The role of social capital in the success of women who have ascended to leadership positions in higher education

Women still have some distance to go to reach gender parity in leadership roles in higher education. Although women are filling senior administrative roles in higher education in increasing numbers, the path to senior leadership positions continues to be a slow, and often difficult, ascension for women. The majority of women remain at mid-level managerial roles rather than ascending to senior-level positions. There is a great deal of academic research literature focusing on personal or professional explanations of why women continue to fall short of advancing to senior leadership positions such as president or chief academic officer, but few studies explore the social capital of women who have attained senior leadership positions in higher education. Social capital is developed and built through relationships and networks and affects career mobility through greater access to information, resources, and sponsorship. In an effort to understand the role of social capital and its effects on the careers of women leaders in higher education, this study was conducted through the lens of the social constructivist paradigm as well as a collective case study research approach to explore the perceived relationships and network connections that women in higher education leadership make and maintain during career ascent and in their current senior level positions. The settings for this research study were five public four-year universities located in the Southwestern region of the U.S. The study participants included 10 senior level administrators from the five universities. Data for this study was collected through the lens of the researcher, semi-structured interviews, field notes, and reflexive journaling. The data was analyzed through the constant comparative method of analysis. Trustworthiness of the study was ensured through appropriate qualitative strategies. The findings of this study indicate that social capital does have a role in the ascension of women leaders in higher education. Additionally, the findings show that women may not utilize social capital and that may increase the challenges of their career ascent. Women build social capital, but often do a poor job cultivating and utilizing network connections for career benefits. Current women leaders can increase their own social capital as well as that of other women through being a role model and mentoring other women. This leading through example may help alleviate an aversion that many women hold when it comes to utilizing social capital.