African American Female Chief Diversity Officers' Perspective on Political Skill and Faculty Relationships

• In Event: 34.074 - Faculty Development: Well-Being, Workplace Bullying, and Faculty Networks

Abstract

Political skill and networking between chief administrators and faculty is key to organizational success. Such collaboration between executive administration and faculty advance the higher education mission. This study uses the example of the African American female Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) within a senior cabinet. Her success requires mastery of political influence, inclusive of mastering interaction with faculty, mastery of high-leveled execution, and mastery in producing relevant executive “work” (Stone, 2018). These precursors occur within a complex academic community reliant on essential faculty relationships that underpin the environment’s organizational politics.
The theoretical approach applied in this study characterizes an individual’s willingness, motivation, and capacity to effectively engage in political behavior thereby minimizing emotional labor (Mulholland, 2002; Schaubroeck & Jones, 2000). The concept of “Emotional labor” is based on the “feeling rules” (Hochschild, 1983, p. 62) or managing the emotional self while politicking. In short, when a Chief Diversity Officer must bridge the gap between faculty interests and administrative interests, the stress or emotional labor involved may be suppressed. Hence, this emotional labor is part of the political skill needed to succeed (Ferris, et al, 2002; see Figure 1). Further, people with high political skill choose the appropriate emotional expressions across situations so they appear favorable amongst a variety of social networks (Burt, 2005; see Figure 2).
The ability to be politically savvy despite the emotional labor needed favorably affects social networks through stronger political understanding. These connections build faculty and administration alliances, increasing social capital, leveraging opportunities, and providing access. This process can increase one's hierarchy within an organization. The passage of social capital occurs through relationships with administrators and faculty who serve as guides or mentors, regardless of race or gender. These administrator/ faculty relationships contribute to the social system increasing administrators’ formal and informal latitude across the university.
Five African American women CDOs, with at least 5 years’ experience in the president’s cabinet comprised the sample for this study. The researcher used a snowball recruiting method and utilized a phenomenological approach to collect data through interviews, and immersed herself in the transcripts to code and develop three resulting themes (see Table 1). Theme one: When CDOS were valued by significant others and faculty, CDO success was reinforced. Theme two: CDOs who embraced collaboration with significant others and faculty early and throughout their training and careers had sustained success in the CDO role. Theme three: consistent presentation of their “best work” tempered the limiting effects of race and gender, reinforced their faculty relationships with faculty, and increased leadership capacity.
Overall, African American women CDOs were successful because of their excellent work, and political networking. At times, such networking requires emotional labor to engage faculty networks and deflect discriminatory animus present in many work environments (Doe, Ndinguri, & Phipps, 2015; Hutchinson, & Hurley, 2013). Each leader must determine which work environments create spaces such that they can exist, learn, and eventually thrive as they navigate interactions with faculty and significant others (Champion, et al, 2016).

Author

• Phyllis Stone, LIU College of Pharmacy