African-American Women Leaders

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Colour of skin and gender differences have a great impact on the American workforce and employment opportunities. For a long time, African-American women work under double pressure faced with gender and racial discrimination, inequalities, and oppression. At the beginning of the 21st century, African-American women leaders prove their skills and ability to compete with while managers and leaders. Despite positive changes, African-American women leaders ‘feel pressure’ to prove strong leadership skills and personal qualities.

The belief that males are more competent than female workers has resulted in a hierarchy of preferred leaders in the following descending order: (1) white males, (2) nonwhite males, (3) white females, and (4) nonwhite females. This is even more of a problem for black American women than white women because of the perceived role reversal (Bird and Brush, 2002). As a whole, the disparity between the expected behaviors of women and the appropriate professional behaviors makes it extremely difficult for most women to prove to their male peers and supervisors they have “what it takes” to be leaders. “According to most studies involving 360-degree feedback, women leaders are considered either equally or more effective than their male counterparts” (Goldsmith, 2007).

In America, psychological reinforcement for submissiveness is added when African-American women leaders are admonished that having an intellect may be a hazard that will discourage leadership. The effectiveness of this conditioning would tend to be supported by the fact that girls outperform boys in academic work until their late teens when culturally established goals assume paramount importance, and a degree of reversal occurs. Some women are very interested in female equality, some are apathetic, and some stand firmly against it. Pay and promotional opportunities are usually based on the official job description rather than actual performance (Bird and Brush, 2002). These factors cause a situation when “African-American women are often given an extra helping of guilt by being repeatedly told of their unique opportunity to be wonderful role models for both African Americans and other women who haven’t been given their level of responsibility in the past” (Goldsmith, 2007). In the meantime, the African-American women struggle to turn public opinion in their favor. Adopting the terms of morality, elite blacks’ intellectual response to popular and scientific racism is to affirm their humanity through the evolutionary idea of progress, assuming the authoritative role of agents of civilization and uplift concerning the black majority (Hayes, 2005).

In America, the pressure is created by the necessity to struggle against the self-loathing of identity by attacking the ubiquitous and seemingly indestructible anti-black stereotypes. Many white leaders, however, remained unmoved by African Americans’ attempts at respectful self-representation. If images of black respectability are not omitted from the white press altogether, they are mocked and parodied. In general, societal negative attitudes towards African-American leaders found in the workplace are exacerbated during times of rapid immigration, socioeconomic privations, and high unemployment. The workplace is ripe for socio-economic conflict (Hayes, 2005). Events such as urban riots reflect the precipitous, explosive nature of human relationships low social classes as a by-product of economic recession. Goldsmith (2007) explains this process as:

“This guilt can come from an obligation to those who have come before—the ones who have paid the price to make your opportunities possible—and from a fear of letting down future generations by diminishing their leadership opportunities. No one should have to carry around this much weight”.

Further, increased diversity, on and off the job, brings discomfort and anxiety to many employees. Fear of an unknown economic future, competition for jobs and housing, and competition for sexual partners are some of the reasons for animosity among workers. When employees from lower social classes are fearful about their future, particularly their economic survival, they look for scapegoats.

In Europe, African-American women leaders do not feel pressure caused by their color of skin or race but experience common problems of women leaders. In contrast to America, there are only a few African-American women leaders in Europe. In European countries, social class (especially low social class) and gender affect communication and behavior patterns. Critics admit that the most insidious prejudices are negative attitudes directed toward women leaders and their traits. They take the form of assumptions or generalizations about all or most members of a particular group (Companies Feel Benefit 2006). This kind of in-group versus out-group hostility disrupts work unit interactions and subverts organization effectiveness. Diversity-related attitudes are learned mainly from people who have high or low prestige. The superiority or inferiority of a group (as contrasted to that of an individual) is not obvious; not many casual observers can perceive significant group differences. Besides, there are more differences within racial or ethnic groups than between them. Most employees bring their gender hatred to work with them, bags packed by other people. When discipline is necessary, it should be based on objective standards with penalties being consistent among all employees. Trust and respect are the essential characteristics of successful women leaders in Europe.

The situation in America and Europe differs because European countries do not experience racial inequalities and do not have a racially diverse workforce. National, age, and gender diversity do not have a great impact on workforce relations and communication. In contrast, race is a silent factor that creates additional tension and oppression for women. In contrast to American, successful career counseling as an aspect of managing diversity can facilitate the interdependence of the human resources in a European organization. This is a more efficient use of human resources. It can improve morale and employee loyalty. Equally important, people are elevated to the same level of importance as inventory and equipment. The phenomenon of the process of intercultural communication relates to the interconnectedness of actions, events, states, and relations of the persons, objects, and abstractions associated with them (Companies Feel Benefit 2006).

In Europe, an administrator can suppress on the conscious level emotional responses while counseling diverse subordinates (Companies Feel Benefit 2006). But this detachment does not remove the stress and concern hidden in the unconscious domain of the mind is of utmost importance that women employees involved in diversity activities always keep in mind the injunction to avoid labeling, stereotyping, generalizing, categorizing, and rationalizing unique human beings who defy the reduction and simplification provided by their records and reputations. Organizations need to include diversity as an aspect of career progression. That is, employees must be told that they cannot be promoted out of diversity. From this perspective, diversity is an integral aspect of career planning that traditionally has been a process for becoming aware of self.

In America, the color of skin adds psychological pressure on women and forces them “to be “150% as good” (Goldsmith 2007). For an African-American leader, working with socially different people is not always easy. Nor is it always understood and appreciated by employees. Survival in the workplace often requires extraordinary effort from minorities, women, and the other protected class (ethnic minorities and women) employees. “Failures or basic human mistakes can result in feelings of having let down other women and even more so, other African Americans” (Goldsmith 2007). The facts mentioned above show that part of the African-American leader’s dilemma is that she must be sufficiently detached from subordinates to exercise sound judgment and at the same time have enough rapport with and concern for aggrieved employees to provide sensitive, empathic support.

Suggestions of Stephanie Chick show that individuals learn the norms and rules of interaction through the socialization process, and in America, African-American women are influenced by social and racial pressure from an early age. In this process, they learn culturally appropriate worldviews and beliefs which, in turn, validate their sense of cultural identity and lend credence to their role identities “As author Erica Jong humorously noted, “Show me a woman who doesn’t feel guilty and I’ll show you a man” (Goldsmith 2007). In every society, in most situations, there are special forms of words, or types of conversation, which are thought to be appropriate. In the workplace, tension is created between low and high social classes, low and middle social classes. For the African-American leaders, it is crucial to “encourage their creativity, recognize their contributions, and help them find the right role models and mentors who will support their career advancement” (Goldsmith 2007).

The role of African-American leaders is to support and guide their employees and “show genuine interest in their challenges and concerns” (Goldsmith 2007). Commitment to the organization will certainly be related to the intention to stay – in other words, loyalty to the company. The effectiveness of the African-American leaders is dependent upon meeting three areas of need within the workgroup: the need to achieve the common task; the need for team maintenance, and the individual needs of group members (Hayes, 2005). “Women are motivated when they expect that a course of action is likely to lead to the attainment of a goal and a valued reward” (Bird and Brush, 2002, p. 43). The African-American leaders accept responsibility for the achievement of the group objective and it is therefore essential for trust and co-operation from both sides to be in evidence all the time. However, statistics reveal that progress is slow and the number of African American women holding senior managerial positions is still insignificant. On-the-job training increases employee pay and other rewards as work experience increases, because productivity increases, and employers are said to make specific investments such as executive training of their employees (Bird and Brush, 2002).

African-American women work under pressure of race and gender differences which create an additional burden. Despite democratic changes, race plays a major and continuing role in the organization-employee relations. The decisions and actions have an increasing impact on individuals, other organizations, and the community. In this case, the ability to motivate and inspire African-American employees is a core competence for managers.

Works Cited

Bird, B., Brush, C. 2002, A Gendered Perspective on Organizational Creation. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 26 (3), 41-44.

Companies Feel Benefit of Equality and Diversity in the Workplace. 2006, Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), p. 2.

Goldsmith, M. 2007, Leadership Lessons for Women of Color. Business Week. Web.

Hayes, C. (2005). The Business Case for Diversity. Black Enterprise, 36 (3), 165.

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African-American Women Leaders

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