• Examining findings from a research study

• Questioning its implications

Individual and Organizational Causes of Discrimination

• Unequal treatment or behavior toward members of different groups (Stephan & Stephan 02)

Definition of discrimination

• Differences in – Income– Percent in management & senior executive ranks– Recruiting & retention rates– Hiring rates, performance ratings, promotion rates

• Via differential access to social networks, mentoring, training

– Percent allocated to same-race supervisors• See also Dear White boss

– Self-reported discrimination– Satisfaction

• Bystander reports See also Human Rights doc

Measures of discrimination

• Rating of Black applicants’ qualifications

• Number Black applicants hired

Discrimination Measuresused by Brief et al

Organizational Directives

Discrimination

One Organizational Factor: Brief et al Study 1

• Hypothesis (H): Do all comply with directives?

• Finding (F): Yes– Those who received business justification not to

hire Black candidates rated Black candidates lower than those who did not receive such justifications

Study 1

• Organizations provide employees with much needed resources

• Employees believe person-organization ‘fit’ arguments– Cohesiveness leads to better functioning– Clients prefer employees of a certain kind

Why do all employees comply w/directives?

Organizational Directives

Discrimination

Brief et al Study 1

Stereotype

Prejudice

Discrimination

Stephan & Stephan 02 model tested by Brief et al Study 2 & 3

An individual factor: Brief et al Study 2&3

• Negative attitudes Stephan & Stephan 02

– Evaluations & feelings• E.g., Evaluations: They are bad…

• Feelings: I hate..

Traditional definition of prejudice

• Positive + negative feelings • E.g., sympathy & aversion

• Negative feelings + value equality

• Negative feelings+ perceived value differences

• E.g., in self-reliance

Contemporary manifestations of PrejudiceAdding to traditional definitions…

New Prejudice

Stephan & Stephan 02

• Endorse equal opportunity values but oppose equal opportunity policies

• Believe that… • Blacks do not value self-reliance, self discipline• Racial discrimination no longer exists• Blatant racism is bad• Blacks have moved too fast• Discriminate when justified

• E.g., employee-customer match, employee-organization fit

A type of New Prejudice: New Racism

• Modern Racism scale previously validated in other research– Learning Check (from Research Methods):

• What does it mean to be validated?

• What does it mean to be reliable?

• What is the relation between reliability & validity

• Example items – Discrimination against Blacks is no longer a problem

– Blacks age getting too demanding in their push for equal rights

– Over the past few years, Blacks have gotten more economically than they deserve

One measure of new racism

Organizational Directives

Prejudice

Discrimination

Individual & Organizational Causes Brief et al Study 2 & 3

• Non-racists comply even if it conflicts with personal values because they feel obliged to obey authority

• New racists comply because it confirms their attitudes and justifies their discriminatory behavior

• Is acting in line w/own beliefs stronger than obeying authority?

Why do new racists discriminate more?

• H: Do new racists comply more with directives?

• F: Yes, – New racists selected fewer Blacks when they

received business reasons not to hire Blacks when compared to those who were non-racists and those who did not receive justifications

Study 2

• Disperse authority • E.g., Immediate line manager & HR are responsible for

personnel decisions (see also Cox)

• Re-define loyalty of subordinates• Encourage questioning of orders

• Encourage dialogue on how to articulate doubts & respond to troublesome orders

• Create norm of openness

Implications: Implement Principle Disobedience

• “Fit” justifications for hiring should – Not be used or– If “fit” is a bona-fide occupational requirement,

then it dimensions of fit be clearly articulated • Job-person fit

• Person-organization

Implications:Establish clear selection criteria?

Gladwell New Yorker Article suggests this is not a good strategy

• Scores on College entrance exam board/SAT

• Indicators of personal, academic, extracurricular, athletic excellence– Reference letters– Personal essays demonstrating leadership aptitude– List of extra curricular activities– Emissaries’ ratings of character– Indicators of background & breeding

• Speech, dress, deportment, physical appearance

Gladwell article

Changing criteria for admission

• Success DURING college (e.g., law students)

• Success AFTER college (e.g., lawyers)– Personal inner force, personality, athletic ability,

social skills, motivation in addition to academic achievement

• Be good graduates– Be Generous & loyal as alumni

Changing criteria for admission

Gladwell article

• Are they measured well?– Not as well as academic achievement

Validity of admission criteria

• Ability to predict salary– Those admitted into both types of schools but

chose non-ivy League schools earned the same as those who chose Ivy-league schools

– Male athletes with lower SAT scores earn more than peers

• Choice of job: high paying financial services

• Personality traits competitiveness, determination, outgoingness, team player confidence: measurement issues

Validity of admission criteria

• Ability to predict job performance– LSATs don’t predict lawyer success

• Restriction of range on LSAT scores reduces correlation

• LSAT only measure some of the skills needed to become a successful lawyer

Validity of admission criteria

• Establishing clear criteria is not sufficient

• Establishing valid criteria is not sufficient if they result in ‘adverse’ impact– Legal requirement is that if it has adverse impact

it should be a job requirement (i.e. valid)

Conclusions from Gladwell article

• Individuals and organizations can cause discrimination– Individual=prejudicial attitudes– Organizational

• Ability to extract compliance from employees,

• Ability to determine & validate criteria for ‘fit’

Final Conclusions