JTWSE—Volume 1

Journal of Texas School Women Executives, Volume I, Issue 1 2012 Findings Through constant comparative analysis (Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2007), major themes were derived within the context of each research question. The major themes that emerged included (a) race as a non-issue for performance, (b) no excuses attitude, (c) collaborative leadership, (d) balance between work and family, (e) importance of spirituality, and (f) positive relationships with other superintendents.

Race as a non-issue for performance appeared as one of the major themes in these studies. This theme confirmed Brunner’s (1998) finding that effective female superintendents need to ―remove or let go of anything that blocks their success‖ (p. 31). All three of the participants were proactive in promoting their own advancement and finding methods to access the school superintendent position. However, the African American and Hispanic superintendents shared experiences of what could be considered racism. Of all the topics discussed, the issue of race was probably the most difficult. All three participants appeared more uneasy when discussing race specifically. As the interviewers, we also felt more tense during this part of the questioning, and each participant appeared visibly relieved when the conversation shifted.

All three female superintendents, including the minorities, indicated that gender had impeded their success more than race, which was similar to Jackson’s (1999) finding that African American female superintendents viewed gender as more of a negative factor than race.

However, when specifically discussing the female superintendents’ perceptions of the impact of gender on their professional careers, a no excuses attitude appeared as a major theme in these findings. This finding is congruent to the research conducted by Hoff and Mitchell (2008), as the women in their study believed that gender was not an issue and that their success was based on hard work.

Collaborative leadership appeared as a theme in the findings. This finding confirmed previous research on novice superintendents and female superintendents. In a study of first-time superintendents in the Commonwealth of Virginia, novice superintendents cited the importance of collaboration (Culotta, 2008). Researchers have found that women who attained positions as superintendents were more successful when they exhibited a collaborative leadership style (Brunner, 2000; Brunner & Grogan, 2007; Miller, Washington, & Fiene, 2006; Sanchez & Thornton, 2010). Other researchers have identified team building, delegating, and working effectively with people as leadership characteristics of outstanding female superintendents (Funk, Pankake, & Schroth, 2002). According to Miller, Washington, and Fiene (2006), the ability to bring people together to impact change is a hallmark trait of the feminine style of leadership. Furthermore, Brown and Irby (2003) noted, ―Feminist organizations are characterized by practices such as participative decision making, systems of rotating leadership, promotion of community and cooperation, and power sharing‖ (p. 105). As noted above, a number of research studies support this study’s finding that female superintendents tend to embrace collaborative leadership.

A balance between work and family was an additional theme that evolved in our findings. All participants emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between work and family but also indicated an ongoing struggle with this expectation. This finding is a common theme saturated in previous research on female administrators. In a qualitative study conducted on female secondary principals, the researchers found that ―when speaking with all the women -8-