TO STUDY THE APPLICATION OF EQUAL EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES IN COMPANY SETTINGS AND TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THESE PRACTICES ON MINORITY GROUP EMPLOYMENT, 20 COMPANIES WITH VARYING EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURE, INDUSTRY, SIZE, NUMBER OF BRANCH UNITS, GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD, AND PRODUCT OR SERVICE WERE STUDIED. ALL WERE TRYING TO PROMOTE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR FIRMS. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM UNION OFFICIALS, 134 COMPANY OFFICIALS, 205 WHITE WORKERS INCLUDING SUPERVISORS, AND 215 NEGRO WORKERS WHO WERE INTERVIEWED BY PERSONS OF THEIR OWN RACE TO FACILITATE FRANKNESS. THE FINDINGS INCLUDED -- (1) MANAGEMENT REPORTED MORE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES ACHIEVEMENTS IN DEVELOPING NEW RECRUITMENT PROCEDURES THAN IN TRAINING AND PROMOTION PRACTICES, (2) MANAGEMENT VIEWED THE NEGRO JOB PROBLEM AS A COMMUNITY RATHER THAN A COMPANY RESPONSIBILITY, (3) UNION UNWILLINGNESS TO MODIFY SENIORITY AND APPRENTICESHIP STRUCTURES HAD BEEN A BARRIER TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, (4) FEW WHITE WORKERS ADMITTED THAT NEGROES HAD ANY SPECIAL JOB DIFFICULTIES BECAUSE OF SKIN COLOR, (5) THE MAJOR FEAR OF WHITES WAS THE ENVISIONED THREAT OF PREFERENTIAL HIRING PRACTICES FOR NEGROES, (6) NEGRO WORKERS FELT THAT THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE JOB DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THEM IN HIRING, TRAINING, AND PROMOTIONS, AND THEY BELIEVED THAT THEIR LACK OF OPPORTUNITY WAS MORE A MATTER OF THEIR SKIN COLOR THAN THEIR LACK OF TRAINING, AND (7) THE NEGRO PROMOTION RATE WAS IN FACT LOWER THAN THE WHITE RATE. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDED THE NECESSITY FOR CONTINUED MONITORING OF COMPANY EQUAL EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES BY OUTSIDE AGENCIES WITH STATUTORY POWERS TO EFFECT CHANGE. (ET)