Minority Employees Research Articles

Improving Social Equity Within Public Organizations: Authority Differentials as Reference Points for Fostering Diversity and Inclusion Within U.S. Federal Agencies

Fostering diversity and inclusion (D&I) is a major challenge confronting the contemporary American administrative state. The asymmetric distribution of authority within U.S. federal agencies is critical for understanding employee perceptions of agency D&I efforts. Leveraging data from approximately 2.51 million U.S. federal employees across 105 agencies between 2010 and 2019, the statistical evidence demonstrates that authority differentials, reflected by the relative gender and racial balance of supervisory and non-supervisory personnel within U.S. federal agencies, predict employees’ evaluations of agency efforts at fostering D&I. Although these authority differentials have similar effects on employee D&I evaluations for both men and women, minority employees exhibit more sanguine assessments of agency D&I efforts than compared to non-minority colleagues predicated on such authority differentials. The statistical relationship between authority differentials and employees’ agency D&I evaluations is most pronounced for women minority employees, as well as for those holding supervisory positions.

Transformative Impact of Green Jobs on Employment Opportunities for Women and Minorities in America

The exigence of conducting this research is the fast-growing threat of climate change in America. Climate change brings changes in American society socially and economically. This paper aims to explore how the development of green jobs impacts employment of women and ethnic minorities in the United States. The paper will utilize an approach that involves analyzing historical data, statistics, and trends to assess how green jobs could affect women and minority groups in the United States. Green jobs can be easily integrated into existing industries and provide the opportunity to improve female and ethnic minority employment in the United States. Women and ethnic minority groups are currently underrepresented in green jobs and other high-income occupations, causing significant wage gaps between them and white men. Through the pursuit in higher education and further advocating of sustainability, women and ethnic minority have the opportunity in the future to thrive in green jobs.

Toward an authentic corporate social advocacy (CSA): An internal perspective of BLM advocacy

While an increasing amount of research on corporate social advocacy (CSA) has expanded our knowledge in the field, its effects on internal public relations have been rarely studied. This study examines how employees’ experiences at work determine their perceived authenticity of CSA on race. Results suggested that employees’ perceived organizational justice toward racial minority employees positively influences their perceived value-driven motive of CSA as well as the authenticity of CSA. CSA authenticity, in turn, increased employees’ supportive behaviors toward CSA and organizational citizenship behaviors in the workplace. Theoretical and practical implications for public relations and internal communication are discussed.

Working Ability and Working Capacity of Minor Employees

Working Ability and Working Capacity of Minor Employees

A Structuration Theory Perspective of Religious Minority Employees’ Agency at Work

A Structuration Theory Perspective of Religious Minority Employees’ Agency at Work

Place‐based tax incentives and minority employment: Evidence from the New Market Tax Credit Program

AbstractIn this paper, we study the impact of the New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) program in the United States on overall jobs and jobs held by minority and rural populations within the 2010–2019 period using a dynamic event‐study analysis. We also investigate if the jobs that can be attributed to the program stayed in program recipient neighborhoods or whether those jobs were occupied by non‐residents. The results show that there is clear evidence that the program increased overall workplace jobs and workplace jobs held by White and minority populations in the program recipient tracts. We also see that a larger share of workplace jobs due to the program went to minorities compared to the job shares held by various racial and ethnic groups at the beginning of the investment period. The results further show that even though the NMTC program increased the number of jobs available in a program recipient tract, the individuals who live outside that tract are holding many of the jobs created. The results also suggest that the program had a negative impact on jobs held by residents in nonmetropolitan tracts.

Trends in the employment of national minorities in Croatia

Trends in the employment of national minorities in Croatia

Investigating the existence of ethnic bias in professional services

The underrepresentation of ethnic minorities persists in professional service organizations because some are reluctant to hire minority employees owing to fear of negative customer evaluations. I apply expectancy violation theory to challenge the assumptions behind such hiring practice and predict that in unambiguous service encounters between majority customers and minority professional service providers (PSP) detrimental consequences are less salient. In four scenario-based studies in two contexts (lawyer, physician), I manipulate PSP ethnicity status and find that clients rate minority (vs. majority) PSPs more favorably in terms of competence, satisfaction, and rapport; rapport also mediates the relationship between PSP ethnicity status and clients’ compliance with their advice. This relationship is moderated by social dominance orientation too. A fifth study shows that the predicted relationships largely hold for positively and negatively valenced encounters. These results suggest an absence of bias effects in professional service settings and have implications for research and practice.

Workplace harassment as a moderator of sexual minority employees’ minority stress and psychological distress

ABSTRACT Proximal minority stressors (e.g. internalised homonegativity, motivation to conceal a sexual minority identity) have severe adverse effects on sexual minority individuals’ mental health. Many sexual minorities report experiencing workplace harassment, which is linked to poorer mental health outcomes. However, the precise nature of how workplace harassment shapes the relationship between minority stress and mental health is unknown. To address this question, we tested the moderation effect of workplace harassment on the relationship between proximal minority stressors, specifically internalised homonegativity and concealment motivation, and psychological distress (i.e. depression, anxiety, somatisation) using Hayes’ PROCESS macro package in SPSS. Sexual minority employees living in the United States (N = 529) completed a survey involving measures of proximal minority stressors, workplace harassment, and psychological symptoms via Prolific. Results of the moderation analyses supported the hypothesis that workplace harassment amplifies the positive relationship between internalised homonegativity and anxiety symptoms as well as the relationship between internalised homonegativity and somatic symptoms, though a similar moderation effect was not found for depression. We did not find a significant moderation effect of workplace harassment on the link between concealment motivation and psychological symptoms. We conclude by emphasising the importance of creating safer workplace environments for sexual minorities and identifying directions for future research.

Diversity in Frontline Employee Perceptions: Policies and Procedures, Training, and Leadership as Drivers of Service Equality

Excellent service is often discussed with an assumption of equivalency in its application, yet the reality is far more complex. Customers have distinct needs that pose distinct challenges for frontline service employees. In hotel settings, providing excellent service to a diverse set of guests is more nuanced when frontline employees themselves are from a wide variety of backgrounds. Whereas the literature considers operational tactics to promote excellence in guest service, it is unclear whether training, policies and procedures, and leadership designed to advance excellence have the same impact on employees who, by virtue of their background, are more attuned to guests’ needs. We extend the literature by empirically demonstrating that operational tactics impact frontline employees’ perceptions of service equality, with racial/ethnic minority employees seeing statistically distinct impacts. Employing a sample of 25,698 employee-year observations across 32 luxury hotels in the United States over 3 years, we find that codified policies and procedures, as well as training, improve assessments of guest service equality. In contrast, racial/ethnic minority employees are less impacted than their White counterparts by leadership stances that seem to promote equality more broadly. After controlling for time and other relevant employee- and hotel-level variables, operational tactics (a) improve perceptions of service equality, and (b) reduce the disparity between White and racial/ethnic-minority service-quality assessments. Our findings provide further direction for managers to elevate such perceptions of customer service equality across the board by leveraging training and by reinforcing clear operating policies and procedures.

How to Reduce Microaggression and Other Negative Racial Experiences at Work with Continuous Improvement

While government regulation or company policy can be used to curtail discrimination at work, it is hard to regulate away negative experiences like microaggression or perceptions of discrimination against minority employees in hiring and promotion. Using data from interviews with minority ethnic staff at a UK university, I present evidence of microaggression and minority employees feeling excluded and posit that perceptions of discriminatory policy engender negative perceptions of the organization. I further show the link between employee engagement and organizational performance and propose that minority employees’ negative experiences and perceptions lower their job and organizational engagement and, eventually, impact organizational performance. I offer a solution in the form of an enterprise-wide continuous improvement program that would directly improve organizational performance by improving business processes and indirectly by improving minority employees’ experience, perceptions, and engagement.

Cultivating a D&I Climate in the Workplace and Mitigating Microaggression Against Asian Employees: The Role of Strategic D&I Leadership and Motivating Language

abstract: The study addresses the D&I (diversity and inclusion) climate and microaggression challenges in workplaces from the perspective of Asian employees in the United States. Building on strategic leadership literature and motivating language theory, the research posits that strategic D&I leadership and leaders' motivational language can positively impact the D&I-related perceptions of Asian employees at work. A nationwide survey of Asian employees was conducted. The findings indicated that strategic D&I leadership both directly and indirectly promotes a positive D&I environment, diminishes microaggressions against minority employees, and strengthens organizational trust. Leaders' motivating language further aids in supporting D&I and diminishing microaggressions. The study's implications and limitations are further discussed.

Applying an intersectional understanding of extra work behavior and emotional exhaustion in local public service

AbstractIn recent years, public administration scholars have started paying attention to intersectionality of government workforce identities and its implications for diversity management. This study unpacks how the intersection of multiple identities increases the transaction costs inherent to underrepresentation by looking at employee engagement in uncompensated extra‐role behaviors and its effect on emotional exhaustion. Using a structural equation model, we analyze original survey data of Los Angeles city government employees. Our analysis finds that the extra work experiences of minority employees are not homogenous within racial, gender, or generational groups. Among Black employees, it is women who bear the brunt of extra work burden. Further, among Black women, it is older generations who disproportionately engage in extra work and suffer from emotional exhaustion. An intersectional approach is critical to identifying the personnel most vulnerable to disproportionate job burdens and developing the human resource management practices that better support a diverse workforce.

Organization of employment of minors in the context of the new Employment Law

Based on the analysis of state programs and legislative innovations related to the regulation of public relations related to employment, it is concluded that in relation to minors, the state, taking into account international standards, continues to implement an approach to providing conditions for this category of citizens to receive general and vocational education (including labor education), considering labor activity (paid work) as a secondary (additional) option for their pastime with the establishment of restrictions on certain types of work and preferential working conditions. With regard to minors, both the previous and the current employment law mainly provides (for persons from 14 to 18 years old) for the organization of temporary employment in their free time, at the same time, allowing persons over the age of 16 to obtain the status of unemployed, entailing the establishment of an elevated status in matters of providing employment.

How Belonging to a Minority Group, Receiving a Hiring Decision and Getting Feedback on Test Results Affect the Intention to File a Complaint: The Mediating Role of Perceived Discrimination in Hiring

Objective indicators, such as minority hiring rates or number of complaints, often fail to fully represent actual discrimination in hiring processes, particularly against racial and ethnic minorities (McGonagle et al., 2016). Despite legal efforts in Quebec to increase employment of minorities, their ongoing underrepresentation points to the need to examine discrimination in terms of perceived experiences. In line with Anderson (2011), we investigated perceived discrimination in hiring (PDH), its predictors and its effect on the intention to file a discrimination complaint, rather than solely considering actual complaints. Using a quasi-experimental design, we simulated a fictitious hiring process with 361 students from French-speaking Canadian universities. First, we confirmed the three dimensions of the recently developed PDH scale: differential treatment; breach of psychological contract; and non-competency-based assessment (Haeck-Pelletier, 2022). Second, using structural equation modelling (SEM), we found mediation effects: PDH scores were higher across all dimensions when a candidate belonged to a minority group, received a negative hiring decision or did not receive feedback on test results. However, only differential treatment predicted a candidate’s intention to file a complaint. In addition to this first empirical test of Anderson’s model, the results suggest that organizations should address perceptions of unfair treatment due to minority group membership by identifying and modifying the practices that contribute to them. The eventual outcome would be a more representative workforce.

Unmasking white delusion: a critical analysis for the organization

The article summarizes the arguments of the social debate regarding white delusion in the organization. This article delves into the phenomenon of white delusion, a term coined by the author, Stacey Morin, which signifies a lack of awareness and denial of systemic racial disparities in marginalized communities. The analysis focuses on Morin’s and Bishop’s conceptualization of white delusion in the organization and the subsequent development of the Unmasking White Delusion: DEI model. This model, grounded in the framework of critical race theory, explores the denial, evaluation, and implementation phases, which aim to address and eliminate white delusion within organizations. The research contributes to the ongoing dialogue surrounding diversity and inclusion and addresses a gap in knowledge. The systematization of literary sources and approaches to solving the problem indicates that the white delusion is harmful to the organization. The urgency of addressing this problem stems from the absence of an inclusive and diverse culture, leading to diminished productivity and innovation. Our research methodology followed a logical sequence, beginning with a systematic literature review that critically analyzed the issue of white delusion within the organizational context. The objective was to unravel its complexities and comprehend how it impedes progress toward a more inclusive and equitable culture. The literature was critically analyzed based on concepts aligned with each phase of the Unmasking White Delusion: DEI model within the overarching framework of critical race theory. We contend that adopting the Unmasking White Delusion DEI model will play a pivotal role in mitigating the adverse effects of white delusion within the organization. The results from our thorough analysis of the literature review spurred the development of the Unmasking White Delusion: DEI model. This model serves as a visual guide and strategic tool for organizations seeking to eradicate white delusion and cultivate a culture of psychological safety for minority employees. By applying this model and integrating the Critical Race Theory framework, organizations can effectively confront white delusion through a comprehensive three-phase approach—denial, evaluation, and implementation. This entails organizations recognizing, assessing, and translating insights into actionable strategies, fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace. The main conclusions of the research highlight the multifaceted process of eliminating white delusion in the organization.

Child Labour Protection and Regulation

The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. The employment of minors in any job that robs them of their childhood, potential, or dignity and is detrimental to their physical or mental development is referred to as child labour. It is a complicated problem with many underlying causes, such as economic exploitation, poverty, child labour as a cheap commodity, large family size, compulsory education, backwardness and societal views. There is a separate legislation that prohibits child labour. This Act was enacted in 1986, The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Bill. Every citizen should be aware of his or her obligations and take appropriate steps to prevent child labour.

Labor of Minors in Industrial of Ukrainian Lands (19th – Early 20th Century)

At the present stage, the phrase “labor of minors” sounds alarming and is a sign of the low economic and cultural development of society. For the period of industrialization of the 19th – early 20th century this phenomenon was by no means a rarity, but rather one of the components of economic modernization. The Ukrainian lands were no exception in this regard, child and adolescent labor was used in coal, metallurgical, chemical and other industries.
 This study is based on workers’ memories of their teenage years, memories of mining engineers, factory inspectors, public figures, as well as, albeit very scattered, statistics on the employment of minors in industry in the second half of the 19th – early 20th century. The most significant and, in this regard, reflected in the memoirs of participants in the production process, were such aspects of the work of minors as working conditions, wages, “professions” of minors, their employment statistics, the evolution of labor legislation and numerous violations of approved norms. The complex conclusion is that it took a long mutual development of public opinion, legislation and family foundations to eradicate the work of minors in industry.

Every action has a reaction: A model of coworker reactions to sexual minority employees' identity disclosure

AbstractThe current study examines the predictors and consequences of the ways coworkers react following sexual identity disclosure. We propose that employees may experience different reactions following disclosure depending on their social and sexual identities and that such reactions will impact their job attitudes, well‐being, and subsequent identity concealment. Data were collected from 308 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and pansexual employees using a two‐wave field survey design. Results for the predictors of coworker reactions indicate that employees who identified as Black, transgender/genderqueer, or bisexual/pansexual reported they experienced more unsupportive reactions from their coworkers following the disclosure of their sexual identity as compared to White, cisgender, and gay/lesbian employees. Supplemental analyses further indicate that Black bisexual/pansexual employees experienced the least positive reactions from coworkers as compared to the other referent groups. Results examining the outcomes of coworker reactions demonstrate that positive disclosure reactions are associated with decreased job satisfaction and increased turnover intentions, emotional exhaustion, and subsequent identity concealment, whereas negative disclosure reactions are associated with increased depressive symptoms and emotional exhaustion. Findings demonstrate a need to expand on conceptual and empirical work on identity disclosure to consider coworker reactions and underscore that the disclosure experiences of sexual minority employees are not uniform.

The relationship between women and racial minority employees/managers and financial performance

PurposeDiversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have become prioritized goals of business, such as hiring more women and racial minorities. This study adds to the body of research regarding the value of diversity in organizations by examining the relationship between diversity at the workforce level and the financial performance of the organization. The empirical results of prior research have provided mixed results, finding mainly positive, but also negative, and nonsignificant relationships (Sharma et al., 2020; Vlas et al., 2022). The purpose of this study is to examine the current employment status of women and racial minorities in top US companies, then analyze if a correlation exists between a company’s profit margin and its percentage of women and racial minority employees and managers.Design/methodology/approachThis study examined the top 200 companies in the Fortune 500 companies; these are the largest companies by revenue in the USA. Companies were ranked according to each variable (% of women employees, % of racial minority employees, % of women managers and % of racial minority managers) and then divided into equal quartiles. The mean profit margin for the top quartile was compared with the mean profit margin for the bottom quartile. T-tests were used to determine whether significant differences in profit margin exist between companies. This methodology of comparing top and bottom quartiles was developed in prior studies.FindingsFortune 200 companies have an average of 40% women and also 40% racial minorities in their workforce. Both women and racial minorities account for a smaller percentage of managers. Women account for 34% of managers, while racial minorities account for 29%. There is a significant positive relationship between profit margin and two of the variables. Companies with 45% or more women managers have a significantly higher profit margin than companies with the lowest percentages of women managers. Companies with 48% or more racial minority employees have a significantly higher profit margin than companies with the lowest percentages of racial minority employees. These findings are in-line with the existing body of research that has found mixed impacts of diversity on firm performance (cf. Hoobler et al., 2018; Leung et al., 2022) and draws attention to the need to consider the impact of gender and racial diversity on firms at various management levels within the firm to better understand the impact that increasing diversity has on firm performance (cf. Curado et al., 2022).Originality/valueThis paper adds to the body of knowledge by assessing the current status of women and racial minorities in top US companies and, then, analyzing if a correlation exists between a company’s profit margin and the number of women and racial minority employees and managers. Findings provide companies with further incentive to maintain DEI as a prioritized goal.