EXPLORING THE PERCEPTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN ON HOW DIVERSITY TRAINING HAS IMPACTED THEIR UPWARD MOBILITY INTO SENIOR LEADERSHIP

ABSTRACTWILLIAM E. CREWS. Exploring the perceptions of African American women on how diversity training has impacted their upward mobility into senior leadership. (Under the direction of Dr. LISA R. MERRIWEATHER)The purpose of the present study was to explore the perceptions of African American women on how diversity training impacted their upward mobility into senior leadership positions. Understanding diversity training impact on career progression can help determine diversity training overall effect on the career development process. The absence of African American women representation in senior leadership positions continues to be an enormous dilemma in today’s wokforce. Henderson (1994) reported African American women along with other minorities account for over 50% of the workforce, but less than 5% were in a leadership position. A phenomenological interview design approach was used and revealed three themes: Professional Growth, Professional Relationships, and Inclusiveness. The findings also revealed three salient outcomes participants believed were essential in diversity training: training accountability, mentorship and policies. Overall, the findings revealed a mixture of opinions among the eight participants surrounding the impact diversity training has on African American women upward mobility into senior leadership.