Women hold the majority of positions in the retail industry; however, they hold proportionally fewer top leadership positions than men. Therefore, it is important to understand the opportunities in leadership development available to women in the retail industry so that appropriate professional development for future female leaders can be offered. The influences of first bosses of women in retail leadership positions and their roles as mentors in the women’s career paths were investigated. Understanding the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of leaders, particularly female leaders, can be valuable to positioning future leaders in career growth and professional development opportunities.
The purpose of this study was to explore the overarching research question: What is the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of female leaders in the retail industry? More specifically, exploratory interviews among a small convenience sample of women who have achieved successful mid-level leadership positions in the retail industry were conducted. The four emergent themes generated from the study were: (a) generally first bosses are seen as mentors, though the role of mentor is not fully defined and not necessarily associated with transactional or transformational leadership, (b) the first boss, regardless of the leadership trait style, was considered to be an important influence, (c) transformational first bosses, but not transactional first bosses, were emulated, and (d) with respect to emulating first bosses, women most often noted task-oriented qualities.
Additionally, support for the understanding of transactional and transformational leadership styles was evidenced in the interviews; women reported more relationship- oriented influences when describing transformational bosses, and more task-oriented items when describing transactional bosses. No evident differences emerged with respect to execution of the big five personality traits, commonly referred to as OCEAN (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), for transformational first bosses as compared to transactional first bosses.
Future areas of research, suggested as a result of these interviews are: (a) further investigation of first boss relationships with new employees based on first boss characteristics, (b) mentor influences throughout career paths, (c) success of mentor programs in the retail industry, and (d) gender and mentoring.
","abstract_html":"<p>Women hold the majority of positions in the retail industry; however, they hold proportionally fewer top leadership positions than men. Therefore, it is important to understand the opportunities in leadership development available to women in the retail industry so that appropriate professional development for future female leaders can be offered. The influences of first bosses of women in retail leadership positions and their roles as mentors in the women’s career paths were investigated. Understanding the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of leaders, particularly female leaders, can be valuable to positioning future leaders in career growth and professional development opportunities.</p><p>The purpose of this study was to explore the overarching research question: What is the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of female leaders in the retail industry? More specifically, exploratory interviews among a small convenience sample of women who have achieved successful mid-level leadership positions in the retail industry were conducted. The four emergent themes generated from the study were: (a) generally first bosses are seen as mentors, though the role of mentor is not fully defined and not necessarily associated with transactional or transformational leadership, (b) the first boss, regardless of the leadership trait style, was considered to be an important influence, (c) transformational first bosses, but not transactional first bosses, were emulated, and (d) with respect to emulating first bosses, women most often noted task-oriented qualities.</p><p>Additionally, support for the understanding of transactional and transformational leadership styles was evidenced in the interviews; women reported more relationship- oriented influences when describing transformational bosses, and more task-oriented items when describing transactional bosses. No evident differences emerged with respect to execution of the big five personality traits, commonly referred to as OCEAN (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), for transformational first bosses as compared to transactional first bosses.</p><p>Future areas of research, suggested as a result of these interviews are: (a) further investigation of first boss relationships with new employees based on first boss characteristics, (b) mentor influences throughout career paths, (c) success of mentor programs in the retail industry, and (d) gender and mentoring.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Thornburgh, Allison L."],"institution":"Ohio University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising (Education)","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Paulins, Ann"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012","date_published":"2012","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:52Z","subjects":["Management","Personal Relationships","Leadership","Mentor","First Boss","Retail Industry","Early Career","Formal Mentor","Informal Mentor"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1345688828","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Paulins, Ann"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Thornburgh, Allison L."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2012"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Ohio University / OhioLINK"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising (Education)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Ohio University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Management","Personal Relationships","Leadership","Mentor","First Boss","Retail Industry","Early Career","Formal Mentor","Informal Mentor"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1345688828"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Women hold the majority of positions in the retail industry; however, they hold proportionally fewer top leadership positions than men. Therefore, it is important to understand the opportunities in leadership development available to women in the retail industry so that appropriate professional development for future female leaders can be offered. The influences of first bosses of women in retail leadership positions and their roles as mentors in the women’s career paths were investigated. Understanding the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of leaders, particularly female leaders, can be valuable to positioning future leaders in career growth and professional development opportunities.
The purpose of this study was to explore the overarching research question: What is the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of female leaders in the retail industry? More specifically, exploratory interviews among a small convenience sample of women who have achieved successful mid-level leadership positions in the retail industry were conducted. The four emergent themes generated from the study were: (a) generally first bosses are seen as mentors, though the role of mentor is not fully defined and not necessarily associated with transactional or transformational leadership, (b) the first boss, regardless of the leadership trait style, was considered to be an important influence, (c) transformational first bosses, but not transactional first bosses, were emulated, and (d) with respect to emulating first bosses, women most often noted task-oriented qualities.
Additionally, support for the understanding of transactional and transformational leadership styles was evidenced in the interviews; women reported more relationship- oriented influences when describing transformational bosses, and more task-oriented items when describing transactional bosses. No evident differences emerged with respect to execution of the big five personality traits, commonly referred to as OCEAN (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), for transformational first bosses as compared to transactional first bosses.
Future areas of research, suggested as a result of these interviews are: (a) further investigation of first boss relationships with new employees based on first boss characteristics, (b) mentor influences throughout career paths, (c) success of mentor programs in the retail industry, and (d) gender and mentoring.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf","p.67","1.26 MB"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["First Bosses' Primary Early Career Mentor Influence on Women Leaders in the Retail Industry"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Paulins, Ann"],"dc:creator":["Thornburgh, Allison L."],"dc:date":["2012"],"dc:description":["Women hold the majority of positions in the retail industry; however, they hold proportionally fewer top leadership positions than men. Therefore, it is important to understand the opportunities in leadership development available to women in the retail industry so that appropriate professional development for future female leaders can be offered. The influences of first bosses of women in retail leadership positions and their roles as mentors in the women’s career paths were investigated. Understanding the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of leaders, particularly female leaders, can be valuable to positioning future leaders in career growth and professional development opportunities.
The purpose of this study was to explore the overarching research question: What is the role that primary early career mentors play in the development of female leaders in the retail industry? More specifically, exploratory interviews among a small convenience sample of women who have achieved successful mid-level leadership positions in the retail industry were conducted. The four emergent themes generated from the study were: (a) generally first bosses are seen as mentors, though the role of mentor is not fully defined and not necessarily associated with transactional or transformational leadership, (b) the first boss, regardless of the leadership trait style, was considered to be an important influence, (c) transformational first bosses, but not transactional first bosses, were emulated, and (d) with respect to emulating first bosses, women most often noted task-oriented qualities.
Additionally, support for the understanding of transactional and transformational leadership styles was evidenced in the interviews; women reported more relationship- oriented influences when describing transformational bosses, and more task-oriented items when describing transactional bosses. No evident differences emerged with respect to execution of the big five personality traits, commonly referred to as OCEAN (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), for transformational first bosses as compared to transactional first bosses.
Future areas of research, suggested as a result of these interviews are: (a) further investigation of first boss relationships with new employees based on first boss characteristics, (b) mentor influences throughout career paths, (c) success of mentor programs in the retail industry, and (d) gender and mentoring.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf","p.67","1.26 MB"],"dc:identifier":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1345688828"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["Ohio University / OhioLINK"],"dc:rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"dc:subject":["Management","Personal Relationships","Leadership","Mentor","First Boss","Retail Industry","Early Career","Formal Mentor","Informal Mentor"],"dc:title":["First Bosses' Primary Early Career Mentor Influence on Women Leaders in the Retail Industry"],"dc:type":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising (Education)"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Ohio University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:52Z"}