Exploring the differences between African Americans and Caucasians in their preferences for employment within the advertising field

The advertising business has long been criticized by trade publications and industry professionals for its continued lack of racial and ethnic minorities, relative to the U.S. population. Though members of the industry have taken some action to diversify advertising, the industry and academic researchers have neglected to investigate the possible differences between minorities, namely African Americans, and Caucasians in their preferences for employment within the advertising field. An understanding of these differences could help advertising companies better match the expectations of minority employees, increasing the chances of retention. Through the use of focus group interviews and a survey, this study was designed to gain a better understanding of these possible differences. The study results indicate a major concern of African Americans on issues relating to race (i.e. diversity in the agency, diversity of management, being able to express themselves culturally). Additionally, earning a high income and a clear path to management positions were much more important to African Americans than Caucasians. Last, significant differences existed between African Americans and Caucasians in their preferences for both type of company and discipline of choice. These results are discussed and areas of future research are recommended to expand the knowledge on this topicAdvertisin