The Champion Behind the Gas Station Counter: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Women’s Power Outside the Corner Office

Abstract

Women’s power, in and out of the workplace, has historically been described within the gender binary of male/female power styles and social roles or as a contrast to masculine power, with the stereotype that women’s power is communal and collaborative. Studies of workplace power that don’t involve gender typically exclude the particular experiences that women have, and the underlying power structures that women are subject to. Women’s power at work has also been less studied outside leadership roles. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study describes a rich and deep picture of women’s experiences of feeling powerful and making an impact at work, specifically for women who have a maximum of a high school diploma/GED in educational attainment and are hourly workers. In this interpretative phenomenological analysis, three primary threads shine through: acquiring and sharing knowledge is power, control of the experience and the expression of emotions and cognition is intimately part of the experience of power, and victory over adversity or advocating for others place the woman in the role of joyful champion. This research provides a new look at what women’s power looks like at work outside of hierarchically powerful roles, and shows that even in roles without formal power, women are finding ways to use their power to make an impact.