Status Cue Research Articles

The effects of social (dis)engagement on status conferral: A context dependent account

AbstractThe functionalist perspective of status suggests that, to attain status, individuals need to be socially engaging and contribute to a group. In contrast, the signaling perspective of status indicates that people often perceive a lack of social engagement as a status cue and thus confer status on someone who is socially disengaging. Integrating these two important perspectives in the status literature, we propose a context dependent account of social (dis)engagement and status conferral in groups and organizations. Whereas social engagement (e.g., contributing to a group and connecting with its members) results in status attainment in task contexts, social disengagement (e.g., withholding benefits from a group and distancing oneself from its members) leads to status attainment in social contexts. A laboratory study and an online experiment provide partial empirical support for our predictions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Body Language of Avatars in VR Meetings as Communication Status Cue: Recommendations for Interaction Design and Implementation

Abstract While traditional videoconferencing causes privacy issues, virtual meetings are not yet widely used. Their communication quality still lacks usability and important non-verbal communication cues, such as body language, are underrepresented. We aim at exploring virtual avatars’ body language and how it can be used to indicate meeting attendees’ communication status. By comparing users’ perceptions of avatar behavior, we found that avatar body language across gender can be an indication of communication willingness. We derive resulting body language design recommendations and recommend using attentively behaving avatars as default body language and to indicate being busy through actions of the avatar, such as drinking, typing, or talking on a phone. These actions indicate that users are temporarily busy with another task, but still are attending the meeting. When users are unavailable, their avatars should not be displayed at all and in cases of longer meeting interruptions, the avatar of a user should leave the virtual meeting room.

Why and when female directors are less engaged in their board duties: An interface perspective

Female representation on boards is perhaps one of the most studied topics in board-governance research. At the same time, much is unknown about female directors' task engagement within boards. Drawing from psychological theory on societal gender beliefs, our study tests whether the impact of director gender on supervisory task engagement hinges on status dynamics in two relational interfaces: the director–board interface and the director–CEO interface. According to this perspective, female directors show less task engagement because gender is a diffuse status cue that creates status differentiation within the director–board interface. Multi-source board survey data (n = 61 boards, n = 315 directors) confirms that, within the confines of the boardroom, female directors do, indeed, receive lower-status ratings than male directors. This effect is weaker when boards have a female chair. Furthermore, lower status explains perceived lower task engagement of female directors, but this link critically hinges on the CEO–director interface. The impact of status differences is more pronounced when directors intersect with a relatively dominant CEO. All in all, the results demonstrate that relational interfaces play a key role for female directors’ task engagement in their board duties.

Who Differentiates by Skin Color? Status Attributions and Skin Pigmentation in Chile.

A growing body of research has shown that phenotypes and skin pigmentation play a fundamental role in stratification dynamics in Latin American countries. However, the relevance of skin color on status attribution for different status groups has been little studied in the region. This article seeks to broaden the research on phenotypic status cues using Chile as a context for analysis – a Latin American country with a narrow although continuous spectrum of skin tones, marked status differences, and a mostly white elite. We draw on status construction theory to hypothesize that skin pigmentation in Chile has become a status cue, although its heuristic relevance could differ across status groups. Using visual stimuli and a repeated measure design, we studied this relationship and tested whether the use of skin pigmentation as a status cue is conditional upon the status of those categorizing others. The results reveal that participants attribute, on average, lower status to others of darker skin. Besides, skin pigmentation has a conditional effect on the social status of participants: whereas skin pigmentation does not work as a status cue for lower status participants, it is an important status marker for the categorizations that middle and especially higher status participants perform. The phenotypic composition of reference groups of low- and high-status individuals and system justification are discussed as potential explanations for these results.

The challenge of being a young manager: The effects of contingent reward and participative leadership on team‐level turnover depend on leader age

SummaryEffective leadership requires a leaderclaimingas well as team membersgrantingthe leadership position. Contingent reward and participative leadership may both facilitate this mutual process. However, these behaviors differ in the degree to which they require a leader to have status and be prototypical. Their effectiveness might thus depend on the status‐related characteristics of the leader. In this respect, we propose that younger leaders, by deviating from the leader prototype in terms of age, lack a natural status cue, which will determine the effectiveness of these two leadership behaviors in shaping turnover. Two pilot studies (N = 113 and 121 individuals) confirm that younger leaders are perceived as less prototypical and to have lower status than older leaders. Examining 83 work teams, we show that leader age differently moderates the effects of contingent reward and participative leadership on time‐lagged team turnover. For younger (compared with older) leaders, contingent reward was effective as illustrated by decreased voluntary turnover and increased involuntary turnover, whereas participative leadership, which was associated with increased voluntary turnover and decreased involuntary turnover, was ineffective. These findings point to the importance of incorporating natural status cues of leaders for understanding the effectiveness of different leadership behaviors. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Latin Americanization Thesis: An Expectation States Approach

The Latin Americanization thesis posits that the racial hierarchy in the United States is now composed of Whites, Honorary Whites, and Collective Blacks, with skin tone being the primary determinant of one’s placement within this tripartite system of social status. Extant research mostly examines this approach at the macro level; relatively little is known about the thesis at the micro level. By examining goal-oriented task groups, our experiment tests whether Whites exhibit transitive levels of influence, a behavioral indicator of social status, in a manner consistent with this three-tier system. Furthermore, with applications of graph-theoretic models from status characteristics and status cue theories, we assess the social psychological mechanisms buttressing the proposed racial hierarchy by comparing propositions from four theories put forth by scholars of race/ethnicity (we translate their propositions into graphs and mathematical calculations). In so doing, we pose the question: In our experimental setting, which matters more, skin tone or ethnic background, or do both have equal effects on behavior? Our results support the purported racial hierarchy of the Latin Americanization thesis. On average, Whites were influenced the most by White confederates; Whites were influenced less by their light-skinned Latino/a confederates, and even less by dark-skinned Latino/a confederates. Model fit statistics for the propositions translated into graphs and values demonstrate that ethnic distinctions and skin tone are independent stratifiers in the form of status characteristics. This finding supports the notion that skin tone and ethnic background have the equivalent capacity to invoke processes to create the tripartite system of racial/ethnic inequality.

Technology Use as a Status Cue: The Influences of Mundane and Novel Technologies on Knowledge Assessments in Organizations

This study explores the relationship between the use of information and communication technologies (ICTS) and assessments of workers' knowledge and abilities in 2 knowledge-intensive organizations. Drawing on expectation states theory, the article argues that a worker's communication through mundane, widely diffused ICTS may lead to status assessments from colleagues that are different than when he or she communicates through novel ICTS. Data from interviews and observations at both organizations revealed that mundane ICT use influenced assessments about the general level of proficiency of workers, and use of novel ICTS influenced assessments about a specialist type of proficiency. Additionally, workers expressing communicative cues indicative of higher statuses played larger roles in organizational tasks than workers who were viewed as lower-status.

Obesity as a status cue: perceived social status and the stereotypes of obese individuals

AbstractTwo studies examined the relationship between social status and obesity stereotypes. In Study 1, obese individuals were seen as having lower status than non‐obese individuals, and status ratings were positively correlated with common obesity stereotypes. In Study 2, targets were depicted as overweight or lean, and as having a high‐status or low‐status job. High‐status heavy targets were rated as less lazy and more competent than were their low‐status counterparts, but status did not impact ratings of sloppiness or warmth. The findings indicate that obesity can serve as a status cue. Furthermore, the findings provide preliminary evidence that status is related to the attribution of certain stereotypes to obese individuals, while also highlighting the multifaceted nature of obesity stereotypes.

Offshore-Onsite Subgroup Dynamics In Globally Distributed Teams

Purpose: The increased use of distributed work arrangements across organizational and national borders calls for in-depth investigation of subgroup dynamics in globally distributed teams (GDTs). This paper focuses on the social dynamics that emerge across subgroups of onsite-offshore teams and affect the process of knowledge sharing. Methodology/Approach: We conducted a qualitative study of 8 GDTs working around the clock. These GDTs were part of organizations involved in offshoring of knowledge intensive work. Findings: Our evidence shows that the specific status cue of being onsite drives status differentials across subgroups; these differentials are reduced when the client is directly involved with the activities of the team. The negative effect of high status differentials on knowledge sharing is mitigated by the presence of straddlers, who assist in the transfer of codified knowledge. Conversely, when status differentials are low, straddlers hamper spontaneous direct learning between onsite members and offshore members. Practical implications: Our work has practical implications for organizations that want to use GDTs to achieve a faster (and cheaper) development of products and services. Managers should carefully design the organizational structures of GDTs and consider upfront the trade offs related to client involvement in teamwork and the use of straddlers across sites. Originality/value of paper: The paper contributes to the literature on subgroup dynamics, applying and extending the theory of status characteristics theory.

Looking the part: social status cues shape race perception.

It is commonly believed that race is perceived through another's facial features, such as skin color. In the present research, we demonstrate that cues to social status that often surround a face systematically change the perception of its race. Participants categorized the race of faces that varied along White–Black morph continua and that were presented with high-status or low-status attire. Low-status attire increased the likelihood of categorization as Black, whereas high-status attire increased the likelihood of categorization as White; and this influence grew stronger as race became more ambiguous (Experiment 1). When faces with high-status attire were categorized as Black or faces with low-status attire were categorized as White, participants' hand movements nevertheless revealed a simultaneous attraction to select the other race-category response (stereotypically tied to the status cue) before arriving at a final categorization. Further, this attraction effect grew as race became more ambiguous (Experiment 2). Computational simulations then demonstrated that these effects may be accounted for by a neurally plausible person categorization system, in which contextual cues come to trigger stereotypes that in turn influence race perception. Together, the findings show how stereotypes interact with physical cues to shape person categorization, and suggest that social and contextual factors guide the perception of race.

Observers’ expectations regarding the emotional reactions of others in a failure context: the role of status and perceived dominance

An important determinant of observer’s expectations about other’s emotional reactions is the status of the other person. Status can be derived from a variety of cues and in any given situation more than one status cue may be available. The present study showed that both information about another person’s organizational status and information about their level of social dominance based on verbal descriptions or facial appearance influenced the emotions that the person was expected to show. Two vignette studies were conducted to investigate the combined impact of these two sources of status information. When perceptions of dominance were manipulated through facial appearance as well as a verbal description, only dominance but not organizational status influenced anticipated emotional reactions to failure. When the only cue for dominance was facial appearance, both organizational status and appearance influenced anticipated emotions. In turn, anticipated emotional reactions predicted the expectation that the person would take responsibility for the failure or apologize, and these expectations influenced the degree to which observers recommended firing the person.

Status Distinctions in Interaction: Social Selection and Exclusion at an Elite Nightclub

Although social status plays a crucial role in the generation and maintenance of social inequalities, how status processes operate in naturalistic social contexts remains less clear. In the following article, I provide a case study of doormen—individuals who simultaneously represent status experts and status judges—at a highly exclusive nightclub to investigate how people draw status distinctions in micro-social settings. Using interview and ethnographic data, I analyze on what bases doormen evaluate the relative worth of patrons and confer the status prize of admission. I find that in making such decisions, doormen drew from a constellation of competence and esteem cues, which were informed by contextually specific status schemas about the relative material, moral, and symbolic worth of particular client groups. Moreover, the ways in which doormen used these cues and schema depended on the identity of the specific patron being evaluated. As such, I argue that processes of interpersonal evaluation and status conferral are contextually specific, culturally embedded, and interpersonally variable. Despite such variations, a patron’s perceived social connections seemed to outweigh other types of cues in admissions decisions. I conclude by discussing these findings in light of both status characteristics theory and Bourdieu’s work on the transubstantiation of capital to suggest that social capital is a powerful status cue that can, under certain conditions, be a more potent source of social distinction and status advantage, or hold a greater conversion value, in systems of stratification than other types of qualities.

Offshore‐onsite subgroup dynamics in globally distributed teams

PurposeThe increased use of distributed work arrangements across organizational and national borders calls for in‐depth investigation of subgroup dynamics in globally distributed teams (GDTs). The purpose of this paper is to focus on the social dynamics that emerge across subgroups of onsite‐offshore teams and affect the process of knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study of eight GDTs working around the clock is conducted. These GDTs are part of organizations involved in offshoring of knowledge intensive work.FindingsThe evidence shows that the specific status cue of being onsite drives status differentials across subgroups; these differentials are reduced when the client is directly involved with the activities of the team. The negative effect of high status differentials on knowledge sharing is mitigated by the presence of straddlers, who assist in the transfer of codified knowledge. Conversely, when status differentials are low, straddlers hamper spontaneous direct learning between onsite members and offshore members.Practical implicationsThis work has practical implications for organizations that want to use GDTs to achieve a faster (and cheaper) development of products and services. Managers should carefully design the organizational structures of GDTs and consider upfront the trade offs related to client involvement in teamwork and the use of straddlers across sites.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature on subgroup dynamics, applying and extending the theory of status characteristics theory.

Status cues and the formation of expectations

This paper presents an elaboration and formalization of the theory of nonverbal cues and status ( Berger et al., 1986; Ridgeway et al., 1985) which is a theory within the expectation states theoretical research program. This elaboration and formalization also integrates the theory of nonverbal cues and status with the theory of status characteristics and expectation states ( Berger et al., 1977). The concepts of weak and strong cue gestalts generated by status cues, and a new kind status typification, that of apparent competence–incompetence, are introduced. The results of four experiments conducted in the Nemeth and Wachtler (1974) situation, and four experiments conducted in the standardized experimental situation of expectation states theory are examined and shown to be consistent with the formulation. Thus a more complete mathematical formulation of status organizing processes which now includes status cue processes as well as the processes formalized earlier, that is, status characteristics processes, behavior-expectation processes, and communicated evaluation processes has been obtained.

Information Sampling in Decision-Making Groups

This study examined the impact of members 'task-relevant status (i.e., prior task experience) on the bias in decision-making groups to discuss more common (shared) than unique (unshared) information. Subjects reviewed applications for an assistant professor position and, in mixed-sex groups (two femake and two male), chose between two candidates. Either female or male members had prior experience with a similar task Experienced members (regardless of gender) were less predisposed to favor shared information in the mentioning and repetition of information. Consistent with expectation states theory, member gender (a diffuse status cue) failed to qualify task-relevant status effects. Although experienced members were not more successful than inexperienced members at persuading the group to adopt their preference, when they did win, they did so with less effort. Suggestions are offered for using status processes to understand the psychological factors affecting collective information sampling.

An Experimental Examination of Biological Sex as a Status Cue in Decision-Making Groups and Its Influence on Information Use

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of biological sex as a nonverbal indicator of status on the use of information in a decision-making group. Drawing on status characteristics theory, this article posits that the sex of the group member who introduces a piece of information into discussion affects the likelihood of the information's use in making a decision. More specifically, the author hypothesizes that information introduced by males has a higher probability of use than information introduced by females. The results of the statistical analyses support the hypothesis. Furthermore, if the information is known to all members of the group before discussion, the sex of the group member who introduces it in the discussion has less impact on its use than if the information is unique to one member

Role of Familiarity in Structuring Male–Male Social Interactions in the Cockroach Gromphadorhina portentosa (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae)

We examined the influence of prior social experience on the outcome of agonistic interactions between male Madagascar hissing cockroaches, Gromphadorhina portentosa (Schaum). Males were placed randomly in pairs and allowed to form stable dominance-subordinance associations (original pairs). Two types of social conditions were then examined. Treatment pairs were composed of either familiar males (the males were re-paired with the same male that they had interacted with previously) or unfamiliar individuals (males were paired with a male that they had not interacted with previously). Males in familiar pairs maintained their rank during subsequent interactions. However, males in unfamiliar pairs lost their rank, indicating that familiarity of the opponent and not past experience of winning or losing an encounter determined the outcome of interactions. We also compared the behavior of individual males in the treatment groups with their behavior in the original pairings. Previously dominant males decreased their levels of aggression and hissed less when interacting with unfamiliar opponents. Previously subordinate males were more aggressive and hissed more in unfamiliar pairs. As a result, overall levels of behavior displayed in pairs of males did not differ. Aggression and hissing appear to be important in the maintenance, rather than the establishment, of relationships between G. portentosa males. We also discuss the possibility that agonistic hissing functions in individual discrimination rather than as a status cue.

Status, Sex, and Smiling

Based on previous work showing that sex is a "diffuse status cue" (Berger, Rosenholtz, & Zelditch, 1980), the hypothesis that women smile more than men because of status differences between the sexes was evaluated Status was manipulated by assigning men and women to the roles of interviewer (high power) or applicant (low power) in simulated job interviews with either male or female partners. As predicted, overall, applicants smiled more than interviewers, demonstrating that smiling does reflect status. However, the sex composition of the pairs also influenced smiling frequency. Male interviewers smiled significantly less than their applicant partners, whereas female interviewers did not. The results suggest that, compared with females, males may more readily experience power and dominance as concomitants of high-status roles, which may then be reflected in the frequency of their smiling.

Ethnic Accent as a Status Cue

Les auteurs tentent de verifier l'hypothese selon laquelle l'accent dans le langage est un indice de statut utilise pour inferer l'identite ethnique du sujet. L'experience est menee grâce a 1 groupe d'anglo-australiens et un groupe de grecs-australiens

Physical attractiveness as a status cue

On the basis of a review of attractiveness stereotype research as well as sociological theory and research on status concepts, it was hypothesized that physical attractiveness produces stereotyped status inferences along with the stereotyped trait inferences that have already been given much research attention. This hypothesis was tested by a series of four studies. In the first three studies, subjects matched yearbook photographs with stimulus photo descriptions representing high achieved, high ascribed, low achieved, and low ascribed status. More attractive photos were matched with the high status than with the low status descriptions, and this finding was stronger for ascribed status than for achieved status. Subjects consistently tended to associate the high ascribed status descriptions with the most attractive photos. In the fourth study, subjects responded to the photos in the stimulus set with separate assessments of how likely each person was to earn or inherit a high station in life. Photo attractiveness was found to be weakly correlated with assessments of earned life station, and strongly correlated with assessments of inherited life station. Taken together, these findings suggest that physical attractiveness is a status cue-and in particular an ascribed status cue. A number of previous studies from the physical attractiveness literature are briefly reviewed, and the notion of status inferences in proposed as helping to account for the findings.