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This in-depth qualitative study of four
successful African American/Black women middle
managers provides the reader with a coherent
representation of the themes that shaped the lives of
the women portrayed and will provide readers
with a deeper understanding of the Black woman s
experience in corporate America. Issues such as race,
gender, family of origin, social status and
interpersonal relationships are fully explored. The
strategies these women used to achieve their
professional goals in the workplace are also
presented. In addition the study provides an
opportunity to explore African American women s
notions of success and an understanding of how their
interpretation of their experiences affects their
choice of strategies to use to accomplish their
goals. It was discovered that among the strategies
used by the research participants and defined by the
author was a typology of mentor relationships:
Traditional-Hierarchical, Coach-Confidante and
Touchstone.
About the author
Shirley Matthews, Ph.D. is the Director of Counseling Services atSeton Hall University. Dr. Matthews has worked as anorganizational consultant for more than twenty years. Shereceived her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from New YorkUniversity, her Master of Arts degree in OrganizationalPsychology from Teachers College Columbia University.
