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African American Women Get No Respect at Work
Recently, an article published in the University of
Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business newsletter began with
the following statement:
"By choosing self-employment over working for a TV station or
network - she [Oprah Winfrey] began her career as a newssexy
Oprah anchor in Nashville - Winfrey may have avoided a pitfall
for many black women in the workplace, namely, being stuck in
their jobs."
Research shows that black women are less likely to be promoted
then males and white women. Economists, human resource
specialists and scholars have gathered conclusive evidence that
black women are least likely to be promoted and white males are
most likely to be promoted.
The evidence is proof of bias in the workplace. No reasonable
explanation for the disparity could be given despite corporate
policies meant to promote and encourage diversity.
In fact, a large, multiple firms study lead by Nancy DiTomaso, a
Rutgers University professor, demonstrated that black women
actually suffered doubly from the disparity. She showed that not
only are black women last to be promoted, they also suffer
financially because white men earned more on average.
On average, white males in the study earned $68,000. Minority
men earned $64,000 and minority women earned $54,300.
Despite the great chasm dividing white men and black women, the
study's authors couldn't find any intent or awareness on the
part of companies studied. There were no policies favoring white
men.
What they did find was the men had more control over their work
which, possibly led to greater job satisfaction resulting in
better then average performance ratings from other white men AND
from minority women.
Only black women were disadvantaged in this setting while all
others were neither advantaged nor disadvantaged.
Knowing all this, the authors conclude that in the abscence of
intent to discriminate against or in favor of one group over
another, that "there is no remedy for those who either lack
favor or suffer disfavor."
I'd like to suggest a remedy. White men are often more confident
and competent because they have more experience. They have more
experience because they take on tougher job assignments. They
get more opportunities to do tough job assignments because bias
in the workplace says they can handle the tough jobs and others
can not handle them as well.
My solution? Take on tougher and tougher assignments and
responsibilities at work, be mobile and willing to
relocate to
where the opportunities are, take line jobs - jobs with profit
and loss responsibilities - and ask - even fight - for those
jobs.
At the same time, find good mentors, network often, keep your
resume up to date and your career skills on the cutting edge
because taking tough assignments means taking risks which can
occassionally end up in failure. However, not taking risks is
the same as failure for black women as recent research has shown.
In the book, Cracking the Corporate, 32 African American
executives dispense advice, share their collective wisdom and
experience into how to successfully manuever through the
corporate maze. Get the book now, sister. Its an indispensable
guide and you may need it more then anyone.
Most Black folks in business now are in jobs that represent cost
centers - not profit centers - to a company. The work is good,
honest work but it often is the work that gets cut, downsized,
riffed and reengineered before any other jobs. That is one
reason why blacks are often the "last hired, first fired." Jobs
such as human resources, information technology, diversity, etc.
don't make money for a business (and I know some will argue
against that statement). Jobs like sales, finance and operations
execute company strategy, interface with a company's customers
and ink deals.
They are the last jobs to go and when they do, a company is
usually in real trouble at that point. Seek the line jobs. Never
say "I can't sell" or "that's too much pressure" or "I don't
like speaking in front of groups." Seek these high paying, high
visibility, high pressure, revenue-generating jobs at your
company. That is where job security is found. That is where the
skills necessary to advance in an organization are tested and
refined. And as long you invest in being as good and proficient
as you can be in those jobs, you will find a higher level of
career security and confidence.
If you stay on the cost side, you can be the best at it - the
best in IT, the best in HR, the best in training - and still
lose your job if the company finds it needs to make cuts. That
is high risk and high pressure if you ask me.
Good luck, whatever you decide. You have a good example in Oprah
Winfrey, among many others, to inspire you.
About the author:
Bret Searles is a freelance writer on Black personal finance and
business issues, author of ebook "The 7 Simple Secrets to
Building Wealth: An African American Guide" and publisher of the
ezine Black Wealth Now.
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