Developmental Practices, Organizational Culture, and Minority Representation in Organizational Leadership: The Case of Partners in Large U.S. Law Firms

Explanations of minority underrepresentation among organizational managers have focused primarily on either employee deficits in human and social capital or employer discrimination. To date, research has paid little attention to the role of developmental practices and related cultural values within...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 2012-01, Vol.639 (1), p.91-113
Main Authors: KAY, FIONA M., GORMAN, ELIZABETH H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African American culture
Asian Americans
Attorneys
Blacks
Career development
Collaboration
Corporate culture
Cultural Values
Culture
Discrimination
Employee promotions
Employers
Employment Discrimination
Formal training
Gender
Hispanic Americans
Hispanics
Identity
Law
Law firms
Lawyers
Leadership
Leadership training
Mentoring
Minorities
Minority & ethnic groups
Minority Groups
Organizational change
Organizational Culture
Professional development
Professional Training
Race
Representation
Social capital
Social values
U.S.A
Values
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Summary:Explanations of minority underrepresentation among organizational managers have focused primarily on either employee deficits in human and social capital or employer discrimination. To date, research has paid little attention to the role of developmental practices and related cultural values within organizations. Using data on large U.S. law firms, the authors investigate the role of formal developmental practices and cultural values in the representation of three minority groups among firm partners: African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. The authors find that formal practices and cultural values intended to aid employee growth and development do not "level the playing field" for minorities. Formal training and mentoring programs do not increase minority presence, while a longer time period to promotion, a cultural commitment to professional development, and a cultural norm of early responsibility are all negatively associated with minority representation. Although the pattern is broadly similar across all three groups, some effects vary in interesting ways.
ISSN:0002-7162
1552-3349
DOI:10.1177/0002716211420232