Community Health Centers and male vs. female patterns of mentorship and succession planning: The meaning of the differences

Currently, despite health administrative career advances, a significantly smaller proportion of women than men currently serve as upper-level health administrators. It has been suggested that one major reason for this disparity is the relative lack of mentors and succession planning for female administrative candidates. However, in contrast to many other health administration fields, females in Community Health Centers (CHCs) have rapidly moved into senior leadership positions. This study investigates the extent to which the success of women in attaining CHC leadership is related to a greater presence of mentorship and succession programs in those organizations. A validated e-mail survey was adapted and administered to a nationwide sample of CHC Executive Directors, with 85 responses analyzed using a variety of non-parametric statistical measures. In addition, four male and four female Directors were interviewed in depth via telephone interviews. Male/female differences concerning mentorship and succession planning availability were statistically modest, but it was found that women in CHCs are in fact more likely to receive formal and informal mentorship than men CHC executives. The biggest obstacle to female advancement in CHCs may instead be the problems faced in attaining and maintaining a work/life balance. The data show that men and women in CHCs respond similarly with respect to questions about gender equity and bias. The research results provide a nuanced picture of the varying ways in which women discover and use a range of strategies, including mentorship and succession plans, to eradicate organizational barriers to advancement.