Page 64 - Discrimination at Work The Psychological and Organizational Bases

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3. RELATIONAL DEMOGRAPHY
Attraction-Selection-Attrition
Schneider's (1987) attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) model was a direct
extension of the similarity-attraction paradigm. He argued that the at­
tributes of people in the workplace (primarily attitudes, personality, and
values), and the interpersonal context created by the mix of these attributes,
are the fundamental determinants of organizational behavior. The ASA
framework suggests that similar kinds of people will be attracted to the
organization, which will begin to determine the makeup of the place. Or­
ganizations are said to further promote this homogeneity by recruiting and
selecting individuals who are similar, only differing on specific competen­
cies. The theory also suggests that people who do not fit the organization
will likely leave. In this sense, the people who remain will be similar. As a
result of these attraction, selection, and attrition processes, it is predicted
that the resulting similarity will influence employees' attitudes, percep­
tions, and behaviors.
Whereas the ASA framework focuses primarily on characteristics that
are related to personality or dispositions (Schneider, 1987), there are reasons
to believe that the premises behind the model would also apply to demo­
graphic characteristics. The theory states that individuals are not randomly
assigned to settings, but instead actively select situations where they feel
most comfortable (or where they fit). Consistent with this reasoning, de­
mographic characteristics, being highly visible to others, might very well
serve as cues for people to assess such fit and thus influence the processes
of attraction, selection, and attrition. Jackson et al. (1991) used the ASA
model as a theoretical explanation in their study that examined demo­
graphic dissimilarity as it related to recruitment (selection) and turnover
(attrition).
Despite efforts to increase and promote diversity in the workplace, the
processes described by the ASA model may contribute to the formation
of homogeneous ingroups and outgroups within the organization. Within
social ingroups, there may be processes occurring related to attraction-
selection-attrition, similar to those Schneider (1987) originally described.
Considering the role of demographic similarity, this would suggest that
people would be motivated to join social groups composed of individuals
who share the same demographic characteristics (attraction). In addition,
social groups should also have some type of gatekeeping function that
would allow or deny access to similar or dissimilar individuals (selection).
Finally, when individuals in the social group do differ on one or more
salient characteristics, they will likely be motivated to become a member
of other groups who share their demographic characteristics (attrition and