The UK studies broke away from the implicit assumption of much diversity
research regarding the homogeneity of the minority ethnic experience in the
workplace. Tang added some richness to the numbers that indicate higher levels
of qualification for minority ethnic women (of those in employment, a higher
proportion of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black Caribbean women than white
women are graduates, EOC, 2007) by exploring the experiences of some of
these women. Tang adopted novel techniques such observing art workshops, to
describe the aspirations and expectations of minority ethnic women and barriers
they face in finding jobs that match their qualifications, skills and potential.
Three UK studies shed light on under-investigated differences within the ‘black’
ethnic group. Kenny & Briner reported on the experiences of young minority
ethnic graduates, focusing on the intersectionality of race and class. The semi
structured interviews of black British Caribbean graduate employees investigated
experiences around ethnic identity at work (including racial discrimination), social
class and career progression. They found that two key triggers increased ethnic
identity salience in the workplace - ethnic identification (self identification with an
ethnic group) and ethnic assignation (feelings of being classified by others as a
member of an ethnic group). The authors described how ethnic assignation
served to propel participants to perform, and many possessed the self-belief that
they could surmount the obstacles posed by discrimination and stereotypes, and
advance their careers. However, most believed there was a ceiling to this,
evidenced by the notable absence of senior role models in their organisations.
Atewologun explored the ways by which young African and Caribbean
professionals constructed and negotiated their intersecting gender and ethnic
identities in the workplace. The focus group discussions revealed the crucial role
that local context plays in shaping ethnic minorities’ identities. For instance, in
line with social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), participants’ identities were
constructed by juxtapositioning one minority ethnic group against another,
including drawing on stereotypes held of other black groups in the UK. .
Participants also identified tensions in enacting their ‘assigned’ identities,
consciously adopting a number of strategies to survive in the workplace. There
was some emerging evidence that groups constructed identities in subtly
different ways, with the notion of class being more salient for the black British
Caribbean graduates and culture apparently a more salient bases to explain the
workplace experiences of the young African professionals. However both studies
(Kenny & Briner, and Atewologun) indicate how, rather than merely being acted
upon in the environment, young minority ethnic professionals actively employ
agency to reconstruct and sustain their identities as minority ethnic individuals in
the workplace. Continuing this theme, Lewis’ work on British black accountants
illustrated how ethnic minority professionals acknowledge that racial inequalities
are likely to play a role in determining their future career path. The implications
of being perceived as a ‘professional lite’ (adopting a term used by Kenny &
Briner) impacts on the credibility and status accorded minority ethnic
professionals. Within the context of the accountancy profession, this became
manifest in the fragility of the trust between client and accountant as participants