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DEALING WITH DIFFERENCES: THE IMPACT OF DIVERSITY PERCEPTIONS ON ASSESSMENT OF MINORITY EMPLOYEES

Joep Hofhuis University of AmsterdamKaren van der Zee University of TwenteSabine Otten University of Groningen

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY AT WORK? MINI-REVIEW:

Diversity is a ‘double-edged sword’

Positive outcomes Innovation, creativity, learning potential, etc. (Nakui, Paulus & Van der Zee, 2011; Van Knippenberg, de Dreu, & Homan, 2004; Ely & Thomas, 2001)

Negative outcomes Decreased cohesion, miscommunication, stereotyping, threat, conflict, etc.(Fiske, 1998; Jehn & Bezrukova, 2004; Milliken & Martins, 1996)

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY AT WORK? MINI-REVIEW:

Diversity is a ‘double-edged sword’

Positive outcomes Innovation, creativity, learning potential, etc. (Nakui, Paulus & Van der Zee, 2011; Van Knippenberg, de Dreu, & Homan, 2004; Ely & Thomas, 2001)

Negative outcomes Decreased cohesion, miscommunication, stereotyping, threat, conflict, etc.(Fiske, 1998; Jehn & Bezrukova, 2004; Milliken & Martins, 1996)

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY AT WORK? MINI-REVIEW:

Diversity is a ‘double-edged sword’

Positive outcomes Innovation, creativity, learning potential, etc. (Nakui, Paulus & Van der Zee, 2011; Van Knippenberg, de Dreu, & Homan, 2004; Ely & Thomas, 2001)

Negative outcomes Decreased cohesion, miscommunication, stereotyping, threat, conflict, etc.(Fiske, 1998; Jehn & Bezrukova, 2004; Milliken & Martins, 1996)

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT:

- Recruiters generally prefer similarity (Ployhart & Holtz, 2008).

- Similarity bias occurs for many characteristics, such as gender, age, ethnic background, language accent.

- Cultural background is a strong source of perceived dissimilarity, thus minority members, on average, are disadvantaged in selection/assessment procedures. (Turban & Jones, 1988)

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IMPACT OF MINORITY MEMBER’S CULTURAL MAINTENANCE

- Cultural maintenance (CM) = the extent to which cultural identity and characteristics are considered to be important to the individual, and to which their maintenance is strived for. (Berry, 2000)

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IMPACT OF MINORITY MEMBER’S CULTURAL MAINTENANCE

- Cultural maintenance (CM) = the extent to which cultural identity and characteristics are considered to be important to the individual, and to which their maintenance is strived for. (Berry, 2000)

- High CM: Minority employee prefers to express their cultural heritage- Low CM: Minority employee prefers to adapt to the majority culture

- In selection and assessment, high CM is associated with less similarity, reducing chances of being hired. (De Vroome & Tubergen, 2010)

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IMPACT OF MINORITY MEMBER’S CULTURAL MAINTENANCE

- Recruiters prefer to hire minority members who adapt to the majority, as it reduces risk of negative outcomes of diversity.

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IMPACT OF MINORITY MEMBER’S CULTURAL MAINTENANCE

- Recruiters prefer to hire minority members who adapt to the majority, as it reduces risk of negative outcomes of diversity.

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IMPACT OF MINORITY MEMBER’S CULTURAL MAINTENANCE

- Recruiters prefer to hire minority members who adapt to the majority, as it reduces risk of negative outcomes of diversity.

- What about the positive outcomes of diversity?

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IMPACT OF MINORITY MEMBER’S CULTURAL MAINTENANCE

- Recruiters prefer to hire minority members who adapt to the majority, as it reduces risk of negative outcomes of diversity.

- What about the positive outcomes of diversity?

- What happens to selection process when recruiters are primed towards positive vs. negative Perceived Diversity Outcomes (PDO)?

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HYPOTHESIS

- Positive prime recruiters recognize added value of CM, thus preferring candidates who express cultural heritage.

- Negative prime recruiters avoid risks associated with diversity, thus preferring candidates who adapt to majority culture.

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METHODS

Participants (n = 99; Age: M = 31; SD = 12.3; 83% highly educated) played the role of recruiters in a fictional assessment task

Manipulation of Perceived Diversity Outcomes1)Individual brainstorm: write down at least two POS/NEG outcomes of diversity2)Group discussion: in groups of 3, discuss POS/NEG outcomes which organizations should AIM FOR/AVOID

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METHODS

Assessment Task:4 fictional profiles of minority candidates, including name, date of birth

Competence Level: High CL: University degree, 4-5 years experienceLow CL: HBO degree, 1-2 years experience

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METHODS

Assessment Task:4 fictional profiles of minority candidates, including name, date of birth

Short citation from motivation letter, which included:

Low CM: “I find it useful to adapt to other people, and I believe my cultural background is not relevant in my work”

High CM: “I find it useful to be different from other people, I believe I can make use of my unique cultural background in my work”

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METHODS

Measures:

Social Rating = Do you believe this candidate would fit well in the team? (2 items, r = .84)

Task Rating = Do you believe this candidate is qualified for the job?(2 items, r = .82)

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RESULTS

Social Rating:

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RESULTS

Task Rating:

Low Competence Level

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RESULTS

Task Rating:

High Competence Level

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CONCLUSIONS

- Recruiters’ tendency towards hiring minority candidates with low cultural maintenance can be circumvented by promoting Positive Diversity Outcomes.

- Recruiters who view diversity as beneficial for the organization may hire individuals who are different, which is essential for increasing learning potential, innovation in teams.

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TAKE HOME MESSAGE:

THE SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT:

Positive framing of diversity may

A) Lead recruiters to be more open towards differences…B) …thus opening up the possibilities for actually taking advantage of diversity

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION