Manufacturing African American Self-Employment: In the Detroit Metropolitan Area

This qualitative case study examined the environmental factors and personal attributes of five self-employed African Americans to identify selected personal and organizational characteristics typical of successful self-employed African Americans and their businesses in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. The relationship between leadership, self-employment, and economic development in the African American culture formed the theoretical foundation for this study. Five environmental factors were identified as important in the lives of self-employed African Americans: inherited family influence, finances, risk-taking, management skills, and mentoring. Inherited family influence was identified as the most important environmental factor and transactional skills as the most prominent personal attribute. Empirical insights into the success strategies employed by participants in this study were gained, and 21 strategies emerged to help interested African Americans become self-employed.