Blacks supervising whites: A study of interracial difficulties in working together in a simulated organization

Abstract

Investigated interracial difficulties of blacks and whites working together, when blacks are in a supervisory position over whites. 45 groups of male undergraduates were supervised by blacks, and 45 were supervised by whites. In each group, 2 subordinates played a business game with either a black or a white supervisor and were observed by 2 white Os. Results indicate that (a) the performance ratings of black supervisors were significantly poorer than those of white supervisors; (b) subordinates supervised by blacks behaved differently than subordinates supervised by whites, and some of these behaviors appeared to hinder the effectiveness of the black supervisor; and (c) subordinates with negative racial bias gave poorer ratings to black supervisors than subordinates with liberal racial attitudes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)