PhD Oral Exam - Sarah Rahimi, Business Administration

When studying for a doctoral degree (PhD), candidates submit a thesis that provides a critical review of the current state of knowledge of the thesis subject as well as the student’s own contributions to the subject. The distinguishing criterion of doctoral graduate research is a significant and original contribution to knowledge.

Once accepted, the candidate presents the thesis orally. This oral exam is open to the public.

Abstract

This research examined how dyslexia and gender influence the perceptions and experiences of Canadian adults with dyslexia as well as the Canadian general public’s perceptions of their leadership potential. Drawing on the leadership categorization theory and the intersectionality framework, this research investigated whether dyslexia and gender shape leadership potential and whether individuals with dyslexia, particularly women, experience, or are perceived as having, reduced leadership potential. Two complementary studies were conducted. Study 1 was qualitative and used reflexive thematic analysis to explore the workplace experiences of 18 (9 men, 9 women) Canadian adults with dyslexia. Participants described challenges associated with dyslexia including additional cognitive effort and time, difficulties reading and writing, concerns about accuracy and mistakes, and concerns about credibility and self-doubt. Participants simultaneously described adaptive strategies and strengths that they associated with their dyslexia such as resilience, creativity, problem-solving, delegating, and alternative ways of thinking. Although gender shaped some experiences of dyslexia (particularly concerns about making mistakes, credibility, and self-doubt), women did not describe themselves as having lower leadership potential than men. Study 2 was a quantitative experimental design where 272 Canadian participants evaluated the leadership potential of job candidates by looking at a fictional resume. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions (applicant gender: man vs. woman; dyslexia disclosure: present vs. absent; and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) statement: present vs. absent). Contrary to what was hypothesized, there was no main effect of dyslexia disclosure or gender on leadership potential, and the interaction effects were also not significant. However, unexpectedly, the presence of an EDI statement was associated with higher perceived leadership potential ratings across conditions. Altogether, the findings suggest that, within the contexts examined, dyslexia does not reduce perceptions of leadership potential. Instead, the influence of dyslexia on leadership potential appears to depend on the individual’s adaptations to dyslexia and their workplace conditions such as flexibility, support, accommodations, and opportunities for them to demonstrate their capabilities. These findings challenge a deficit-based understanding of dyslexia and suggest that leadership potential is better understood as a contextual construct that is shaped by abilities, adaptations, experiences, and evaluator expectations.