Leadership Ambition: The Gendered and Racialized Differences of Leadership Representation in Public Organizations

Abstract

This study investigates leadership ambition and focuses this with a simple, yet necessary perspective, the focus of race/ethnicity and gender. Many public organizations may not consider how gendered and racialized aspects of organizations can influence leadership ambition for diverse individuals. We ask: (a) How is gender and race/ethnicity related to leadership ambition? and (b) Are social networks related to leadership ambition based on gender and racial/ethnic differences? Using a 2011 national survey of STEM faculty in U.S. research-based universities, we find significant leadership ambition differences for people of color and that social networks are beneficial for women’s leadership ambition.