Advancing African-American Women in the Workplace: What Managers Need to Know
Since 1997, Catalyst has released a continuous stream of research on women of color in corporate management. We find that companies and managers want detailed information on the unique experiences of specific racial/ethnic groups that are included in the women-of-color category, and this series of reports (which includes separate reports on Latinas and Asian women) addresses that need.
Impetus: This study was conducted to provide guidance to managers in retaining and advancing this increasingly important segment of the workforce.
Methodology:
- Quantitative findings come from 963 African-American women survey respondents in F1000 companies.
- Qualitative findings are from 23 focus groups with entry- and mid-level African-American women.
- These respondents participated in Catalyst’s larger 1999 study, Women of Color in Corporate Management: Opportunities and Barriers. Survey data also come from a follow-up study, done in 2001, of 369 African-American women participants from the earlier study.
Findings: Barriers facing African-American women in business include negative, race-based stereotypes; more frequent questioning of their credibility and authority; and a lack of institutional support. Experiencing a “double outsider” status—unlike white women or African-American men, who share gender or race in common with most colleagues or managers—African-American women report exclusion from informal networks, and conflicted relationships with white women, among the challenges they face. The historical legacy of slavery, legally enforced racial segregation, and discrimination based on skin color make race a particularly difficult topic for discussion in the workplace. Many women in the study report making discussions of race off limits. Many study respondents report that their diversity programs were ineffective. Thirty-seven percent of African-American women see their opportunities for advancement to senior management positions in their companies declining over time, in contrast to Latinas and Asian women who are more likely to see opportunities slightly increasing. Keys to success cited by African-American women in business include exceeding performance expectations, communicating effectively, connecting with mentors, building positive relationships with managers and colleagues, and using their cultural backgrounds to enhance job performance.
Sponsor: Credit Suisse First Boston
