A Psychological Benefit of a “Black” Organization?

Here’s a nifty psychological tidbit for you, from the social research site ContextsDiscoveries , that triggers an interesting organizational question ….

It’s not just life experiences that affect mental health, but also how they are resolved. While African Americans tend to have more negative events, they also tend to have more resolutions, thus giving them more positive mental health.

If African Americans tend to be more successful at resolving negative life events, then would "Black" organizations — organizations whose cultures reflect the values, norms and practices of Black Americans — be more successful at coping with negative organizational experiences?

As the authors explain:

“We noted that personal enhancement and growth may occur because successful resolutions often involve a new behavioral or cognitive response that is added to the individual’s armamentarium of coping skills, and because the experience contributes to one’s perception of self as the kind of person who can effectively deal with such difficulties—-a perception that will tend to motivate rather than undermine future coping efforts.

It’s not just acquiring an additional coping skill, but establishing an identity as ‘the kind of person / or organization that can cope with tough situations. Hmm.

That would be a nifty competitive advantage.

Citation:
“Major Life Events: Their Personal Meaning, Resolution, and Mental Health Significance”, John R. Reynolds & Jay R. Turner, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, June 2008, p223-237.

Tagged as: Black organizations, contextsdiscoveries, coping with challenges, coping with negative events, cultural differences, Diversity & Feminism, mental health, organizational culture, positive organizations, social science