Mentoring Black Males: Discovering Leadership Strategies That Improve Their Future

Mentoring Black Males: Discovering Leadership Strategies That Improve Their Future by Jessie L. Small MA, Everest University, 2012 BS, Everest University, 2010 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University August 2017 Abstract Within the last 25 years, Black males have experienced systematically devastating results in social, educational, and economic outcomes at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group; devastation that has led to Black males experiencing failure on educational, economic, and freedom levels. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the leadership strategies used in a selected mentoring program in the southeastern United States to determine why these strategies have been effective in improving Black males’ ability to navigate life's challenges. The conceptual framework for the study was House’s path-goal theory of leadership. The research questions focused on the identification and characterization of successful leadership strategies in mentoring, the essential characteristics of successful mentor/mentee relationships, and the exploration of the factors critical for the implementation of successful leadership strategies for mentoring Black males. Interviews of purposeful samples of 12 mentors and 10 mentees provided the research data. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative method. In this qualitative case study, understanding the mentee population, honesty, and developing trust were strategies that participating mentors believed to be important to helping Black males navigate life’s challenges. These strategies enlightened program participants to their possibility of success; an enlightenment that created an unyielding desire to improve themselves and their communities. The results of this study may contribute to social change by motivating society and scholars alike to move beyond simply identifying the existence and persistence of the problem to implementing strategies based on the study findings to correct the historical inequality Black males face in higher education,Within the last 25 years, Black males have experienced systematically devastating results in social, educational, and economic outcomes at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group; devastation that has led to Black males experiencing failure on educational, economic, and freedom levels. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the leadership strategies used in a selected mentoring program in the southeastern United States to determine why these strategies have been effective in improving Black males’ ability to navigate life's challenges. The conceptual framework for the study was House’s path-goal theory of leadership. The research questions focused on the identification and characterization of successful leadership strategies in mentoring, the essential characteristics of successful mentor/mentee relationships, and the exploration of the factors critical for the implementation of successful leadership strategies for mentoring Black males. Interviews of purposeful samples of 12 mentors and 10 mentees provided the research data. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative method. In this qualitative case study, understanding the mentee population, honesty, and developing trust were strategies that participating mentors believed to be important to helping Black males navigate life’s challenges. These strategies enlightened program participants to their possibility of success; an enlightenment that created an unyielding desire to improve themselves and their communities. The results of this study may contribute to social change by motivating society and scholars alike to move beyond simply identifying the existence and persistence of the problem to implementing strategies based on the study findings to correct the historical inequality Black males face in higher education, economic gains, and freedom retention in America. Mentoring Black Males: Discovering Leadership Strategies That Improve Their Future by Jessie L. Small MA, Everest University, 2012 BS, Everest University, 2010 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University August 2017 Dedication First, I must thank God, my Lord and Savior. For the many times in my life that I have fallen, He has picked me up. For the many times in my life that I was lost, God helped me find my way. Without Him, my accomplishments and my existence would not have been possible. Secondly, I must thank my family, starting with Renassa Small, my beautiful wife of years, who has been and continues to be my biggest fan. She has supported me throughout this journey with understanding and unconditional love. I also thank my daughter, Sydney Small, who tested every nerve I had once she became a teenager, and my 3-year-old son, Jessie Small II, who always became extra energized and in need of extra attention whenever I attempted to write or study. It is for all of you that I strive to be the best that I can. It is God's grace combined with your love and support that has given me the will to fight hard and succeed. Thirdly, I would like to thank my mother, Nita Lovett, for being an excellent example of working hard and never giving up. Although the actions of my deadbeat dad forced her into single mother-hood she never gave up. With a sixth-grade education, she successfully raised five children, four boys and one girl, on her own without government assistance. Although we hardly had what we wanted, we always had what we needed. Lastly, I would like to say to the individuals who stated athletics would be my only avenue to success and my making it to the National Football League (NFL) would be the greatest accomplishment of my life. You were wrong; my beautiful family and my Ph.D. journey outweigh in importance the accomplishments of all the years I played in the NFL. Acknowledgments I would like to thank Walden University as a whole for allowing and directing me through this journey. I have met and received great insight from professors and classmates. I mentioned in my dedication that God helped me find my way when lost. When I was lost during this journey, God allowed my path to cross with that of Dr. Robert Levasseur. Dr. Levasseur has helped guide me through this journey by helping me find solid ground on which to begin my Ph.D. journey. The advice received from Dr. Levasseur has been a trail of bread crumbs, which helped me navigate through a journey in which a person can easily find him or herself lost. In addition, I would like to acknowledge Dr. David Banner, the content expert of my dissertation committee, and Ms. Libby Munson, the committee’s URR expert. Many suggest that we as future scholars would one day stand on the shoulders of giants. Dr. Levasseur and Dr. Banner are two of those giants, and I have proudly stood on their shoulders.