Date of Conferral

12-10-2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Dr. Teresa Lao

Abstract

The frequent underemployment of African immigrants and lower job earnings continues to be a problem in the United States. African immigrants in the United States struggle to effectively navigate the U.S. organizational culture system due to cultural barriers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceptions of African immigrants regarding their employee performance and cultural barriers in terms of communication within Fortune 500 companies in Houston, Texas. Research questions involved how African immigrants navigated and adapted to cultural expectations within Fortune 500 companies and how adaptation influenced their perceptions of job satisfaction and performance. The study was grounded using rational choice theory. Seidman's exploratory case study method was used to analyze and process the semi-structured interviews from a purposive sample of 12 African immigrants working in Houston, Texas. Six critical themes emerged from the thematic data analysis: (a) cultural misunderstanding, (b) promotion and advancement, (c) workplace inclusion, (d) communication barriers, (e) organizational support, and (f) networking and professional growth. Findings indicated that the organizational culture was significant for African immigrant employees to influence changes in global organizational policies, procedures, and practices, which may impact their performance and promote organizational culture sustainability in Fortune 500 companies. The implications for positive social change include the potential for Fortune 500 companies' leaders to implement management programs to improve leadership selection, development, and cultural training to enhance African immigrant employees' job satisfaction and performance in the United States.

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