Exploring Leadership Self-Efficacy in First- and Second-Generation East Asian American Women

The underrepresentation of East Asian American women in senior leadership roles persists despite high educational attainment and professional experiences, yet limited research has examined how these leaders develop and sustain leadership self-efficacy within culturally and generationally complex organizational contexts. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how first- and second-generation East Asian American women in senior leadership roles describe their leadership self-efficacy and how cultural and generational influences shape its development over time. The theoretical framework was grounded in social cognitive theory, with a focus on leadership self-efficacy as a contextually constructed belief system. The study examined how participants perceived their leadership confidence, how that confidence evolved with experience, and how cultural and generational factors influenced the meaning of leadership. A general qualitative inquiry design was used, with purposive and snowball sampling to recruit 9 East Asian women in senior leadership roles. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using iterative coding, categorical analysis, and thematic synthesis. Findings indicated that leadership self-efficacy developed gradually through responsibility, persistence, and experiential learning rather than through early validation, and was sustained internally despite limited external recognition. Participants described leadership confidence as grounded in relational influence, ethical responsibility, and cultural integration rather than visibility or self-promotion, extending leadership self-efficacy theory by demonstrating that efficacy was maintained independently of perceived legitimacy. Conclusions highlighted the need for leadership development approaches that recognize culturally grounded expressions of leadership confidence and support identity-aligned leadership pathways. The implications for social change include increased awareness of how culturally responsive leadership development, organizational practices, and evaluation systems can better support East Asian American women leaders, promote equity in leadership advancement, and foster more inclusive and sustainable leadership environments.