American Accounting Association 2006 Midwest Region Meeting March 30 – April 1 Chicago, Illinois

Friday, March 31, 10:20 a.m.-12:00 noon
Concurrent session 2A - Discrimination and Corporate Responsibility (Public Interest)

Title: The Experience of African-American Financial Professionals in the Twin Cities

Michael S. Wilson, CPA University of Minnesota

ABSTRACT:  The purpose of this paper is to investigate the environment of accounting firms by investigating the lived experiences of African-American mail professionals in the accounting field.  This paper examines the experiences of an African American male accounting professional in a large accounting firm in the Twin Cities.  Three other African American financial professionals were used to triangulate and confirm the themes of these experiences.

The research is based on phenomenological inquiry, a form of interpretive inquiry, to develop a deeper understanding of our lives.   Interpretive researchers believe social research is contextually bound, represents a study of ourselves which changes over time, and is influenced by the language and cultural influences of the researcher and the subject.  Interpretive research refutes the notion that law like relationships exist in social science.  The goal of the researcher is to live through or recreate the experiences of others and communicate these experiences in an accurate way.  As a result, the purpose of interpretive research is simply to understand the human experience, by adding to the body of knowledge, identifying a gap in knowledge, and asking a question.

Affirmative action efforts may continue to highlight race issues.  There is a paradox that racial discrimination likely continues today in the workplace.  However being recognized as an African-American also has benefits.  The result is a mix of opportunities and discriminations that require coping skills since race issues are rarely acknowledged. 

The key themes of this study were consistent with similar research focused on the lived experiences of African American PhD students at a major research institution in the Mid-West Region of the United States.  Key themes that emerged from both studies were: a feeling of isolation; the sense that being African American made them stand out; difficulty in establishing relationships with peers; and a need to negotiate the system.

The topic may be valuable as a retention tool for local companies.  The Twin Cities has a long history of hiring African-American males from business schools but failing to retain these employees.

Back to the program