Consequences

While collecting data for my dissertation, I found that there is a lack of diversity in organizational decision making.  In other words, there are not as many women as our numbers in the workforce suggest - particularly black women - making organizational decisions. 

As a result, there are particular consequences that affect not only the individual but other professional women and the organization as a whole (not to mention the African American family): 

First, because there are a smaller number of African American women in top-level positions, African American women do not have equal opportunities to make the same organizational decisions as their peers do (particularly White men and women). This lack of decision-making authority not only affects the organization as a whole, but also, it affects lower-ranking positions where African American women are more typically represented and, at times, overrepresented. As a result, those at the top of the organization are making decision for those who they do not even relate to. 

Whereas African American women make up 12% of the US workforce, they occupy 69% of all service, production, sales, and office, and administrative support positions (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004).

The second consequence of low representation is that African American women, often as heads of households seldom realize the income potential that high-ranking positions afford and in 2003, nearly half (45%) of all African American households were headed by single-African American women. Further, only 5% of these single women made $75,000 a year or more compared to 11% of head-of-household Caucasian women (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004).  Therefore, there is unrealized income potential for African American women, families and communities. 

The third noticeable consequence of low representation is that there is a potential scarcity of highly successful female role models in the African American community to inspire other young African American women and help them make sound career decisions Younger women or those aspiring to top-level, top-paying positions do not have a wealth of opportunities to see other women who look like them and have similar backgrounds become successful. There is also a lack of same-gender, same-race mentors to provide psychosocial support, guidance, sponsorship, coaching, exposure, and visibility to younger, more inexperienced women along their career paths

The forth consequence of low representation is that there is a gap in the academic literature of African American women’s career development paths, theories, and success strategies and most of the assumptions of career theory are based on the experiences of Caucasian men. 

Finally, much of career theory and technique is based on the following assumptions:

• that work is the most important aspect of people’s lives;
• that career decisions can and should be based on a rational matching of the individual’s traits and attributes to the characteristics of occupations;
• that career development should progress along a rational path showing continued upward movement toward greater responsibility, job complexity, and, it goes without saying, rank and financial rewards; and
• that talent and hard work will be rewarded.

This is a model based on the values of individualism and autonomy which often do not correspond to the African American culture which supports collectivism, faith and support from others to achieve success.   

My question is, are these consequences true for other women of color and women in general?

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