Date of Paper/Work

11-2020

Type of Paper/Work

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Rebecca Hawthorne

Department/School

Organizational Leadership, Strategic Management

Abstract

Women are underrepresented in corporate leadership, and many sources recommend sponsorship as an effective strategy to increase the percentage of women in leadership. A sponsor uses his or her influence and advocates on behalf of an individual protégé’s career advancement. This thesis examines sponsorship through the lens of social capital theory and identifies best practices for women seeking sponsorship for career advancement in corporate leadership. Through interviews with eight women corporate leaders and a review of the published literature, I identified best practices for women in corporations to source, select, and secure effective sponsor(s) to advance in leadership roles.

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