This paper aims to focus on how gendered racial microaggressions (GRM) affect leadership withdrawal intentions (LWI) of racially minoritized women in leadership positions. It attempts to ascertain whether this relationship is mediated by inclusion frustration (IF) and moderated by patriarchal organizational culture (POC).
Using intersectionality theory and basic psychological needs theory as a foundation, a cross-sectional survey involving 984 women leaders from a variety of countries and fields was conducted. Regression-based path analysis, as well as moderated mediation and instrumental variable regression techniques, was used to evaluate the hypothesized mediation and moderation relationships, controlling for industry, country and organization.
GRM is positively correlated with LWI, and this relationship is partially mediated by IF, according to the results. Both direct and indirect impacts are considerably stronger in organizational settings with a patriarchal culture. The psychological harm of GRM exposure is more severe in settings that uphold the dominant leadership norms of whiteness and masculinity.
To the best of the author’s knowledge, the current research expands the scope of intersectional leadership by presenting the first comprehensive empirical model that demonstrates how systemic bias undercuts the sustainability of leadership for women of color. The research introduces the concept of IF as a phenomenon that should be considered and measured as part of leadership disengagement and emphasizes POC as a particularly aggravating contextual factor that exacerbates the harms of exclusion. These findings can be used to inform leadership development and design of inclusive organizations as well as antibias response implementations.
