The Impostor Phenomenon Among Female Faculty Members of Korean Four-Year Universities: Developing A Grounded Theory

This study was conducted to explore various aspects of the imposter phenomenon (IP) in female faculty m embers at Korean four-year universities, its causes and consequences, and the participants’ coping strategies. Interviews with 16 participants were analyzed using Charmaz’s (2006) constructive grounded theory. The interview data were reduced through a stepwise coding method, and a total of 172 basic concepts were integrated into six categories. IP as ambivalent emotions with achievement mechanism s on one side and defence mechanisms on the other emerged as a core category of this research. Five relevant categories were identified: origins and contingencies of IP in female faculty members, socio-cultural context, consequences in four areas of the participants’ lives, and coping strategies for it. Gender issues such as sexism and gender role stereotypes were deeply implicated in the IP experienced by the female faculty members. Policy implications for addressing the IP among new minority groups in universities are discussed.