Black women who have gained access to higher education and higher paying positions often find themselves in less than optimal work environments, on account of racist and sexist attitudes of their colleagues. Accordingly, this study was undertaken to identify those aspects of interpersonal interaction and response among black professional women on predominantly white university campuses which relate to optimal satisfaction with work environments. The Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation--Behavior (FIRO-B) and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) were distributed to 30 black professional women. The following specific interpersonal interaction styles and interpersonal responses were found to be related to higher levels of work satisfaction: (1) caution in approaching colleagues; (2) a social support network outside of the work environment; and (3) high self-confidence, combined with little need for affection from others. References are included. (TE)