Diversity management strategies for the retention of minority women in school administration: A post-intentional phenomenology framework for human resource management

Abstract

Despite the importance of employing and retaining minority female administrators to serve pluralistic communities, school districts in Washington (WA) state apply limited Human Resources Diversity Management (DM) practices to sustain their hiring and retention. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand the lived experience descriptions of minority female leaders concerning the effectiveness of Human Resources management’s DM practices that school districts use to hire and retain minority female administrators. A qualitative research methodology and a phenomenology design were used for data collection and analysis. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed to collect data from a criterion sample of 14 public school tenured minority female administrators in WA state. The research findings showed that HR departments and leadership in school districts: (a) remain unaware of the leadership potential of minority female administrators; (b) fail to acknowledge minority female administrators’ cultural identity as a positive factor for organizational effectiveness; (c) operate at an EOE level; and (d) overlook the responsibility to promote equity, diversity and inclusion programs for minority employees. Re-engineering and equipping the educational setting with DM corporate strategies to improve retention, an initial assumption in this study, will address intersectionality as a vital aspect of reducing race inequity and oppression in the employment of minority female administrators, inform the leadership development of minority women and develop a strategic HRM platform that instills diversity and inclusion in public schools.