form. You may want to discuss it with your family, friends, or your personal doctor. If
you find any of the language difficult to understand, please ask questions. If you decide to
participate, you will be asked to sign this form. A copy of the signed form will be provided to
you for your records.
KEY INFORMATION
The following is a short summary of this study to help you decide whether you should
participate. More detailed information is listed later in this form.
1. Being in this research study is voluntary–it is your choice.
2. You are being asked to take part in this study because you meet the study participation
selection requirements of being a Black female that has lived and worked in Europe for
greater than 1 year. The purpose of this study is designed to gather information about the
lived experiences of Black female leaders living in Europe and working in companies
located in Europe as they aspire to higher leadership levels. Your participation in this
study will involve being interviewed by the principal investigator for no more than 120
minutes. Procedures will include an interview that will be audiotaped using a voice
recording and audio editor computer application. The researcher may also write notes
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during the interview. If you do not want to be taped, you will not be able to participate in
the study.
3. There are risks from participating in this study. The most common risks are breach of
confidentiality and feelings of discomfort that interviewees may feel as they retell stories
of their experiences. More detailed information about the risks of this study can be found
under the “Risk and Discomfort” section.
4. You may not receive any direct benefit from taking part in this study. However, your
participation in this study may help us learn the core factors contributing that provide the
foundation for Black women to successfully ascend to higher leadership levels in Europe.
These findings may help peers or other women of color, aspiring to higher leadership
roles, also breach the career barriers in Europe. Additionally, the findings from this study
will help inform how multinational corporations can support Black women in their
attempts to breach encountered barriers. Your participation will also help to address the
gap in research describing the lived experiences of Black women as they aspire to higher
leadership levels while living and working in Europe.
5. If you decide not to participate in this research, you may withdraw and discontinue
participation at any time without penalty.
DETAILED INFORMATION
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to gather information about the lived experiences of Black
female leaders living in Europe and working in companies located in Europe as they aspire to
higher leadership levels. We hope to learn the core factors contributing that provide the
foundation for Black women to successfully ascend to higher leadership levels in Europe. These
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findings may help peers or other women of color aspiring to also breach the career barriers in
Europe. Additionally, the findings from this study will help inform how multinational
corporations can support Black women in their attempts to breach encountered barriers. Your
participation will also help to address the gap in research describing the lived experiences of
Black women as they aspire to higher leadership levels while living and working in Europe. You
are invited as a possible participant because you met the requirements of the study and you are a
Black female leader that lived and simultaneously worked in a company located in Europe for 1
year or longer. About five participants will take part in the study.
PROCEDURES
A minimum of five participants meeting the study criteria will be selected for this study.
Each participant will be required to provide a copy of the resume or curriculum vitae and online
professional profile (if applicable) in order to build the respondent’s profile using an internal
participant identification coding system for identity protection, confidential participation, and
protection of the impacted companies. This coding system will be applied and referred to
throughout the study. After the participant profile is built, the researcher will organize the data
and time of the interview according to the availability of the participant.
Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and the geographical distance between researcher
and respondent, study participation requires that each participant is interviewed in one 60- to 90-
minute recorded online synchronous Zoom semi-structured interview at the time and location of
the participants choosing. Data will be collected using an interview protocol. Business colleagues
from my place of employment will neither be present at the interview nor have access to raw
notes or transcripts. This precaution will prevent my individual comments from having any
negative repercussions.
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During the data collection, storage and reporting process, all data related to this study will
be stored electronically on the researcher’s personal password-protected computer. The
researcher will use a filing system that will have several layers of password protection. The
passwords will not be shared with anyone, thus ensuring data and privacy protection. The
researcher will use the automatic electronic transcription service of the interview platform to
transcribe the interviews and listen to each interview while simultaneously listening to the
interviews to ensure the accuracy of the interview. Once the interviews are transcribed, each
participant will be offered a copy of their transcribed interview and an allotted time to review for
any edits or misrepresentations before coding for results. It should be noted that the transcription
service will be required to sign a confidentiality statement, thus ensuring data and privacy
protection. All electronic data will be backed up on an encrypted USB drive that is password-
protected. The USB drive will be stored in the researcher’s home office in a locked filing
cabinet. All recordings and transcriptions will be destroyed following the completion of the
study. You have a right to request a copy of the final approved paper.
If you decide to take part, this is what will happen the researcher will organize the data
and time of the interview according to the availability of the participant.
RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
Possible risks and discomforts you could experience during this study include breach of
confidentiality and feelings of discomfort. In order to address the breach of confidentiality risk,
the researcher will not identify you or your company by name in any reports using information
obtained from the interview. Additionally, an internal participant identification coding system
will be used for identity protection, confidential participation, and protection of the impacted
companies. This coding system will be applied and referred to throughout the study. All
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companies will be categorized under the general company description of an S&P Global 500
company or a non-S&P Global 500 company. The geographic region is reduced to companies
located in the continent of Europe. Common regional designators of European Union (EU) or
non-European Union (non-EU) will be used. Additionally, generic industry terms such as
banking, law, manufacturing, or health care will be used to further mask companies during the
study thus ensuring organizational and participant confidentiality will remain secure.
Another risk associated with this study is the feeling of discomfort during the interview.
Interviewees will find the discussion interesting and thought-provoking, which may cause
feelings of discomfort for the interviewee as they retell stories of their experiences. If, however,
you feel uncomfortable in any way during the interview session, you have the right to decline to
answer any question or to end the interview without penalty.
Subsequent use of records and data will be subject to standard data use policies, which protect
the confidentiality of people and institutions.
BENEFITS
There are no direct benefits to you from taking part in this study. However, your
participation in this study may help us learn core factors contributing that provide the foundation
for Black women to successfully ascend to higher leadership levels in Europe. These findings
may help peers or other women of color, aspiring to higher leadership roles, also breach the
career barriers in Europe. Additionally, the findings from this study will help inform how
multinational corporations can support Black women in their attempts to breach encountered
barriers. Your participation will also help to address the gap in research describing the lived
experiences of Black women as they aspire to higher leadership levels while living and working
in Europe.
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PRIVACY/CONFIDENTIALITY
We will keep your records for this study confidential as far as permitted by law.
However, if we are required to do so by law, we will disclose confidential information about
you. Efforts will be made to limit the use and disclosure of your personal information, including
research study and medical records, to people who are required to review this information. We
may publish the information from this study in journals or present it at meetings. If we do, we
will not use your name.
The University of Southern California’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Human
Subjects Protections Program (HSPP) may review your records.
Your responses, which are also called “data,” will be stored electronically on the
researcher’s personal password-protected computer. The researcher will use a filing system that
will have several layers of password protection. The passwords will not be shared with anyone,
thus ensuring data and privacy protection. The researcher will use the automatic transcription
service of the interview platform to transcribe the interviews. Once the transcribed text is
available, the researcher will listen to the interviews while simultaneously listening to audio of
the interview to ensure the accuracy of the transcribed interview. Once the interviews are
transcribed, each participant will be offered a copy of their transcribed interview and an allotted
time to review for any edits or misrepresentations before coding for results. It should be noted
that the transcription service will be required to sign a confidentiality statement, thus ensuring
data and privacy protection. All electronic data will be backed up on an encrypted USB drive
that is password-protected. The USB drive will be stored in the researcher’s home office in a
locked filing cabinet. All recordings and transcriptions will be destroyed following the
completion of the study.
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Your data collected as part of this research will not be used or distributed for future
research studies, even if all your identifiers are removed.
ALTERNATIVES
An alternative would be to not participate in this study.
PAYMENTS / COMPENSATION
You will not be compensated for your participation in this research.
COST
[The language under this section must match the exact language at iStar #25.1.
Depending on the type of study funding, either the USC Clinical Trials Office or the Department
of Contracts and Grants will provide the final cost language.]
VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION
It is your choice whether to participate. If you choose to participate, you may change
your mind and leave the study at any time. If you decide not to participate, or choose to end your
participation in this study, you will not be penalized or lose any benefits that you are otherwise
entitled to.
WITHDRAWAL FROM STUDY INSTRUCTIONS
If you feel uncomfortable in any way during the interview session, you have the right to
decline to answer any question or to end the interview without penalty.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, complaints, or think the research has hurt you, talk to
Laquisha E. Crawford at lecrawfo@usc.edu.
This research has been reviewed by the USC Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB
is a research review board that reviews and monitors research studies to protect the rights and
185

welfare of research participants. Contact the IRB if you have questions about your rights as a
research participant or you have complaints about the research. You may contact the IRB at
(323) 442-0114 or by email at irb@usc.edu.
STATEMENT OF CONSENT
I have read (or someone has read to me) the information provided above. I have been
given a chance to ask questions. All my questions have been answered. By signing this form, I
am agreeing to take part in this study.

Name of Research Participant Signature Date Signed
(and Time*)
LOSS OF CAPACITY TO PROVIDE CONSENT
In order to make your wishes known in the event you lose the capacity to provide consent to take
part in this study, please indicate your preferences below.

 Yes, I wish to continue participating in the study if I lose the capacity to consent.

 No, I do not wish to continue participating in the study if I lose the capacity to provide
consent.

 I do not wish to make a decision at this time.
We will notify your legally authorized representative of your choice if you are no longer
able to provide consent to take part in the study.
If you lose the capacity to consent and you indicated above that either you wish to
continue or you did not wish to make a decision, we will ask your Legally Authorized
Representative if they will allow you to continue in the study. We will also ask for your assent to
186

continue in the study. You will continue in the study if your Legally Authorized Representative
approves your continued participation and you indicate verbally or nonverbally that you wish to
continue.
Person Obtaining Consent
I have personally explained the research to the participant using non-technical language. I
have answered all the participant’s questions. I believe that the participant understands the
information described in this informed consent and freely consents to participate.

Name of Person Obtaining Signature Date Signed
Informed Consent
187

Appendix D: Interview Protocol
This study addressed the following research question: How do Black female leaders
working and living in Europe describe their lived experiences in pursuing higher leadership
levels?
Introduction to the Interview
Thank you again for agreeing to participate in the interview aspect of this study. I
appreciate the time that you set aside to answer my questions. As I mentioned in our email
correspondence, the interview should take about an hour and a half, does that still work for you?
Before we get started, I want to remind you about the purpose of study, the overview for
which was provided prior to our meeting today. I would also like to take a moment to review the
consent form and answer any questions you might have about participating in this interview. Is
that ok with you?
I am a student at USC, and I am conducting a study on the lived experiences of Black
female leaders working in European-based companies as they aspire to higher leadership levels.
Examining these experiences provides a foundation for understanding how the intersection of
race, gender, and the historically low representation of Black people in European society
influenced the leadership journey. The research objective is to identify common themes and
understandings to construct a composite description of the lived experiences of Black female
leaders that were able to live and work in Europe while also achieving higher leadership levels,
thus breaking through barriers of advancement.
I will be interviewing approximately five women for this research and I would like to assure
you that I am strictly wearing the hat of researcher today. This means that the nature of my
188

questions is not evaluative. I will not be making any judgments on how you have performed nor
evaluating your truth as right or wrong. My goal is to understand your perspective.
Review the Aspects of Consent Form
As outlined in the consent form provided to you previously, this interview is confidential.
This means that your real name nor your company’s name will not be shared with anyone. The
data for this study will be compiled into a report and while I do plan on using some of what you
say as direct quotes, none of this data will be directly attributed to you. I will use a pseudonym to
protect your confidentiality and all companies will be categorized under the general company
description of a S&P Global 500 company or non- S&P Global 500 company. The geographic
region is reduced to companies located in the continent of Europe. Common regional designators
of the European Union (EU) or non-European Union (non-EU) will be used. Additionally,
generic industry terms such as banking, law, manufacturing, or health care will be used to further
mask companies during data collection, analysis, and reporting.
The researcher will use a transcription service to ensure the accuracy of the interview.
However, the transcription service has signed a confidentiality statement thus ensuring data and
privacy protection. After I have complied my data, I would like to share my observations with
you to ensure I have accurately summarized your experiences. As stated in the consent sheet, I
will keep the data in a password-protected computer and all data will be destroyed after the
conclusion of the study. Additionally, I am happy to provide you with a copy of my final
approved paper if you are interested.
Do you have any questions about the study before we get started? If any questions arise
during this interview, please feel free to ask them at any time. I would be happy to answer any
questions.
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I would like to record this Zoom session today so that I can accurately capture what you
share with me. The recording is solely for my purposes to best capture your perspective and will
not be shared with anyone other than the afore-noted transcription service. May I have your
permission to record our session?

Table D1
Interview Questions
Interview questions Potential probes Key concept
addressed
Q type
Castillo- Montoya, 2016
Q type
Patton, 2002
Tell me about your career
aspirations when you
first entered the
workforce.
What experiences influenced your
career aspirations at the start of
your career?
Can you provide an example of
how this influenced your career
aspirations?
What people influenced your career
aspirations at the start of your
career?
Intersectionality
Oppression,
resistance
Introduction Background opinions
and values
Describe your
professional journey.
What life experiences led you to
pursue a role in Europe (if not a
European national).
Oppression,
resistance
Key Feelings
Behaviors/experiences
sensory
What life experiences led you to
want to take on roles with more
responsibility while in Europe?

Can you example how that
experience influenced your
outlook on leadership?
Who played a significant role in
your decision to pursue roles with
more responsibility while in
Europe?
Can you example how that person
influenced your outlook on
leadership responsibility while in
Europe?

190

Interview questions Potential probes Key concept
addressed
Q type
Castillo- Montoya, 2016
Q type
Patton, 2002
What played a significant role in
your decision to pursue roles with
more responsibility while in
Europe?

I see from your CV that
you have been in
leadership roles for
years. Tell me about
your decision to pursue
the leadership path?
Who influenced your decision to
pursue leadership roles?
Tell me about when you knew
leadership was the right decision
for you.
Oppression,
resistance
Transition Behaviors/experiences
Tell me more about the
work you are doing/did
while working in
Europe.
How does/did this position fit into
the organizational structure?
Oppression,
resistance
Transition Knowledge
Does/did your company
promote inclusion and
diversity?
Can you provide an example of
how your company promotes
inclusion and diversity?
Can you tell me more about how
this was done?
How did your direct line manager
promote inclusion and diversity?
(only is answer is Yes)
Oppression,
resistance
Key Knowledge
Do you think, while living
and working in Europe,
that you encountered
any barriers along your
career progression
because of your race
and gender.
Can you provide an example of a
barrier that you attributed to your
race and gender?
Describe the impact these barriers
had on your career progression
while living and working in
Europe.
Regarding your career progression,
what race and gender-based
Intersectionality

Oppression,
resistance
Key Feelings
Behaviors/experiences
opinions and values
191

Interview questions Potential probes Key concept
addressed
Q type
Castillo- Montoya, 2016
Q type
Patton, 2002
experiences have you experienced
while living and working in
Europe?.
Do you believe, while
living and working in
Europe, that you have
had to make adjustments
to your leadership style
because of the perceived
stereotypes of your race
and gender?
Can you provide an example of
how perceived stereotypes of your
race and gender have made you
consider adjustments to your
leadership style?
Describe any changes in your
leadership style that you felt you
needed to make because of
perceived stereotypes about your
race and gender.
In what ways did you modify your
leadership style based on your
race and gender while working in
Europe?
Intersectionality

Oppression,
resistance
Key Feelings
Behaviors/experiences
opinions and values
sensory
While working with
Company in
Europe, what coping
strategies have you used
to navigate career
challenges?
Can you provide an example of a
coping strategy and how that
helped you navigate career
challenges?
From who did you learn these
strategies?
How did you learn these strategies?
Who did you connect with when
you were dealing with career
challenges while working in
Europe?
Intersectionality

Oppression,
resistance
Key Feelings
Behaviors/experiences
opinions and values
sensory
What recommendations
do you have for
European leaders
Could you provide an example of
how this recommendation would
Intersectionality

Key Opinions and values
feelings
192

Interview questions Potential probes Key concept
addressed
Q type
Castillo- Montoya, 2016
Q type
Patton, 2002
regarding the support
needs of Black women
who aspire for
leadership roles?
have helped you during your
leadership journey?
How could this recommendation
have changed your past
experiences?
Oppression,
resistance
What advice would you
give to other Black
women who aspire to
become leaders while
working in a European
company?
Could you provide an example how
this advice will improve the
experience of Black women?
Why do you think this advice
would help other Black women?
Oppression,
resistance
Key Opinions and values
Thank you very much for
your time. Are there any
additional comments you
would like to add
regarding your
experiences of
ascending to higher
roles while working in
Europe?
Are they any questions you would
like to ask?
N/A Closing Opinions and values
feelings

193
194

Conclusion to the Interview
Thank you very much for sharing your experiences with me today! I really appreciate
your time and willingness to share. Everything that you have shared is very helpful for my study.
If I find myself with a follow-up question, can I contact you, and if so, if email is ok? And if
there are any websites or documents that you feel comfortable sharing with me in my learning of
this content, could you please email them to me? Again, thank you for participating in my study.
195

Appendix E: Consent to Collect and Process Personal Data From the European Union
This privacy notice applies to all personal information that the University of Southern
California (USC) and the researchers identified in the informed consent collect or process about
you in connection with your participation in this research project. Personal information is
information about you through which you can be identified (including where you can be
identified by combining the information with other information). Some of this personal
information may include information which is classified as “sensitive ” under local privacy laws
(for example, information about your physical and mental health).
Information collected about you for this research project includes personal information,
such as demographic data and may include sensitive data, such as:
• racial or ethnic origin
• political opinions
• religious or philosophical beliefs
• trade union membership
• genetics or biometrics
• health
• sex life or sexual orientation
• criminal record
The legal basis for collecting and processing your personal information is one or more of the
following:
• You have consented to the collection and processing of your personal information;
and/or
196

• USC is collecting and processing your personal information to necessary for the
performance of a task carried out in the public interest;
• As necessary by law.
Your data will be used and/or stored as long as needed for the research study and
consistent with the term of the USC HIPAA Authorization to Use Personal Information for
Research Purposes.
Your Rights
• You have the right to see the information being collected about you in the study. To
ensure integrity of the study, you will not be able to review some of the data until
after the study has been completed. For example, if you are in a blinded study, neither
the researchers nor you will be able to know the study arm in which you participated
until after the study is over.
• You have the right to request corrections to your Personal Information if it is
inaccurate.
• You have the right to limit the collection and use of your Personal Information under
certain circumstances (for example, if you think that the information is inaccurate).
• You have the right to request the deletion of your Personal Information if you are no
longer participating in the study. However, there are limits on your ability to request
deletion of your Personal Information such as if deletion would seriously impair the
integrity or the efficacy of the study or if your Personal Information is needed to
comply with legal requirements.
197

• You have the right to file a complaint with a data protection authority
(http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/article-29/structure/data-protection-
authorities/index_en.htm).
Withdrawal from the Study
If you withdraw from the study, you will no longer be able to participate in the study. No
new information or samples will be collected about you or from you by the study team. Your
withdrawal has no effect on the lawfulness of the data processing that occurred prior to your
withdrawal.
After your withdrawal, your data and personal information may still be maintained to
maintain the integrity of the study, to satisfy any legal or regulatory requirements including
reporting and retention requirements, and/or for any other purposes permitted under applicable
data protection and privacy laws. Your Personal Information also may be anonymized so that
the information does not identify you personally, and such anonymized information may be used
for further research.
Security
We implement technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of security
appropriate to the risk to the personal information we process. These measures are aimed at
ensuring the ongoing integrity and confidentiality of personal information. We evaluate these
measures on a regular basis to ensure the security of the processing. For more information on the
appropriate safeguards in place, please contact us at the email address below.
We will retain your personal information in accordance with our Record Management
policy, available at https://policy.usc.edu/record-management/, which sets out data retention
periods required or permitted by applicable law.
198

International Data Transfer
Your data will be used and shared with the researchers and sponsors on this research
study as well as government regulators and as fully described in the HIPAA Authorization to
Use Personal Information for Research Purposes. Your personal information may be shared with
individuals outside your country, including the United States, and will be treated in compliance
with applicable data protection laws. Data privacy and protection in those countries may not
offer the same level of protection as those in your own country.
Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns regarding the way in which your personal information
has been used, please contact Morteza Dehghani (mdehghan@usc.edu).
Changes to the Notice
You may request a copy of this privacy notice from us using the contact details set out
above. We may modify or update this privacy notice from time to time. You will be able to see
when we last updated the privacy notice because we will include a revision date. Changes and
additions to this privacy notice are effective from the date on which they are posted. Where
changes to this policy will have a fundamental impact on the nature of the processing or
otherwise have a substantial impact on you, we will give you sufficient advance notice so that
you have the opportunity to exercise your rights (for example, to object to the processing).
DATE:

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Asset Metadata

Creator Crawford, Laquisha Evette-Hamilton (author)

Core Title Europe, we have a problem: the experience of Black female leaders in Europe

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Degree Conferral Date 2023-05

Publication Date 05/12/2023

Defense Date 03/31/2023

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Black female,Black feminism,Black feminist thought theory,Black woman,concrete ceiling,concrete wall,diversity,equity,Europe,global demographics,inclusion,intersectionality,leadership,multinational companies,OAI-PMH Harvest,Race

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Hyde, Corinne (committee chair), Ferrario, Kim (committee member), Maddox, Anthony (committee member)

Creator Email laquishaecrawford@gmail.com,lecrawfo@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113121661

Unique identifier UC113121661

Identifier etd-CrawfordLa-11839.pdf (filename)

Legacy Identifier etd-CrawfordLa-11839

Document Type Dissertation

Format theses (aat)

Rights Crawford, Laquisha Evette-Hamilton

Internet Media Type application/pdf

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Source 20230512-usctheses-batch-1043 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

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