Coping mechanisms of black leaders in South African organisations

Abstract

Black people are at higher risk of experiencing racism and exclusionary practices in the workplace. This is as a direct result of South Africa’s legacy of apartheid, which subjugated and oppressed the Black majority. Black people who hold leadership positions in organisations find themselves in the minority, although they are a majority in society. Their leadership positions do not shield them from experiencing exclusion by those in the majority, causing them to develop coping mechanisms in order to survive their work environments. This research seeks to explore How Black leaders cope with exclusionary organisational environments, given their paradoxical role of being part of a majority outside their organisations, and at the same time being a minority inside their organisations. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted to explore new insights into this phenomenon. A total of 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black leaders at C-suite and senior management levels in organisations in South Africa. Consistent with the literature, this study found that Black leaders make use of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies in order to cope with exclusionary organisational environments. The study contributes literature and with implications and recommendations for government and business.