Date of Award
Winter 3-20-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PhD)
Department
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
First Advisor/Committee Member
Paul R. Yost
Second Advisor/Committee Member
Helen Chung
Third Advisor/Committee Member
Brittany Tausen
Keywords
inclusive leadership, impostor phenomenon, Children of Immigrants, career self-efficacy, job performance, turnover intention
Abstract
As workplaces become increasingly multicultural, bicultural professionals such as children of migrants/immigrants (COMs) often navigate dual cultural frameworks while contending with identity-based challenges that can shape career development. This study examined whether inclusive leadership (IL) was associated with impostor phenomenon (IP) and whether IP, in turn, was associated with three career outcomes: career self-efficacy (CSE), self-perceived job performance (SPJP), and turnover intention (TI). The study also examined whether IL was indirectly associated with these outcomes through lower IP. Participants were U.S.-based COMs recruited through Academic Prolific (N = 215). Observed-variable path analysis tested direct and indirect associations among IL, IP, and the three outcomes using bootstrapped mediation. Results indicated that higher IL was associated with lower IP and was directly associated with higher CSE and SPJP and lower TI. In addition, higher IP was associated with lower CSE and SPJP and higher TI. Indirect effects through IP were significant for all three outcomes, supporting partial mediation. Grounded in social cognitive career theory and social identity theory, this study supports a theoretically anchored model for understanding how contextual leadership behaviors and internal psychological barriers may shape career development for immigrant-origin professionals. Findings suggest that inclusive leader behaviors are associated with more favorable career-related perceptions among COMs, in part through lower impostor feelings. Practical implications for leadership development, inclusion efforts, and future research in multicultural workplaces are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Misgano, Mintesinot N., "Inclusive Leadership and Impostor Phenomenon: A Social-Cognitive Model of Career Development amongst Children of Immigrants" (2026). Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations. 58.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/iop_etd/58