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Abstract
The American Council on Education’s (2017) most recent American College President Study found that only 30% of colleges and universities in the United States are led by female presidents. While some previous scholarship has addressed female college and university leaders in various ways, this study focused on communication factors that were at play throughout both the ascent and tenure of 10 female presidents in the United States. Informed by role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders, this study explored what was communicated to present-day female college and university presidents throughout their journeys to becoming president and how that affects their leadership and communication styles while serving in their presidential roles. Using a qualitative research approach involving in-depth interviews with 10 current female presidents, it was found that although these female leaders sometimes had to deal with stereotypical prejudices about women leading up to and while serving in the president’s role, they had learned to navigate this. They had also often been encouraged by others, both males and females, including role models and mentors, during ascension to the president’s role and while serving in it. While role congruity theory suggests that prejudice toward women in leadership may arise based on stereotypes of males and females, the findings in this study challenge this theoretical assumption. The female presidents in this study tended to use a combination of male and female leadership and communication styles as they concentrated on communicating in an audience-oriented way to each of their many constituencies and while recognizing the great weight of their words in the college or university president’s role.
