Black CEOs comprise just 1% of leaders of largest companies in US

Washington - African -American CEOs account for a mere one percent of the chiefs of the 500 largest companies in the US, a new study has revealed.

The study published in the current issue of the Academy of Management Journal suggested that stereotypes about blacks' leadership failings and biases shape perceptions about the community.

The researchers found evidence of this phenomenon from newspaper stories about college football quarterbacks, which indicate a consistent pattern of blaming leadership for losses when quarterbacks are black but not when they are white.

The researchers analyzed newspaper reports over the course of a season for 119 teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, the highest level of competition in college football.

 "Evaluators adjust the way they use stereotypes according to performance outcomes. Specifically, negative leader-based stereotypes will be applied after [a black quarterback's] performance failure and non-leader compensatory stereotypes (i.e., black leaders succeed because of marginal qualities that 'compensate' for negative qualities) will be applied after performance success,” the researchers said.

They suggested that "perception-based reform" involving one –on one small group interactions would combat stereotypes about blacks.

They researchers also said that black leaders themselves can make their colleagues and subordinates more aware of their qualifications and experience.