African American women perceptions of mentoring in first-time management positions: A qualitative study

Researchers have indicated that career advancement of African American women still lags behind that of other groups by a considerable margin. This qualitative study design, with a purposefully selected sample of 10 members from a southeastern African American business organization, describes African American women perceptions of mentoring in their first-time management positions. The rationale for this study emanated from the writer's assumption that global trends in demographics in business competition have made the development of African American women in senior management roles a business imperative. The primary method of data collection was semi-structured interviews. The data were collected, coded, and organized according to the research questions. An interpretation of data was organized by way of six themes: (a) networking and connections enabled adaptation to the culture, (b) conduct and professionalism reflected an awareness of cultural norms, (c) ability to fit in facilitated company negotiations, (d) success led to increased confidence, (e) career advancement aligned with prior job success, and (f) psychosocial support helped cope with workplace interactions. These themes are consistent with the social exchange theory. The data revealed that mentors helped their protegees move up the corporate ladder, which built self-confidence. In turn, the mentor-protegee relationship provided the mentor with a sense of trust and connection to those she led. Included among the recommendations offered for future research is that organizations take more aggressive measures to align African American female managers with experienced male and female managers of all races. Given that multiple factors affect career advancements and acknowledging that these vary across cultures and industries, the recommendations put forth should be considered for their appropriateness on an individual basis.