Diversity science in action: examining the effectiveness of a pilot leadership intervention for young women via the PETRAS program

Cifre, E, Machín-Rincón, L ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2952-3361, Segovia, M, Laguna, P and Gartzia, L, 2025. Diversity science in action: examining the effectiveness of a pilot leadership intervention for young women via the PETRAS program. Current Psychology. ISSN 1046-1310

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Abstract

Although gender is a critical factor in underrepresentation within various professional settings, it remains one of the least examined areas in diversity science. Today, many young women pursue higher education, with a substantial number studying fields directly related to business management. However, few attain leadership positions, facing both external and internal barriers that limit their advancement. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a leadership intervention exclusively for young women before they fully participate in the labor market. All the programme (classroom sessions, mentorship) was adapted considering each participant diversity (sociocultural background, age, studies). We conducted a mixed methods research (MMR) intervention design at a public Spanish university, combining a quantitative evaluation design (quasi experimental design) with qualitative research, with both pre- and postintervention questionnaires and interviews and intervention (N = 18) and control (N = 20) groups. The results indicate a significant increase in the outcome variables (leader identity, self-efficacy, and self-perceived leadership skills) in the intervention group, with a group × time interaction for both leader identity and self-efficacy. Additionally, qualitative analyses of personal interviews reveal key factors that support these changes, such as a shift in participants’ understanding of expected leadership behaviours and styles, growing comfort with transformational leadership aligned with communal behaviours, increased awareness of personal strengths and values aiding in the design of their personal development projects, and the realisation that leadership skills can be learned. Moreover, the presence of social support from peers, teachers, and mentors provided a reflective and supportive environment for their growth. Finally, we discuss the practical implications of these results for future programs and society.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Current Psychology
Creators:	Cifre, E., Machín-Rincón, L., Segovia, M., Laguna, P. and Gartzia, L.
Publisher:	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date:	23 June 2025
ISSN:	1046-1310
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1007/s12144-025-08034-0 DOI 2515952 Other
Rights:	© The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Laura Borcherds
Date Added:	17 Oct 2025 10:34
Last Modified:	17 Oct 2025 10:34
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54593

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