Section Sixthree-year period. Additionally, over the same time period, the
attrition of females declined from 16.2 to 7.6 percent.^76
Some suggestions from the literature appear to have
value in enabling organizations to be more effective in the
management of diversity. One suggestion deals with the
advancement of minorities and females. Advancement to
upper-level positions requires information that is obtained
through informal networks from which minorities and females
are often excluded. Because the pathway to promotion for
companies’ highest-level jobs becomes more subtle and ill
defined with moves up the organizational hierarchy, it is
desirable for organizations to devote more attention to these
subtleties. Being networked and acquiring upward pull from a
mentor are critical before minorities and females can rise to the
top.^77 Roosevelt Thomas has explained this process as follows:
Another widespread assumption, probably
absorbed from American culture in general, is
that “cream will rise to the top.” In most
companies, what passes for cream rising to the
top is actually cream being pulled or pushed to
the top by an informal system of mentoring and
sponsorship.^78