Examining the world of subcultural existence: a descriptive analysis of African American management experiences and values

As today's global businesses acknowledge the criticality of being competitive in international markets, this new awakening also compels these businesses to not just understand the diverse cultures across which they manage and operate, but to also recognize the impact of their own cultural grounding within their business contexts. However, there is comparatively less attention given to the subcultural aspects of business culture. Acknowledging a gap in research examining attitudes of subcultures in a single nation to particular management approaches, Peppas conducted a comparative study in 2002 between the subcultures of African Americans and Euro Americans regarding 18 values statements framed around the managerial functions. This study builds upon that quantitative research addressing specifically the management values of the African American subculture. However, while this study is similarly framed around some values examined in Peppas' research, the purpose of this study was to explore the African American subcultural experiences in practice through qualitative inquiry, presenting the informants' emic views to understand uniqueness or commonalities of their management values (attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors). The methodology utilized a purposive sample of 10 African American managers across technology, financial services, oil and gas, healthcare, and banking industries. This basic qualitative, exploratory study employed semi-structured interviews framed around some of the management values examined in the Peppas study in 2002. The data specifically revealed insight regarding aspects of management values of planning, evaluating, innovating; organizing and controlling; recruiting, selecting, rewarding; leadership; communication; and relationships between work and social life. The findings in this study mainly corroborate the findings of related values in the Peppas study of 2002. However, interpretation of the informants' behavioral experiences sometimes contrasted to their expressed beliefs. Emergent themes reveal a consistency in the belief of these African American managers that they are observed more closely than other non-minority managers and that they are challenged and tested by others particularly because they must prove their worthiness. Also, entrenched educational values proved common across all informants' experiences.