Particularism in Control Over Monetary Resources at Work

Abstract

Prominent explanations from the sociological and management literatures are used to formulate expectations regarding group differences in the acquisition of control over monetary resources at work between White, Black, and Latino men. Data from the Multi-City Study of Urban Inequality show a large net racial gap between Black and White men in the odds of controlling monetary resources but no net authority gap between White and Latino men. Workplace diversity, in the form of racial and ethnic heterogeneity between coworkers and supervisors, does not impede the authority chances of White men, but having a female supervisor does. Moreover, consistent with the particularistic manipulation hypothesis, there is evidence that the processes leading to control over monetary resources differ significantly between White and minority men, but the relative strength of support for this hypothesis varies in a manner that represents a clear racioethnic hierarchy in authority opportunities. The implications of these findings for individuals and organizations are discussed.