A multilevel study of the relationships between diversity training,ethnic discrimination and satisfaction in organizations

The prevalence of diversity training has not been matched by empirical research on its effectiveness. Among the most notable gaps are an absence of attention to its impact on discrimination and limited consideration of organizational‐level factors. Results from employee surveys across 395 healthcare organizations reveal an effect of the extent of diversity training in organizations on ethnic minorities' experiences of discrimination. In addition, the results demonstrate that the consequences of ethnic discrimination for individuals' job attitudes are influenced by organizational‐level phenomenon. These findings highlight the importance of attending to ethnic discrimination as an outcome of diversity training with implications for employee attitudes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ironic evaluation processes: effects of thought suppression on evaluations of older job applicants

This research explored ironic evaluation processes initiated by suppression instructions conveyed during diversity training. Raters watched one of three training videos: a video providing information about age diversity and recommending that they try to suppress age‐related thoughts; a video providing information about age, sex, race, and ethnic diversity and recommending that they try to suppress demography‐related thoughts; or a control video containing no suppression recommendations. All raters then evaluated a series of job applicants. During the evaluation task, some raters were cognitively busy while others were not. Ironically, busy raters instructed to suppress age‐related thoughts evaluated an older applicant less favorably than raters in other conditions. These results suggest that organizational diversity training including instructions to suppress stereotypic thoughts may have detrimental effects on evaluations of non‐traditional job applicants if raters are cognitively busy when they implement these instructions. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Workplace racial/ethnic similarity,job satisfaction,and lumbar back health among warehouse workers: Asymmetric reactions across racial/ethnic groups

Racial and ethnic minority employees constitute a significant proportion of the U.S. workforce. The literature on demographic similarity in the workplace suggests that the proportion of co‐workers who share the same racial/ethnic background (racial/ethnic similarity) can influence job attitudes and employee well‐being and that the reactions to racial/ethnic similarity may differ between the racially dominant and subordinate groups. This study applies status construction theory to examine the extent to which racial/ethnic similarity is associated with job satisfaction and lumbar back health among warehouse employees. We surveyed 361 warehouse workers (204 whites, 94 African‐Americans, and 63 Latino workers) in 68 jobs in nine distribution centers in the United States. Multilevel analyses indicate that white and racial/ethnic minority groups react differently to racial/ethnic similarity. For job satisfaction, white employees experience higher job satisfaction when they are highly racially/ethnically similar to their colleagues, whereas Latino employees experience higher job satisfaction when they are racially/ethnically dissimilar to others. As for lumbar back health, among Latino and African‐American employees, higher racial/ethnic similarity is associated with better lumbar back health whereas for white employees, the association is the opposite. Across all groups, moderate levels of racial/ethnic similarity were associated with the best lumbar back health. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emotional appeal in recruitment advertising and applicant attraction: Unpacking national cultural differences

We investigated the impact of the type of emotional appeal (ego‐focused vs. other‐focused) used in recruiting advertisements on applicant attraction to firms through two experimental studies across three countries (the United States, China, and Singapore). In Study 1, we made a traditional cultural comparison between the United States and China, whose dominant cultural values are characterized by individualism and collectivism, respectively. We found applicants in the United States were more strongly attracted to firms whose recruiting advertisements were based on an ego‐focused emotional appeal, while applicants in China were more attracted to firms that used ads with an other‐focused emotional appeal. Study 2 was conducted in bicultural Singapore. We primed bicultural applicants to be either the individualistic or collectivistic aspect of their cultural heritage. Applicants with individualist priming were attracted to recruiting advertisements with an ego‐focused emotional appeal, whereas applicants with collectivist priming were attracted to advertisements with an other‐focused emotional appeal. In addition, both studies revealed that a job applicant's regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention) mediated the influence of national culture on the relationship between type of emotional appeal and applicant attraction to firms. Practical implications and suggestions for future research also are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Self‐efficacy changes in groups: effects of diversity,leadership, and group climate

Self‐efficacy belief is a significant predictor of behavioral choices in terms of goal setting, the amount of effort devoted to a particular task, and actual performance. This study conceives of formation and change of self‐efficacy as a social and context‐dependent process. We hypothesized that different group factors (discretionary and ambient group stimuli) influence changes in members' self‐efficacy through differing routes (individual‐level and cross‐level processes). We tested our hypotheses using data from individuals in 169 training groups who attended a 5‐day workshop designed to increase participants' job‐search skills and efficacy. Specifically, we examined the degree of change in participants' job‐search efficacy before and after the workshop. The results showed that (a) membership diversity in education was positively related to increases in job‐search efficacy, (b) supportive leadership contributed to job‐search efficacy at the individual level of analysis with no cross‐level effects, and (c) open group climate contributed to job‐search efficacy through both individual‐level and cross‐level processes. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Occupational stress among health care workers: A test of the job demands-control model

Models of occupational stress have often failed to make explicit the variable of control over the environment, as well as the role of job socialization in shaping personality characteristics and coping behaviours. This neglect has helped maintain the focus of stress reduction interventions on the individual. A new model of occupational stress developed by Robert Karasek incorporates control and socialization effects and has successfully predicted the development of heart disease and psychological strain. A survey instrument derived from the model was distributed to 771 hospital and nursing home employees in New Jersey, and 289 (37.5 per cent) were returned. Respondents did not significantly differ from non-respondents by age, sex, job tenure, union membership status, job satisfaction, job perceptions and attitude towards employer and union. The results support the hypothesis that reported job strain (job dissatisfaction, depression, psychosomatic symptoms) and burnout is significantly higher in jobs that combine high workload demands with low decision latitude. This association remained significant after controlling for age, sex, education, marital status, children, hours worked per week and shift worked. Other job characteristics (job insecurity, physical exertion, social support, hazard exposure) were also associated with strain and burnout. The survey instrument also identified high strain jobtitles in the surveyed workplaces. The results are discussed in relation to directions for future research, research on stress in nursing, and approaches to stress reduction.     

Cognitive processes in procedural justice judgments: The role of ease‐of‐retrieval,uncertainty, and experience

In a field experiment with 517 job applicants, the processes underlying the formation of procedural justice judgments were investigated. It was hypothesized that procedural justice judgments may be based not only on content information (e.g., “What are fair aspects of the selection procedure?”), but also on the felt ease or difficulty with which this content information can be retrieved from memory (ease‐of‐retrieval; e.g., “How easily can I recall fair aspects of the selection procedure?”). Evaluations of the company's online application procedure show that job candidates based procedural justice judgments on content information or on ease‐of‐retrieval, depending on their uncertainty regarding the online application procedure as well as their prior experiences with online applications. Specifically, experienced applicants who felt certain based their judgments on ease‐of‐retrieval, whereas all other applicants based their judgments on content information. Implications for research on the formation of justice judgments as well as practical applications are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Asian Americans and workplace discrimination: The interplay between sex of evaluators and the perception of social skills

In two role‐playing scenarios, we investigate how White male and female evaluators perceive an Asian American versus White job candidate on the dimensions of competence and social skills and how these perceptions affect evaluators' decisions in hiring and promotion. Specifically, Study 1 examines how the perceptions of competence and social skills affect Asian (versus White) college graduates' chance of obtaining a non‐technical (versus technical) position, and Study 2 tests how these perceptions affect Asians' probability of promotion relative to Whites'. Our findings suggest that female evaluators were less likely to select Asian than White candidates into positions involving social skills and were less likely to promote Asian than White candidates into these types of positions. Furthermore, female evaluators' perception that Asians were less socially skilled than Whites mediated both of these decisions. This paper contributes to the understanding of workplace discrimination of Asian Americans. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Job and industry fit: the effects of age and gender matches on career progress outcomes

Using a sample of 232 MBA alumni, we tested the impact of respondent age, gender, and their interaction on career progress outcomes (managerial level, number of promotions, and salary) and whether age‐ and gender‐type of contexts moderated these relationships. Women's salaries did not increase much with age, whereas men's salaries showed a marked increase with age. We also found a gender × job gender‐type effect on salary, such that women earned somewhat higher salaries in masculine‐typed jobs, while men earned considerably higher salaries in feminine‐typed jobs. In addition, we observed a three‐way interaction between gender, age, and age‐type of industry indicating that younger men received more promotions in old‐typed industries, while younger women received more promotions in young‐typed ones. Results are discussed in light of cognitive matching approaches and status characteristics theory. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Process investigation of realistic job previews: Mediating variables and channels of communication

A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the role of three possible mediating variables (job attitude, job knowledge, and job acceptance intention) to explain the effects of realistic job previews (RJPs) on entry-level outcomes. In addition, the effectiveness of an oral realistic job preview presented by an employment interviewer was compared to a written RJP. Sixty undergraduate student volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) an oral RJP presented to job applicants by the employment interviewer during an employment interview; (2) a written RJP given to job applicants to read before an employment interview; and (3) a control condition in which job applicants received general job information from the interviewer during an employment interview. Results indicated that knowledge was an important mediator of RJP effects on several entry-level outcomes whereas attitude and job acceptance intention did not mediate RJP effects although both were strongly related to job acceptance decisions. In addition, the oral RJP was more effective than both the written RJP and general job information in creating positive preceptions of interviewer and organization honesty. Both the oral and the written RJP lowered subjects' job expectations and increased role clarity in comparison to the control group but did not affect job acceptance or commitment to job choice. The implications for future RJP research and application are discussed.     

Does job insecurity threaten who you are? Introducing a social identity perspective to explain well‐being and performance consequences of job insecurity

This paper introduces a social identity perspective to job insecurity research. Worrying about becoming jobless, we argue, is detrimental because it implies an anticipated membership of a negatively evaluated group—the group of unemployed people. Job insecurity hence threatens a person's social identity as an employed person. This in turn will affect well‐being and job performance. A three‐wave survey study amongst 377 British employees supports this perspective. Persons who felt higher levels of job insecurity were more likely to report a weaker social identity as an employed person. This effect was found to be stable over time and also held against a test of reverse causality. Furthermore, social identity as an employed person influenced well‐being and in‐role job performance and mediated the effect of job insecurity on these two variables over time. Different to the expectations, social identity as an employed person and organisational proactivity were not connected. The findings deliver interesting evidence for the role of social identity as an employed person in the relationships between job insecurity and its consequences. Theoretically, this perspective illustrates the individual and group‐related nature of job insecurity and offers a novel way of connecting work situations with individual well‐being, behaviour and attitudes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An assessment of attraction toward affirmative action organizations: investigating the role of individual differences

Our study investigated applicant characteristics in response to organizations incorporating an affirmative action policy (AAP) statement in recruitment material. Study participants (N = 217; White upper‐level management students) randomly received recruitment material containing one of three statements (e.g., affirmative action, equal employment opportunity (EEO), or no statement regarding affirmative action or EEO) and were asked to evaluate the attractiveness of the organization publicizing the designated policy. Results indicated that individuals responded negatively to AAPs in recruitment material because of prejudice attitudes, the perceived unfairness of such programs (which we relate to equity sensitivity), or in an attempt to protect their own self‐interest (which we relate to general self‐efficacy). Additionally, individuals' equity sensitivity and general self‐efficacy both moderated the relationship between racial prejudice and organizational attractiveness. Specifically, the negative relationships between participants' prejudice attitudes and the attractiveness of organizations publicizing an affirmative action policy were stronger for benevolents (persons tolerant of situations where they are under‐rewarded) and for persons low in self‐efficacy. Implications of our findings for organizational recruitment practices are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Demographic similarity to the work group: A longitudinal study of managers at the early career stage

A sample of 141 Canadian business school graduates responded to questionnaires at 3, 9 and 14 months after beginning full-time jobs. Their job experiences including challenge, work group fit, supervisor support, and mentorship were measured along with organizational commitment, turnover, and promotion. There was little evidence of treatment discrimination against the female and minority members of the sample. However, dissimilarity to one's work group in terms of age, education, and lifestyle meant lower job challenge and poorer work group fit. In contrast, being dissimilar in terms of gender meant greater challenge, and, if the manager was male, greater likelihood of promotion. Being dissimilar in terms of culture was not associated with any of the job experiences. Relationships between the early experiences and organizational commitment were strongest for those who were most dissimilar in terms of gender, whereas relationships between the experiences and turnover were strongest for those who were most dissimilar in terms of age, education, and lifestyle.     

Predicting applicants' job pursuit behavior from their selection expectations: the mediating role of the theory of planned behavior

Applicants' pretest expectations about the forthcoming selection procedure may serve as a key factor in applicants' decision‐making. The current study examined the validity of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as an explanatory mechanism of the relationship between pretest selection expectations (warmth/respect, chance to demonstrate potential, difficulty of faking, unbiased assessment, feedback) and job pursuit behavior. Data were collected at two points in time, using a sample of applicants for the military. Selection expectations, job pursuit attitude, subjective norm, and controllability were significantly related to job pursuit intention. Job pursuit attitude mediated the relationship between selection expectations and job pursuit intention. Subjective norm and time lag were the only significant predictors of job pursuit behavior. Practical implications, strengths and limitations, as well as directions for further research are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isms and schisms: A meta‐analysis of the prejudice‐discrimination relationship across racism,sexism, and ageism

Racism, sexism, and ageism persist in modern day organizations and may translate into workplace discrimination, which can undermine organizational effectiveness. We provide the first meta‐analysis comparing the relationships between these three types of prejudice (racism, sexism, and ageism) and three types of workplace discrimination (selection, performance evaluation, and opposition to diversity‐supportive policies). Across outcomes, racism was associated with workplace discrimination, whereas sexism was not. Ageism was associated with discriminatory selection and opposition to organizational policies supporting older workers; however, ageism was not related to discriminatory performance evaluation. Consistent with prior research and theory, Implicit Association Test measures were related to subtle discrimination (opposition to diversity‐supportive policies) but not deliberate discrimination (selection and performance evaluation). Finally, prejudice was more strongly associated with discrimination against real as compared with hypothetical targets. Implications for organizational researchers and practitioners are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

You think you are big fish in a small pond? Perceived overqualification,goal orientations,and proactivity at work

Overqualification denotes situations in which job incumbents have higher qualifications than those required for the job. Drawing on the self‐regulatory perspective, we proposed that employees' perception of overqualification positively affects their proactive behavior through the mechanism of role‐breadth self‐efficacy and that this indirect effect is moderated by employees' goal orientations. We tested our hypotheses through two studies. In Study 1, we found that perceived overqualification had a positive indirect effect on employees' proactive behavior through role‐breadth self‐efficacy using a sample of 323 salespeople with a cross‐lagged panel design. In Study 2, the multi‐wave and multi‐source data from 302 teachers confirmed the indirect effect and indicated that performance goal orientation and learning goal orientation moderated the indirect relationship. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intraorganizational mobility and work related attitudes

Survey responses of 690 employees of a state agency were used to investigate the idea that internal mobility experiences ‘spill over’ to affect a variety of job attitudes and perceptions. Having one's internal mobility expectations met, as opposed to unmet, was associated with more favorable work-related attitudes, a finding not moderated by demographic factors. Furthermore, employees denied a job change for ‘fair’ reasons generally exhibited more favorable work-related attitudes than those denied for a reason construed as ‘unfair’ (e.g. sex discrimination, reverse discrimination). Demographic characteristics were again observed to moderate few relationships.     

How retirees work: predictors of different types of bridge employment

Employment after retirement, known as bridge employment, is expected to occur more frequently because the baby boom generation will increase the number of retirees. Little is known about which employees will obtain which type of bridge employment when they retire, even though it has important implications. The present study examined work‐related attitudes, job characteristics, and work‐related accomplishments of 171 retirees in order to predict whether they would fully retire or take one of two types of bridge jobs after retirement: Career‐consistent bridge jobs or bridge jobs in fields different from their original career. Continuity theory of retirement helped predict post‐retirement employment type. Retirees who had skills specifically related to their career job were more likely to work in a career‐related bridge job than either to fully retire or to take a bridge job that was not related to their careers; retirees who formerly held career jobs with intrinsically motivating job characteristics were more likely to take a career‐related bridge job than to retire fully, and retirees who had experienced work strain in their career job were more likely to take a bridge job not related to their former career than to take a career bridge job. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From the outside in: The negative spillover effects of boundary spanners' relations with members of other organizations

Contrary to much boundary spanning research, we examined the negative consequences of boundary spanning contact in multi‐organizational contexts. Results from a sample of 833 Dutch peacekeepers show that employees' boundary spanning contact with members of other organizations was associated with reports of negative relationships with external parties (e.g., work‐specific problems, culture‐specific problems). These negative relationships also had a spillover effect such that they mediated the effect of boundary spanning contact on boundary spanners' negative attitudes toward their own jobs and organization (e.g., job attractiveness and confidence in the organization). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The moderating role of calling in the work–family interface: Buffering and substitution effects on employee satisfaction

This research seeks for improved understanding regarding the interaction of meaningful work and the work–family interface. Existing literature suggests that experiencing a sense of calling toward work makes the work domain particularly salient to employees compared to other life domains. In this article, we draw on this idea, rooted in identity theory, to hypothesize that a sense of calling toward work diminishes the effects of work–family conflict and work–family enrichment on employee's job and life satisfaction. We test these ideas in two studies. First, we surveyed an alumni sample of 598 employees from various jobs, industries, and job levels. Then, in a constructive replication, we surveyed 327 employees using a time-lagged design. Calling was found to significantly buffer the effect of work–family conflict on job satisfaction in Study 2, but not Study 1. Calling did not buffer the effect of conflict on life satisfaction in either study. However, both studies demonstrated that calling attenuated (substituted for) the effect of work–family enrichment on job satisfaction. Study 1 supported the idea that calling attenuates the effect of enrichment on life satisfaction; however, this interactive effect was reversed in Study 2, contrary to expectations. We discuss implications for theory and practice related to callings and career choices, as well as for the role of calling and work identity in the work–family interface.