Abstract
The problem identified was the great underrepresentation of women as superintendents in
Oklahoma. This qualitative dissertation in practice sought to understand the
empowerment process experienced by women who became superintendents in Oklahoma.
The constructivist grounded theory research design aligns to the social constructivist
worldview of the researcher. The following research question framed critical inquiry
interviews: what explains the process of empowerment of women who became
superintendents in Oklahoma? Theoretical sampling and constant comparative analysis
led to data saturation and the development of a tentative theoretical framework. The
tentative theoretical framework, the empowerment process model, is a visual
representation of the findings that comprised the following process: 1) contexts: working
in education and grit; 2) concepts: building self-efficacy and balancing work and family
roles; 3) the causal condition: an encouraging mentor; 4) the central phenomenon: feeling
empowered; and 5) the consequences: risk-taking and becoming superintendents. The
tentative theoretical framework informed the proposed solution, to recommend a
secondary leader internship in a large, public, Oklahoma school district. The proposed
solution intends to strategically enhance the empowerment process of women teachers
and counselors. The implementation plan of the proposed solution embeds strengths
based, transformational leadership skills potentially improving practices of educational
leaders. The conclusion includes implications for practical, future social research, and
leadership theory.
Keywords: underrepresentation, women, gender, self-efficacy, mentor, grit, leadership,
superintendent, education policy, empowerment