Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America [Hardcover]

David A. Thomas (Author), John J. Gabarro (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harvard Business Review | Publication Date: June 1999

American companies may tout their equal opportunity initiatives, but with 95% of all executive-level positions in the US held by white males, most of these programs clearly fall far short of their goals when it comes to diversifying upper management. Yet, even in the face of such overwhelming odds, some minority executives do break through to the highest leadership ranks. What can we learn from these success stories? In one of the first in-depth studies to focus on minorities who have made it to the top, "Breaking Through" examines the crucial connection between corporate culture and the advancement of people of color.

"Breaking Through" profiles minority executives at three different firms who encountered -- and conquered -- barriers throughout their careers. From these compelling stories a distinct pattern emerges in the way minorities advance. The message is clear and startling: the path that leads minorities to the top is fundamentally different from the route followed by their white peers. Here are the determining factors -- both individual and organizational -- that correspond to the advancement of minority executives to the highest levels.

Pathways to success do exist for minorities, say Thomas and Gabarro, and breakthroughs can happen -- if individuals and organizations understand the roles they play in creating the opportunities that enable minority executives to reach the top.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Against all odds, a few minority executives break through to the highest executive levels in corporate America. The aim of Thomas and Gabarro is to explain the processes of growth and advancement that produce minority executives by focusing on three companies that have been successful in developing people of color from entry level to executive. Concealing the identity of those companies in different industries, the authors examine both the individual and the organizational factors influencing minority promotion. Along with a detailed explanation of their research and findings, the authors offer lessons for minority aspirants as well as guidelines for corporations that want to develop minority executives more effectively. Advice to individuals includes building a network of developmental relationships, analyzing the record on minority promotions of a prospective employer, and understanding that race matters but that it alone doesn't determine fate. Their final counsel is that the road to the executive suite must be worth the price extracted from all individuals, especially minorities. Mary Whaley

Review

"A massive primer for professionals seeking to understand success and employers who wish to foster diversity in their upper ranks." -- The Boston Globe, May 23, 1999

"Provides a wealth of useful information for those seeking insights regarding how these executives have managed to break away." -- Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, July 12, 1999

"This first-rate work is valuable to any would-be executive." -- Library Journal June 15, 1999

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875848664
• ISBN-13: 978-0875848662
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #370,286 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Law > Constitutional Law > Discrimination

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding review of how women artists see themselves, November 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Seeing Ourselves: Women's Self-Portraits (Hardcover)

An outstanding gift for all those interested in women's history and art. Lavishly illustrated, this book provides a fascinating text which raises provocative questions about how and why women artists chose to represent themselves in the way they did. This is a particularly useful contribution to both women's studies and art history." I enjoyed it thoroughly.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is wonderful, June 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America (Hardcover)

Few books have the ability to relate the importance of the information contained within to both professional and layman alike. That is, however, exactly what this book accomplishes. It shows you the how the achievements of minorities trying to attain status at the corporate level are linked to career decisions and mentoring relationships. This is accomplished by examining the characteristics of several minority executives at different companies who have managed to break through the glass ceiling. It also teaches several approaches for acheiving racial diversity throughout a company. It examines three large corporations who have accomplished this feat, by tracing their diversity efforts throughout the past few decades. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the processes by which businesses accomplish diversification throughout all levels of the company.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is destined to be a classic management text, December 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America (Hardcover)

This is destined to become one of the classic management texts. I found the authors treatement of the subject matter to be insightful and well thought out. This is a must for any person of color who is wondering why it's taking them so long to move into the executive level. As a trainer I will be using this as one of my texts, and I plan on sending a number of copies to my friends.