Social Class in Organizations: Organizational and Societal Consequences of the Managerial Elite

Abstract

Organizational scholars studying managers of large companies have long theorized that the managerial class is dominated by elites of upper social class background. Organizations remain reflections of the class system in the societies they are situated in, and tend to advantage those of higher social class backgrounds. If organizations are perpetuating societal inequality by favoring those from higher social class background and positioning them to dictate organizational and societal outcomes, it is important to understand ways to reduce inequality by increasing social class diversity of the managerial elite, and theorize on the implications of this diversity for business and society. Considering the recognition of a need for increased opportunity and equality in organizations, and the Academy of Management’s overarching goal of broadening the vision of management research, the goal of this symposium is to bring together a group of scholars on the forefront of social class research on organizations to understand the influence of social class on the managerial elite. This symposium seeks to explore the effect of social class in attaining access to the most influential managerial positions in organizations, the conditions in which there may be greater diversity of social class backgrounds in the managerial elite, and how the managerial elite, as a cohesive unit, can affect firm strategic actions, and societal outcomes through political and social activity.