Empowerment through Development: The role of affirmative action and management development

Increasing skills shortages, changing consumer profiles, international press-ure and corporate awakening to the reality of black political empowerment have all led to increasing attention being paid in South Africa in recent years to the need to move black people into managerial positions. The initial and crucial thrust for this change in direction has come generally from those multinationals operating in South Africa which subscribe to the various codesofconduct. With hindsight, however, itwould appearthatsomeofthese companies have not been as successful in the area of black management development as might have been anticipated. Although, in many compan-ies, most discriminatory practices have been removed and a general equity in working conditions and remuneration for work of equal value has been achieved, the progress of black people up the management hierarchy has been both tardy and chequered. Less than 5 % of all South African managers employed by white-owned companies are ’black ’ even though this racial categorisation comprises Asian and so-called ’coloured ’ managers as wel