2. FEMALE EXECUTIVES: CAUSES OF DEPRESSION
AND POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON THEIR
LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE
by
TRANG V. NGUYEN
Presented to the Faculty of the Honors College of
The University of Texas at Arlington in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements
for the Degree of
HONORS BACHELOR OF BUSINESS IN MANAGEMENT
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON
May 2015
3. iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to God for the opportunity to learn and conduct this research at the
University of Texas at Arlington.
This paper would not have been possible without the unfailing support and
guidance of my mentor, Ms. Becky Neilson. Her honest feedback and willingness to help
are what I greatly appreciate.
I also thank Ms. Bobbie Brown, Dr. Jim Quick, Ryan Boutwell and my family for
their continuing encouragement from the start to the finish line of this project, as well as
Joanna Sanchez for taking time to proofread my work and Lisa Huang for supporting me
to the best of her abilities.
My life in the United States has been enriched with the presence of my informal
and formal mentors, including Jack Bick, Eddie Stinson, Colleen Smith, Hugh Faison, Cary
Israel, Charmione Marcell, Terry Hockenbrough, Warner Richeson and many others, who
have made a lasting impact on my development. While conducting this research, I could
not stop thinking about Paula Sullivan, who is a successful female executive, respected
employer, wonderful mentor, and a dear friend to me.
Last but not least, I give thanks to all women leaders who are making a positive
impact at their workplace, in their home, or wherever they may be.
May 15, 2015
4. iv
ABSTRACT
FEMALE EXECUTIVES: CAUSES OF DEPRESSION
AND POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON THEIR
LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE
Trang V. Nguyen, MANA
The University of Texas at Arlington, 2015
Faculty Mentor: Ms. Becky Neilson
For decades, women professionals have faced challenges to advance in their
organizations. In spite of a gradual increase in the number of female professionals who
have made it to the top positions of their careers (such as CEOs, President, Vice President,
etc.), female executives still face challenges in the workplace. There have been studies
about these executives experiencing a higher rate of depression than men in similar
positions. This paper explores the unique needs and challenges women executives face at
work, potential sources causing depression among them as well as possible effects of
depression on their leadership performance. Since these female executives’ needs and
struggles are different from those of male executives, the support from organizations needs
to be different to maintain the leaders’ well-being and the overall performance of their
companies.
5. v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT............................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND
1.1 General Characteristics of the Executive Role ........................................ 1
1.2 Disadvantages for Female Leaders.......................................................... 2
CHAPTER TWO: STATISTICS
2.1 Depression and Work Stress.................................................................... 4
CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW
3.1 Sources of Female Executives’ Depression............................................. 6
3.1.1 Pressures to Overwork and Prove Themselves......................... 6
3.1.2 Feelings of Isolation and Loneliness at the Top ....................... 7
3.1.3 Sexual Harassment.................................................................... 8
3.1.4 Work-life Conflicts................................................................... 9
3.2 Effects of Depression on Job Performance.............................................. 9
CHAPTER FOUR: DISCUSSION
4.1 Supportive vs. Unsupportive Work Environment.................................... 11
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION............................................................................ 13
Appendix
A. FEMALE CEOs IN S&P 500 COMPANIES (2014) .................................... 15
7. 1
CHAPTER 1
BACKGROUND
1.1 General Characteristics of the Executive Role
Executive positions include those at the upper levels of an organization that
emphasize leadership, decision making, and planning functions for the subordinates and
the organization. They comprise senior executive positions such as chief executive officer,
chief financial officer, chief operating officer, president, vice-presidents, etc. that make
strategic decisions for an organization. According to Sperry, these executives fulfill three
critical roles: interpersonal, decisional, and informational. Most of them need to be
competent in their interpersonal skills to communicate and resolve conflicts with others;
conceptual skills to think and develop organizational strategies; and diagnostic skills to
define problems and find solutions (Sperry, 1996).
Executive level jobs are complex, demanding, and involve sacrifices. According to
Cooper & Quick, male and female aspiring leaders are usually willing to make sacrifices
to seek advancement opportunities in their organizations. Establishing relationships with
the right people, achieving support from supervisors and peers, gaining valuable insights
about the company, and delivering top performance are a few strategic initiatives and
actions of aspiring leaders in their quest for influence and power (2003).
Male and female leaders tend to ascend to the top executive positions and gain
power because of their strong desire to control their destiny, to lead with impact, to make
