CCaalliiffoorrnniiaa SSttaattee UUnniivveerrssiittyy,, SSaann BBeerrnnaarrddiinnoo CCSSUUSSBB SScchhoollaarrWWoorrkkss Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations Office of Graduate Studies 6-2015 EENNHHAANNCCIINNGG LLEEAADDEERRSSHHIIPP AABBIILLIITTYY IINN FFIIRRSSTT--TTIIMMEE FFRREESSHHMMEENN TTHHRROOUUGGHH MMEENNTTOORRSSHHIIPP:: AA GGRROOUUNNDDEEDD TTHHEEOORRYY AAPPPPRROOAACCHH Christine Bender California State University - San Bernardino Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd Part of the Higher Education Commons RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn Bender, Christine, "ENHANCING LEADERSHIP ABILITY IN FIRST-TIME FRESHMEN THROUGH MENTORSHIP: A GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH" (2015). Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations. 163. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/163 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Office of Graduate Studies at CSUSB ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CSUSB ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ENHANCING LEADERSHIP ABILITY IN FIRST-TIME FRESHMEN THROUGH MENTORSHIP: A GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of California State University, San Bernardino In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership by Christine Marie Bender June 2015 ENHANCING LEADERSHIP ABILITY IN FIRST-TIME FRESHMEN THROUGH MENTORSHIP: A GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of California State University, San Bernardino by Christine Marie Bender June 2015 Approved by: Dr. Patricia Arlin, Committee Chair, Educational Leadership & Technology Dr. Carolyn Eggleston, Committee Member Dr. Donna Schnorr, Committee Member © 2015 Christine Marie Bender ABSTRACT According to the Center for American Progress, women make up 52% of all professional-level jobs, however, they only make up 14.6% of executive officers, 8.1% of top salary earners, and only 4.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs. Considering this disparity in leadership, it brings to question if women are generally taking on leadership throughout their lives. The purpose of this study was to examine how mentorship affects first-time female freshmen’s willingness to take on leadership opportunities. Data were collected from three mentees and three mentors through an initial interest survey, semi-structured personal interviews, and the 3D Wisdom Scale Assessment. Data were analyzed using a ground theory approach which consisted of open, axial, and selective coding; leading to a discursive set of theoretical propositions. Interviews focused on the mentee’s experience through the mentorship program, and the mentor’s perspective of the mentorship program on their mentees. Additionally, the 3D Wisdom Scale developed was utilized to evaluate growth in wisdom dimensions which directly correlated to personal construct corollaries. The findings of the study included: 1) The mentees and mentors expressed growth in their self-esteem and self-confidence. This increase in self- awareness led to a willingness to take risk and face potential failure; 2) Leadership development took place on several levels; 3) The mentees had a realization of the impact of their gender; 4) Two-thirds of the mentees showed a iii substantial understanding and practice in all three of respective corollaries; and 5) The mentees and mentors displayed general development and growth. The substantive theory that emerged from this grounded theory study was: ‘Through proper mentorship, a first-time female freshman’s’ self-esteem and willingness to take on leadership opportunities will increase.’ Unlike the majority of upperclassmen who have had a mentor, all of the freshmen participating never had a mentor prior to their participation in the program. Mentors played a substantial role in the development of these freshmen and their willingness to take on leadership opportunities. Recommendations for further research include a longitudinal study examining if these freshmen continue to involve themselves in leadership opportunities throughout their college career. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I need to acknowledge my family. This has been one heck of a ride, and they have sat beside me through it all. My mother, Sandra Bender and my father, Andrew Bender, have always reassured me that they are there for me and proud of my accomplishments. This support continues to drive me to want to do my best and continue to make them proud. To my older sister and her husband, Jill and Manny De La Rosa. No matter what the circumstance, I always knew you were willing to drop anything to help me out. You both consistently reminded me of my strength and determination, when I felt I wanted to give up. To my younger sister and her husband, Deanna and Steven Pecoraro. Having you all so close gave me great stress relief when I just wanted to get away from everything. You provided an opportunity for me to just and just hang out and decompress. You listened to my concerns, and also reminded me of my strength. To my nieces and nephews, Riley, Hailey, Katelynn, Shane, Andrew and Carson. You have given me the determination to finish this journey strong so that I will hopefully provide an example for you in the future. And to my two four legged fur babies, Sam and Duke. These pups provided me with some great stress relief and unconditional love. Being able to come home every night and just see their happy little faces and wagging tails really takes away any negativity being experienced. v The next set of people helped me through this journey in different ways. Ms. Evelyn Knox, this woman has literally read every word of this dissertation and probably knows it as well as I do. I cannot express how much she has helped me on this journey and I will forever be indebted to her for what she has given to me. Dr. Mark Darby, my one and only cohort companion that kept me sane through this process. He pushed me to do better and I only hope I did the same for him. The last person I would like to recognize is Mrs. Lovellie Cimenski-Almogela. She probably does not understand the ultimate impact she has had on me not only as a professional but also as an individual. Without her mentorship, I am not sure I would have taken on this challenge to begin with. Thank you! Lastly, but definitely not least, I want to thank my committee. Dr. Patricia Arlin, Dr. Carolyn Eggleston, and Dr. Donna Schnorr, for all of their support and guidance throughout this process. These are three of the most intelligent women I have ever met. They have not only encouraged me to think on a larger scale, they have also motivated me to want to do more. It was a true pleasure to work with such amazing women that have helped me to become a better woman. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. x LIST OF FIGURES ...............................................................................................xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 Purpose ........................................................................................................... 2 Significance of Study ....................................................................................... 3 Research Questions ........................................................................................ 3 Definition of Terms .......................................................................................... 4 Assumptions .................................................................................................... 4 Specifics of Program ....................................................................................... 5 Design of the Study ......................................................................................... 7 Summary of Findings ...................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction ................................................................................................... 10 Social Norms and Stereotypes ...................................................................... 12 Feminism and Feminist Theory .................................................................... 21 Personal Construct Theory............................................................................ 30 Mentorship .................................................................................................... 41 Leadership .................................................................................................... 51 Summary ....................................................................................................... 60 vii CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY Introduction ................................................................................................... 62 Site ................................................................................................................ 63 Sample Selection and Access ....................................................................... 64 Survey and Assessment................................................................................ 65 Observations ................................................................................................. 69 Interviews ...................................................................................................... 70 Trustworthiness ............................................................................................. 71 Ethical Concerns ........................................................................................... 72 Limitations ..................................................................................................... 73 Data Analysis ................................................................................................ 73 Participant Charateristics and Traits ............................................................. 74 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 75 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS Introduction ................................................................................................... 76 Gender Realization ....................................................................................... 80 General Development ................................................................................... 82 Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence ................................................................. 86 Leadership .................................................................................................... 88 Reflective / Commonality............................................................................... 91 Cognitive / Sociality ....................................................................................... 93 Affective / Experience ................................................................................... 96 A Substantive Theory .................................................................................... 98 viii