Exploring the Noteworthy Experiences of African American Female Mid-Level Leaders in the United States

Abstract

African American female leaders in organizations face several issues due to the intersection of their race and gender, including psychological distress, intersectional invisibility, and discrimination in their role as leaders. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological research study was to explore the psychological distress experiences of African American female leaders who encountered intersectional invisibility at the middle management leadership level in large U.S. organizations. This study revealed several psychological distress experiences and revealed the impact their psychological distress experiences had on their health and career decisions. Three theoretical constructs, social stress theory, the model of intersectional invisibility, and role congruity theory, framed and supported this study. One central research question and three sub-questions informed the study design. Semi structured interviews with 10 African American female middle-level leaders revealed six themes.