(Post)bureaucratic organizational practices and the production of racioethnic inequality at work

Abstract

AbstractExplanations of racioethnic inequality in organizations highlight the role of stereotypes, prejudices, biases, and discrimination in the production of such inequality. However, little is known about the impact that regular organizational practices have, either curbing or exacerbating racioethnic inequality at work. This paper argues that bureaucratic practices curb while post-bureaucratic practices exacerbate racioethnic inequality. First, this paper shows that unequal access to career advancements and payment between majority and minority employees of the Dutch national tax administration is partly due to the prevalence of post-bureaucratic ways of labour control. Second, linked to forms of labour control, post-bureaucratic ways of organizing the primary process also contribute to the production of such racioethnic inequality. Regarding both labour control and the structuring of the primary process, minority employees have an interest in the application of bureaucratic concepts that limit the space for stereotypes, prejudices, biases, and discrimination whereas post-bureaucratic concepts amplify this space.