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More Work To Do: Unfinished Diversity Work By Melanie Harrington President American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc.
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An Associated Press article has been making its way to local, national and online news organizations previewing the results of a Kellogg School of Management study examining the intersections between race and power. Although there are entire conferences that have explored these challenges before, it is an opportune time in U.S. history to reexamine the issues and bring a new 21st century perspective and approach. In the upcoming September 2009 issue of Psychological Science, Professor Robert Livingston and graduate student Nicolas Pearce will report that they found that black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies with a “babyface” appearance are more likely to lead companies with high revenues and prestige. The Kellogg study examined the role that facial characteristics play in the ascension to power of the highest positions in corporate America. In the study, a group of 21 nonblack students were shown 40 photographs of past and current CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. The photos included 10 white women, 10 randomly selected white male CEOs and 10 black CEOs. For every photo of a black CEO, the researchers also included a current or former white CEO from the same company. Participants rated on a scale of 1 to 4 the “babyfaceness,” leadership competence, and personal warmth of the men and women in the pictures. The study indicates, according Dr. Livingston, that disarming characteristics, which have been shown to hinder white executives, can help black male leaders. The study was repeated with a group of 106 students with similar results. Interestingly, the study did not show a link between the babyface look and age. According to Dr. Livingston, the babyface look conveys a warmer, trustworthy and less threatening person. However, the participants who rated the 10 black CEOs as more babyfaced than their white counterparts also rated black people, as a group, less warm than whites, as a group. Another interesting fact that deserves further examination is the finding that women CEOs were rated as having more matured faces than white male and black male CEOs.
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Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 9
For me the study raises significant concerns about the capability and/or willingness of decision-makers to make critical hiring and promotion decisions based on “requirements” (i.e., based on the mission, vision and strategy of the organization) rather than their personal conveniences, traditions, and preferences. Granted, a prerequisite to a senior leadership position in corporate America is an understanding of and ability to navigate the corporate culture. Moreover, with the help of mentors, usually emerging leaders are clued in to the unwritten rules of the organization and learn to skillfully disarm those who may be threatened by their presence or style. But who has time to navitage around an unnecessary obstacle, like a racial stereotype. For years in diversity work, consultants and educators have attempted to explain to managers the unnecessary and perilous tightrope that black men and other underrepresented groups must walk to secure power positions in corporate America. It is also troubling that, nine years into the 21st century, our diversity management capability is so limited as to result in decisions easily influenced not by merit and capability but by uninformed and often biased first impressions. With globalization driving the need for more frequent innovations, more efficient productivity and stronger leadership, organizations with an ability to access the best talent— no matter how it comes packaged—will have this century’s competitive advantage. PDJ
Melanie Harrington is president of the American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. AIMD celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2009. The organization is a 501(c)(3) public interest non-profit dedicated to advancing diversity thought leadership through research, education, and public outreach. AIMD works to strengthen our communities and institutions through effective diversity management. For more information, please visit www.aimd.org.