Race, Work, and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience

Description

Race, Work, and Leadership is a rare and important compilation of essays that examines how race matters in people's experience of work and leadership. What does it mean to be black in corporate America today? How are racial dynamics in organisations changing in a post-Obama era? How do we build inclusive organisations? Inspired by and developed in conjunction with the research and programming for Harvard Business School's 2018 celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the HBS African American Student Union, this groundbreaking book shines new light on these and other timely questions and illuminates the present-day dynamics of race in the workplace. Contributions from top scholars, researchers, and practitioners in leadership, organisational behaviour, psychology, sociology, and education test the relevance of long-held assumptions and reconsider the research approaches and interventions needed to understand and advance African Americans in work settings and leadership roles. At a time when there are fewer African American men and women in corporate leadership roles (following a peak in 2002), Race, Work, and Leadership will stimulate new scholarship and dialogue on the organisational and leadership challenges of African Americans and become the indispensable reference for anyone committed to understanding, studying, and acting on the challenges facing leaders who are building inclusive organisations.

Laura Morgan Roberts is a Teaching Professor of Management at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business and a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School's Gender Initiative, researching the influence of African American business leaders. She is the author of numerous research articles, teaching cases, and practitioner-oriented tools, as well as two influential Harvard Business Review articles. Anthony J. Mayo is the Thomas S. Murphy Senior Lecturer of Business Administration in the Organizational Behavior Unit of Harvard Business School. With Nitin Nohria, he is the coauthor of In Their Time and Paths to Power, both published by Harvard Business Review Press. David A. Thomas is President of Morehouse College. He previously served as Dean of Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business and as the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His research addresses issues related to leadership, executive development, and cultural diversity in organizations, and his book, Breaking Through, coauthored with fellow HBS professor John J. Gabarro, is the standard on how minorities become executives. Visit the authors at: Laura Morgan Roberts: lauramorganroberts.com/index.htm, twitter.com/alignmentquest Anthony J. Mayo: hbs.edu David A. Thomas: twitter.com/morehouseprez

"an important book on a critical and timely topic" -- BizEd magazine Advance Praise for Race, Work, and Leadership: "A seminal compilation that quantitatively captures the experience of being and becoming a black leader in America. Let the much-needed conversations begin." -- Ann Fudge, retired Chairman and CEO, Young & Rubicam Brands "This book has the potential to change the entire narrative about the experience of black people. Never before has there been such a compilation of compelling and probing insights and data about how black people have navigated and still navigate the unique historical and contemporary barriers of the workplace." -- Katherine W. Phillips, Reuben Mark Professor of Organizational Character and Director, Bernstein Center for Leadership and Ethics, Columbia Business School "Race, Work, and Leadership reflects my story as an African American leader in both higher education and industry. Being 'both visible and invisible,' managing through 'contested authority' that threatens our legitimacy, and needing a strong sense of self and exceptional resilience is the reality for black leaders in America. This work suggests strategies for leading despite resistance and provides a balm for those of us who wonder 'is it only me?'" -- Linda S. Oubre, President, Whittier College "Roberts, Mayo, and Thomas bring together an impressive and interdisciplinary roster of experts who offer evidence-based insights into the breadth and richness of the black professional experience. Written from a scholarly perspective yet with important implications for practice, this book provides guidance for how we might drive meaningful change in organizations to enrich the career experiences of marginalized groups--particularly black leaders." -- Quinetta Roberson, Professor of Management, Villanova University "This compelling book sheds light on the challenges encountered by African American executives seeking to climb the corporate ladder. It should be required reading for senior executives who are serious about ensuring that their organizations can compete effectively for the best talent." -- Ken Frazier, Chairman and CEO, Merck