Abstract

The quest to develop talent across all workforce segments coupled with the
persistent underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in organizations
across the globe has led to increasing demand for women’s leadership
development programs (WLDPs) over recent years. This special
issue, titled Women’s Leadership Development Programs: Lessons Learned
and New Frontiers, considers the use of these programs to foster transformational
change (Anderson, Vinnicombe, & Singh, 2008; Debebe, 2011;
Vinnicombe & Singh, 2002, 2003; Bilimoria, Joy, & Liang, 2008; Bilimoria
& Liang, 2012; Ely & Meyerson, 2000; Fletcher, 2004). In this introduction,
we begin with a discussion of transformational learning and change
at the individual and organizational levels and go on to highlight five key
themes in the literature on women’s leadership programs, identifying some
of the questions and issues that motivated this special issue. We then provide
a description of each article included in the special issue before concluding
with some thoughts on fruitful directions for future research on
women’s leadership programs.