Page 100 - Discrimination at Work The Psychological and Organizational Bases

THOMAS AND CHROBOT-MASON
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Summary
Why does group membership matter in organizations? The answer is com­
plex. Social and cognitive psychology theories such as social identity the­
ory and social categorization illustrate that as individuals, we are naturally
predisposed to favor people similar to ourselves, and we are naturally bi­
ased against those we perceive as different. However, why do some differ­
ences matter and others do not? The social marking explanation suggests
that those differences that matter reflect a history of social relationships
among groups, and that the differences identified by society as significant
are those that have been chosen by groups in power to (a) help dominant
groups members distinguish themselves from other groups so that they can
develop a sense of their own identity; and (b) enable dominant groups to
justify their attitudes toward and treatment of others so that they can pro­
tect their own self interests. Similarly,a privilege explanation reinforces the
idea that some group memberships afford hidden and subtle advantages
whereas others do not.
What are the consequences for having a workplace in which some
groups are "marked" and others achieve social dominance and privilege?
The demographic composition of workgroups in organizations can make
more salient the marks and privileges that individuals bring to their work­
group. The following sections will review the literature that examines the
role of group composition on minority success and group dynamics such
as conflict.

GROUP COMPOSITION

One possible explanation for discrimination in the workplace comes from
research on group composition. In essence, this body of research suggests
that the relative proportion or composition of social identity groups can
affect differences in the experience of organizational members (Konrad
& Gutek, 1987). Generally, research has shown that as minority numbers
increase in the workplace, majority member satisfaction decreases (e.g.,
Tsui, Egan, & O'Reilly, 1992) and minority satisfaction and performance
increase (e.g., Niemann & Dovidio, 1998; Schmitt & Noe, 1986). Discrim­
ination against minority group members may fluctuate with changes in
minority representation in the workplace for two primary reasons: (a) in­
creasing numbers of minority group members present a perceived threat to
the existing power structure, and (b) minority group member distinctive­
ness creates a situation in which minority members become highly visible
and group membership becomes particularly salient.