The Factors That Influence and Nurture Women Law Enforcement Officers to Promote Into Leadership Roles Within Law Enforcement

Abstract

In the United States, women in law enforcement hold less than 13% of sworn officer positions and are not proportionally represented in leadership roles within the 18,000 law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement leadership positions are held mainly by White males whereas women make up only 10% of first-line supervisors and less than 3% of executive and chief positions. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the first 5 years of women law enforcement officers’ careers in the United States and the factors that influence and nurture them to promote into leadership roles within law enforcement. Specifically, the study investigated individual and organizational factors that influenced women law enforcement officers’ professional decisions and experiences. The study used two theoretical frameworks: Bolman and Deal’s (1991, 2017) four-frame model and Kouzes and Posner’s (2007) transformational leadership model. Purposeful sampling and a semistructured interview protocol were used for data collection. Thematic analysis was performed to explore interview transcripts for codes and collective themes. This study could advance positive social change within law enforcement organizations by informing initiatives and increasing the number of women promoting into leadership roles.