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Abstract:
Too many African American women continue to experience difficulty achieving fulfillment and upward mobility success in the workplace. The purpose of this project was to design and evaluate a program that helps African American women develop strategies, interpersonal skills, and cultural competencies necessary to achieve greater fulfillment and success in the workplace. Fulfillment, as referenced in this project, refers to the extent to which a person feels content and good about their job. Success, as referenced in this project, refers to the extent to which a person is experiencing their desired effectiveness and advancement on the job. The program developed was titled the African American Women Work Culture Effectiveness Program (AAWWCEP). This program engaged 24 African American women participants in 4-full days of training. Day 1 focused on increasing participates' intrapersonal skills (self-awareness and self-regulating abilities). Day 2 focused on interpersonal skills, and Day 3 focused on understanding one's self in relation to one's work culture. Day 4 of the program provided each participant an opportunity to share their key learnings and plan for achieving greater fulfillment, effectiveness, and/or success. Pre and post-tests were used to gather data on awareness and knowledge gained by participants for each training day. T-tests were used to determine the extent to which participants' awareness and knowledge increased. Participant Evaluation Forms were also used to capture data on participants' perceived level of satisfaction and value of the program and suggestions to improve the program. T-scores indicated the means of the pre and post-scores for each training day/hypotheses were statistically different and significant. Specifically, participants of the AAWWCEP exhibited significantly increased awareness and knowledge of: their personality type and how it impacts their work style and interactions (t=9.72, p<.0005); how to improve work relationships and effectiveness through communication, negotiation, conflict management, visioning, and planning (t=13.88, p<0.0005); and values, norms, and behaviors essential to achieving success and fulfillment in the workplace (t=13.85, p<0.0005). Ratings specified on Participant Evaluation Forms indicated participants 'highly valued' and were 'very satisfied' with the program. On a scale of 1 to 6 (with 6 being very high), 100% of participants completing the program evaluation rated the program a 6 in all areas. The program provided a space for both concrete awareness, knowledge, and skill building along with a space to share, connect, and explore common successes, failures, joys, and pains, making the program, as many participants and facilitators described, 'a space and time for healing,'...'spiritually renewing,'...and 'an extremely powerful and priceless experience.' This program may serve as a springboard to conducting comparable research on programs for African American men and persons of other nationalities, ethnicities, personality styles, and co-cultural groups. Furthermore, it may provide valuable insight and potential frameworks, methodologies, and tools to assist helping professionals in resolving interpersonal challenges, strengthening workplace relationships, and increasing workplace gratification and success of co-cultural group members.
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