When it comes to perceptions of career success for African-American men, the old saying about how “it’s not what you know but who you know” is often seen as an undisputed truth.
However, when it comes to getting a job promotion or better pay, the strongest factor really is the “what” and not the “who.” And being light-skinned or dark-skinned or from a rich or poor family doesn’t determine career advancement, but being married to a woman who doesn’t work makes a big difference.
Such are just a few of the findings of a new University of Georgia study that bills itself as being “one step toward better understanding career success of African-American men.”
“The notion of ‘it’s what you know’ tends to hold true for this underrepresented population, and while African-American men may experience unique barriers and institutional discrimination/racism, it seems that those who have more human capital fare better in terms of objective indicators of career success such as salary and promotions,” states the study, which appeared in the Journal of Vocational Behavior earlier this year.
“This is important given the African-American general perception that decisions are sometimes based on subjective criteria rather than actual knowledge, skills and abilities.”
The authors of the study—titled “Evaluating Career Success of African-American Males: It’s What You Know and Who You Are that Matters” and part of a larger ongoing study that explores factors that affect career success among African-American men—say the study’s findings have important implications for African-American men as well as those who hire and fire.
Study co-author C. Douglas Johnson, an associate professor of management at Georgia Gwinnett College, said he set out to do the study to challenge some of the long-held beliefs among African-Americans that influence the way African-Americans view what it takes to get ahead on the job.
