ERIC Number: ED643321
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 279
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-4387-9418-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Black and in Business: A Critical Race Analysis of How Black Students Perceive Race and Racism in Their Business School Experiences
Norris Chase
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Illinois State University
Business majors are among the most popular majors in the United States (Hinrichs, 2015), and prior to the economic and health COVID-19 pandemic, Black students received 20% of bachelor's and 30% of master's degrees in business programs in 2015-2016, despite representing only 11% of undergraduate and 14% of master's degree students in total (de Bray et al., 2019). This is a positive trend given the historical, political, and economic relationship among Black people, business engagement, and social liberation. However, minimal empirical attention has been devoted to examining the perceptions of Black students studying business in higher education germane to the intersection between their business education and concepts such as race and racism. Moreover, much remains unknown about: 1) the perceived motivations, benefits, and risks influencing Black students to pursue business education in college, 2) how Black students perceive race and/or racism impacting and influencing their decisions to pursue business as a major, and 3) the perceptions Black students hold regarding the inclusiveness of their business education related to issues of race, racism, and the unique experiences of Black Americans. Utilizing Critical Race Theory as the theoretical framework, this qualitative research study explores and amplifies the voices and lived experiences of 13 undergraduate and recently graduated Black business majors at a small private university in the Midwest germane to race, racism, and their intersections with their business school experience. Findings from this study reveal that students were heavily influenced to pursue business education because of their pre-college business exposure, entrepreneurial aspirations, and their race and perceptions of racism. Additionally, this study found that the majority of Black students perceived their business education lacking serious engagement or inclusion of content tied to race, racism, and the unique experiences of Black communities in business. Implications from this study may be utilized by Black families and perspective students considering business as a major, business professors, staff, and non-Black students, higher education administrators and institutional stakeholders, policy makers, critical scholars, and business scholars. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: African American Students, Racism, Business Administration Education, Majors (Students), Race, Student Motivation, Decision Making, Inclusion, Critical Race Theory, Undergraduate Students
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
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Language: English
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