ABSTRACT
The present study explores the impact of social, cultural, and organizational context on the career advancement of female leaders in nonprofit organizations. Through in-depth interviews of five female leaders in respectively, Chinese, South African, and American nonprofit organizations, the research helps answer the question of how nonprofit organizations address leadership opportunities for women. This study approaches the question from a broader perspective, not simply as a gender issue, and aims to analyze, understand, and improve the situation of female leadership. The research suggests that the appropriate institutional design within organizations will be helpful in reducing the negative stereotype of women’s lower organizational commitment. It will also be helpful for the career development of women in the nonprofit sector.
