Influence of sex and scholastic performance on reactions to job applicant resumés.

Abstract

College of Business AdministrationOklahoma State UniversityThe possible existence of sex discrimination in the evaluation of job applicantresumes for accounting positions was investigated. Applicant sex and two levelsof scholastic performance were systematically varied to yield four differentresumes. One of four was sent at random to the personnel directors of 100corporations. The sex of the applicant was identifiable either as obviouslyfemale (named Linda) or was unspecified (initials L. C.). Scholastic perform-ance was manipulated to represent either a high performer (GPA = 3.8 out ofa possible 4.0) or an average performer (GPA = 2.8). The results indicatedthat both the number of replies to the resumes and the number of positiveresponses were influenced by the applicant's sex. The frequency of positive re-sponses was also influenced by the applicant's scholastic performance.The idea that women are inferior to men, his-torically, has been pervasive in Judeo-Christianthought (cf. Hunter, 1976). Prior to the rise ofthe women's liberation movement, sex role stereo-typing and discrimination excluded most womenfrom prestigious male-dominated occupations (Ep-stein, 1970). Professional positions within formalorganizations continue to be dominated by males.Access discrimination (cf. Terborg & Ilgen,197S) includes rejection of some groups of ap-plicants, lower starting salaries, and restriction ofentrance to higher level positions for non-job-re-lated reasons. Survey research continues to sup-port the existence of sexual discrimination in theaccess to professional positions in organizations(Fidell, 1970; Niemi, 1974; Shaw, 1972).Experimental evidence regarding hiring appli-cants is mixed. Terborg and Ilgen's (1975) find-ings using an in-basket simulation suggest thatmales and females of identical qualifications werehired with the same frequency. Research byDipboye, Fromkin, and Wiback (1975) on thescreening of applicants prior to the job interviewindicated that 30 students and 30 professional in-terviewers, reviewing 12 bogus resumes, preferredmale applicants to female applicants. However,Portions of this article were presented at the 37thannual meeting of the Academy of Management,Kissimmee, Florida, August 1977.Requests for reprints should be sent to William G.Zikmund, College of Business Administration, Okla-homa Stat e University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074.concern has been expressed (Landry & Bates,1973) that college students are an inappropriatesample. The present study was undertaken to in-vestigate experimentally the possible existence ofsex discrimination in the applicant screeningphase.Although sex discrimination was of major con-cern, scholastic performance was also manipulatedin the experiment. There is evidence that job ap-plicants with good scholastic performance will bepreferred over applicants with poor scholasticperformance (Dipboye et al., 1975; Hakel, Oh-nesorge, & Dunnette, 1970; Landry & Bates,1973; Wexley, Yukl, Kovacs, & Sanders, 1972).However, no significant interaction effect betweensex and scholastic performance was found by Dip-boye et al. (1975). Corporations were expectedto give employment preference to applicants withhigher grade point averages (GPAs).MethodSampleSubjects for the experiment were personnel di-rectors of 100 corporations listed in the CollegePlacement Annual as seeking accounting students.The accounting position was chosen for two rea-sons. First, the market is good, thereby increas-ing the probability that the resume would beevaluated (coupled with the advertisement for ac-counting students in the College Placement An-nual) . Second, accounting has been a traditionallymal occupation.