Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the motivational factors that influence African American men to enter a doctoral program by identifying the motivational factors that influenced them to enter a doctorial program. The findings were compared to Dr. Gloria J. Hill's dissertation study (2005), What Motivational Factors Influence African American Women to Enter a Doctoral Program, including Personal, Professional, and Cultural Identity, or Other Factors, and How Do These Factors Compare with Caucasian Women? Methodology: A systematic replication was used to determine if there was a relationship between this study and that of Dr. Gloria Hill's study. Dr. Hill's study analyzed the motivational factors that influence African American women to enter a doctoral program. These factors included: personal, professional, and cultural identity. These factors were examined with African American men to determine whether or not there is a correlation between the motivational factors of African American men and the findings in Dr. Hill's study on African American and Caucasian women. Findings: The ethnographic research of Africa American men found overarching themes related to motivational factors that influenced each participant to enter a doctoral program. The participants' ethnographies revealed how they saw themselves, their interaction with their careers, mentors, family, and peers. Reflectively looking inwardly was the lens which motivated them to enter a doctoral program. Conclusions: The results of this study provided information on factors contributing to the motivational factors that influence African American men to enter a doctoral program. The research identified an ethnographic framework that exists among African American men that influenced them to enter a doctoral program. Recommendations: Recommendations for further research are far reaching. Theories of motivation as they apply to academics have been researched for quite some time, yet as mentioned earlier, few studies have looked at within groups differences. It is the hope of the researcher that studying motivational research as it applies to why African American men enroll in doctoral programs will continue.