ABSTRACT
One explanation for the underrepresentation of blacks in upper level management is that they move up the corporate ladder more slowly than whites (see Chapters I and II). Do blacks lack the requisite skills and qualifications for career advancement in the corporate arena, or do they experience barriers in the workplace that inhibit their mobility because of their race? This chapter identifies key factors that are thought to enhance and inhibit blacks’ rates of upward mobility in American corporations with the hope of determining the factors that may account for differences in rates of mobility experienced between white and black employees. To explore the range of factors, 50 black senior corporate executives 1 were interviewed on issues pertaining to the career advancement of blacks in the corporate arena. In addition, an earlier questionnaire collected information on these respondents regarding the nature and quality of their academic and professional backgrounds.
