Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Leadership and Human Resource Development

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand when and how Black women can achieve positive identity outcomes in the workplace when they experience stereotype activation. Despite Black women's increasing presence in the workforce, they continue to face unique challenges at the intersection of race and gender, including negative stereotypes that undermine their credibility and limit career advancement opportunities. This research explored how Black women's sense of belongingness to their minority group influences their use of identity mobilization tactics when stereotypes are activated, and how these factors collectively influence their career and leader identities.

Using a 2 × 2 between-groups experimental design, 262 Black women professionals were randomly assigned to conditions manipulating stereotype activation (high/low) and belongingness (high/low). While the experimental manipulations did not produce significant effects on the combined dependent variables, correlation analyses revealed significant positive relationships between identity mobilization and both leader identity (r = .262, p < .001) and career identity (r = .347, p < .001).

Exploratory analyses revealed a moderation effect of belongingness on the relationship between leader identity and identity mobilization, suggesting that Black women with lower levels of belongingness may rely more heavily on identity mobilization strategies as part of their leadership approach. Additionally, factorial ANOVAs on individual identity mobilization tactics suggested that bridging and challenging tactics may be more responsive to stereotype activation than other tactics.

These findings contribute to our understanding of how Black women navigate workplace dynamics through strategic identity management. They highlight the potential of identity mobilization as a resource for Black women to transform the challenges of their intersectional identities into professional advantages. This research offers insights for organizations seeking to create more inclusive environments and for Black women developing strategies to thrive professionally while maintaining authenticity.

Date

7-9-2025

Committee Chair

Mitchell, Tyree

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.6847

Download

Share

COinS