Organizational Leaders

      When we think about social mobility, we must ask ourselves: what drives social mobility upwards? I have already addressed educators and policymakers, but perhaps one of the most essential players in this fight for equality are organizational leaders. The entire goal of advocating for this vital issue stems from a desire to cultivate a more inclusive society, one that allows everyone equal opportunity to flourish. Data consistently shows us that white males continue to have the highest incomes, while African Americans and Latinos remain at the bottom of the spectrum. The average income of a white family in 2019 was approximately $101,732, and $75,058 for Hispanic families. Black families only earned approximately $56,812 in 2019. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019). When we break the data down further, we’ll find that only 3.2% of senior leadership roles at  large corporations are held by black people (Coqual, 2019).

(Coqual, 2019)

                Organizational leaders, I am asking you to assess who you are hiring and why. Due to outside societal influences and experiences, it's our human nature to have implicit biases. This does not mean it is okay. As leaders, we must be self-aware and strive to change the dynamic in our work culture. A research experiment was done by the National Bureau of Economic Research, titled Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination, researchers Bertrand and Mullainathan (2003), indicated that those with names from Black culture we’re less likely to receive a call back from an interview, regardless of their credentials. Proactive leaders can look to the future and help break these trends and biases that are hindering the advancement of people from lower socioeconomic statuses.

                Leaders, I understand that you are constantly addressing big issues and the people under your leadership look to you to be effective, as being efficient and effective are not congruent (Covey, 2004). When we consider how we can have an authentic impact on those we are serving, one of the greatest contributions we can have to our community and to the country is by assessing how we can close these wage gaps that keep these vulnerable populations in the socioeconomic status that they are born into. There is talent out there that may never have the opportunity to make your company, business, or organization better simply because we are not considering our implicit biases or the situations that may have stunted these individuals from obtaining a higher education or formal training.

                Fortunately, there are many actions that can be taken to help stimulate social mobility as an organizational leader. Leaders in education and in organizations can partner together to help hire those from more diverse backgrounds and help them with the resources they need to reach their full potential. Organizational leaders can examine their empathy and integrity and ensure that their core mission and values are inclusive and equal for people from every background and that it reflects a deep, shared vision across the board (Covey, 2004). Finally, organizational leaders can effectively impact change by creating a plan to solve this problem of social mobility and ensuring that it is a priority. As stakeholders in this effort, both the organization and society have a chance at prospering.

References

Bertrand, M. & Mullainathan, S. (2003, July). Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination [PDF]. National Bureau of Economic Research: NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES. DOI 10.3386/w9873. Retrieved from: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w9873/w9873.pdf

Brooks, K. (2019, December 10). Why so many black business professionals are missing from the C-suite.

Coqual. (2019). Being Black in Corporate America. Center for Talen Innovation [PDF]. Retrieved from: https://coqual.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CoqualBeingBlackinCorporateAmerica090720-1.pdf

Covey, S. R. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic. New York: Free Press.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/demo/income-poverty/p60-270.html

Image Reference

Coqual. (2019). Being Black in Corporate America. Center for Talen Innovation [PDF]. Retrieved from: https://coqual.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CoqualBeingBlackinCorporateAmerica090720-1.pdf