Life in the Corporation: A Multi-Method Study of the Experiences of Male and Female Asian,Black, Hispanic and White Employees

Organizational experiences of male and female Asian, Black, Hispanic and White managers in a Fortune 500 company were examined using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Oral histories were conducted to identify the antecedents to advancement within this organization. We used focus groups to expand our understanding of these antecedents and to determine differences among the racial/ethnic groups according to gender. Data from a follow-up survey of 1,645 employees were subjected to MANCOVA to determine race/ethnicity and gender effects, controlling for the effect of organizational tenure. Main effects for race/ethnicity were found on three measures and main effects for gender were found on eight measures. Follow-up size-of-effect tests (eta squared) revealed that the strength of the relationship was strong for two significant gender findings and one significant race finding.