Corporate Programs for Ensuring Minority Advancement

Abstract

Since the early 1960s, many organizations have invested a considerable amount of resources in programs to support their equal employment opportunity policies and objectives. As a result of their efforts, many have made progress in hiring minorities. Unfortunately, as the statistics point out, minorities are still sorely underrepresented in the upper ranks of most businesses. In many organizations, the turnover rate is higher for minorities. When exit interviews are conducted, they often cite a lack of opportunity for advancement as the major cause for their leaving. Suits are currently being filed by some minority individuals charging that they have been systematically denied raises, assignments, and promotions because they are minorities. Poor job assignments are often cited as preventing them from getting the opportunities to develop the skills or acquire the experience they will need for higher level management jobs. Others believe that different norms or criteria are used in their performance reviews or that changes are made in the number or variety of positions open when they become eligible for promotion.