The Impact of Racial Centrality on Authenticity and the Race-Based Impression Management Strategies of Black Management Consultants
Open AccessAbstract of the DissertationThe Impact of Racial Centrality on Authenticityand the Race-Based Impression Management Strategiesof Black Management ConsultantsThe management consulting profession in the United States is one of the fastestgrowing and most profitable industries in the world. Despite the industry’s increasingpopularity and growth, racial minorities remain disproportionately underrepresented inthis industry.This dissertation sought to shed light on the unique experiences of minorities inthe management consulting industry by examining the experiences of Black managementconsultants and the relationships that exist between the centrality of race, authenticity atwork, and the use of race-based impression management (RIM) strategies. This studyalso sought to contribute to theory by validating a conceptual model, which posits that thecentrality of race moderates the relationship between RIM strategies and authenticity atwork.An online survey was developed using existing instruments designed to measurethe centrality of race to one’s identity, authenticity at work, and the use of RIM strategies.Quantitative data were gathered from management consultants who identified as Blackand were currently or previously employed at a large multinational managementconsulting firm with 100,000 or more employees. Usable data were collected from 201participants, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.This study found that the RIM strategy social recategorization was significantlyrelated to the ability to be authentic at work, and regardless of whether the centrality ofrace to one’s identity was high or low, the relationship between social recategorizationand participants’ ability to be authentic at work was negatively related. No significantrelationship was found between RIM strategy of positive distinctiveness and the ability tobe authentic at work, regardless of the degree of racial centrality. The conceptual modeldeveloped for this study could not be validated due to low levels of variance around theconstruct of racial centrality.Findings from this study provide empirical insights into the experiences of Blackmanagement consultants and contribute to theory, practice, and research regarding thechallenges associated with navigating cross-cultural interactions in the workplace.
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