Is corporate America color blind? In an ideal work environment, jobs would be awarded based on merit and promotions would be given using the same criteria. While "merit" can be interpreted to include skills not directly related to the tasks that are to be performed (such as interpersonal skills), many women and minorities suspect that they face discrimination on the job on a regular basis. Critics of this view point out that there are more women and minorities in positions of power within organizations, but white males run the vast majority of America's largest corporations. Those that are not are the exception, not the rule. Yet, during the latter half of the twentieth century, considerable strides were made in the regulatory environment designed to ensure that corporate America would hire women and minorities. While this has occurred, a glass ceiling has also appeared above which it is difficult for these groups to move. This research considers the current state of African-Americans in the American workplace and the challenges they face with regard to promotions and career development.
African-Americans have risen to positions of success in the American workforce in the past 20 years, but while the number of African-American executives is increasing, it remains well below the percentage of African-Americans in the workforce as a whole. A recent book that examines the issue of African-American executives emphasizes skills beyond merely job tasks, and suggests that African-Americans who are successful in corporate America have learned not only to conquer racism, but also have mastered interpersonal relationships, understand how to acquiring and use power in the workplace, how to fit into corporate culture, and have learned to use mentors. Racism, the book suggests, remains in place in the American workplace, but can be overcome in many cases by following the strategies that while males have used for many years ("Executive L...