Empowering black managers in a multicultural society

• Main Authors: A. P. Moerdyk, D. Coldwell
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AOSIS 1990-06-01
• Series: SA Journal of Industrial Psychology
• Subjects: Empowering black managers; Multicultural society
• Online Access: https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/view/500
• ISSN: 0258-5200; 2071-0763

Recently, Erwee (1988) discussed the issue of black advancement in South Africa. This paper extends and clarifies her views. Three reasons for lack of progress are proposed. The first two, namely prejudice and lock of ability are rejected in favour of a mismatch argument, which argues that management is ethnocentric, seeking out and rewarding behaviours that are arbitrary and inappropriate. The effects of "culture" on the behaviour of black employees and white management are discussed and the need is stressed for both groups to move from their ethnocentric value systems and behaviour patterns if black managers are to be "empowered" to achieve their full potential. Opsomming Erwee (1988) het onlangs die kwessie van swart vooruitgang in Suid-Afrika bespreek. Hierdie referaat brei daarop uit en lewer kommentaar op haar sienswyse. Drie redes vir die gebrek aan vordering word aan die hand gedoen. Die eerste twee, naamlik vooroordeel en gebrek aan bekwaamhied word verwerp ten gunste van 'n wanpassingsargument waarvolgens bestuur as etnosentries beskou word en dienooreenkomstig gedrag soek en beloon wat in wese arbitrer en ontoepaslik is. Die effek van "kulturele" faktore op die gedrag van swart werknemers en blanke bestuurders word bespreek en die behoefte daaraan dat beide groepe wegbeweeg van hulle etnosentriese waardestelsels en gedragspatrone, word beklemtoon as voorvereiste vir die bemagtiging van swart bestuurders om hulle voile potensiaal te verwesenlik.