Do the determinants of promotion differ for white men versus women and minorities? An exploration of intersectionalism through sponsored and contest mobility processes

This article uses survey data to address two previously unanswered questions: What explains the gap in promotion between women and minorities relative to White men? and Are the processes that determine promotions for White men the same for minorities and women? Overall, race and gender intersect to produce unique promotion outcomes for all groups. Specifically, promotion gaps between White men and their female and minority counterparts are largely a function of group differences in performance indicators and work commitment. Also, relative to White men, before receiving a promotion, Black men must work longer periods of time after leaving school and Latinos must accrue more years with their current employer Finally, the processes that lead to promotion do not differ between White men and White women, but relative to White men, Black women and Latinas must have more prior job specific experience and more overall work, experience before receiving a promotion-all else equal.