Career Advancement and Ethnicity : The Experiences in a Multinational Swedish Company

Abstract: In terms of ethnic background, the labor market of the twenty-first century may be more culturally diverse than ever. At the same time, cultural, racial and ethnic bias are frequently reflected in organizational hierarchy. Power disparities affect interactions between people of different cultures since persons from ethnic minorities are typically shut out of high-ranking positions in Western nations. The homogeneity of most management demonstrates the various gaps in the widespread perception of cultural, ethnic and racial bias. Additionally, given the ambiguity surrounding the connection between organizational structures and racial bias, D&I deployment in organizations can occasionally be dispersed. The aim of this study is to raise awareness of how employees' ethnicity influences career advancement in a multinational organizational culture. In addition to providing insights into issues facing the culture, this tries to pinpoint perceived disparities that are brought on by existing institutions and cultures. The analytical unit is a subsidiary of a multinational company with its headquarters in Sweden. Semi-structured interviews, also known as qualitative research interviews, were conducted. The study focused on employees at lower levels of the hierarchy and had a global scope. The findings revealed that when it came to questions about nationality and career advancement, non-Western employees were typically aware of cultural, ethnic, or racial bias and could reflect on complex issues within these topics, in contrast to Western employees who were not as familiar with these topics. While this study has provided insight into the perspectives of employees and members of ethnic minorities on career advancement, there are still a great deal of unexplored fields. Based on the study's findings, employers and employees are better equipped to understand the concepts, detect examples, and build the necessary skills and instruments to overcome ethnic bias through awareness-raising and training, social dialogue, and diversity research.