Date

5-20-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Jon Hart

Keywords

racial identity, leadership motivation, BIPOC professionals, systemic workplace barriers, career aspirations, organizational equity

Disciplines

Human Resources Management | Psychology

Abstract

This study explored whether and how racial identity influenced leadership motivation among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) professionals. Despite growing attention to workplace diversity, limited research had examined the internal motivational processes shaping leadership ambition for racially marginalized groups. Using a non-experimental design, this study examined whether perceived racial discrimination predicted leadership motivation and whether this relationship differed by gender. Survey data were collected from approximately 126 BIPOC professionals using validated measures of perceived racial discrimination and leadership motivation, the latter measured as a dimension of career aspirations. Results indicated that perceived racial discrimination, operationalized through workplace microaggressions and everyday discrimination, was not a statistically significant predictor of leadership motivation in this sample (R² = .01, p > .05). The relationship between perceived racial discrimination and leadership motivation also did not differ between men and women (ΔR² = .006, p > .05). These findings suggest that leadership motivation may persist even in the presence of perceived discrimination, highlighting the complexity of how systemic barriers intersect with internal motivation. The study provides implications for leadership development, organizational equity practices, and future research on race and leadership motivation.

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