LaoAmericans

Dissertation Research: Laotian Women Leaders in the U.S.

By LaoAmericans

Douangmala Kouthong knows grit and determination. She migrated to the United States with her family from Vientiane, Laos when she was just six years old, but remains deeply rooted in her heritage. She has served the Lao American community in the Pacific Northwest since she was a student. She co-founded the Laotian Student Association at the University of Washington and was a member of the Laotian Youth & Family Services organization. She taught the foundations of traditional Lao folk dance to a generation of young women, who are now confident professionals, proud of their history and culture. In addition to her unwavering support of the community, she is a devoted wife and mother of two teenagers.

Douangmala presently holds an MBA in Financial Management & Information Systems, an MS in Computing Systems, and a BS in Environmental Health. She is now pursuing a PhD in Social Science. From June through September 2018, she is conducting original research about the unique challenges faced by fellow Laotian women leaders and is seeking additional participants. Her dissertation is titled “Cultural barriers of first generation Laotian women leaders in the U.S.: An exploratory qualitative study.”

The purpose of the research is to explore the cultural factors relative to first generation Laotian women leaders in the U.S. She is specifically seeking first generation Laotian women currently living and working full-time in the U.S. who have held leadership roles (team lead, project manager, program manager, supervisor, manager, director, or executive) for at minimum of one year. Participants who meet these criteria will be interviewed over the phone and will have an opportunity to review the responses. The information she collects will be encrypted and secured, then destroyed after 7 years. Specifics of this research study are included in the Informed Consent Form, which participants must acknowledge before information can be collected for the interview.

If you are interested in being considered for the study, please click on this link to learn more, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LaoWomen

For additional information, contact Douangmala Kouthong, PhD Candidate at Capella University at dkouthong@capellauniversity.edu