Page 114 - Discrimination at Work The Psychological and Organizational Bases

THOMAS AND CHROBOT-MASON
84
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, we have provided a number of possible group-level expla­
nations for discrimination in the workplace. One explanation includes the
notion that group identities provide individuals with a sense of self and
worth, but can prompt ingroup/outgroup categorization that disconnects
members of one group from members of other groups perceived to be dif­
ferent. Additionally, we discussed group identity as a socially constructed
phenomena in which some groups become "marked" as subordinate and
less powerful, whereas others are perceived to be dominant and experi­
ence privilege as a result. As minority group members begin to challenge
the status quo and seek to gain power, status, and credibility within the
organization, discrimination and intergroup conflict are likely to increase.
Although we are just beginning to examine strategies for avoiding and/or
reducing group-based discrimination in organizations, some researchers
suggest the need to create a superordinate category (i.e., the organization or
workgroup itself) in which members of various identity groups can iden­
tify strongly with and feel committed to its goals and mission. In addition,
it seems critical to establish ways in which subgroup identities, such as
race and gender, can still be valued and maintained within the organiza­
tional context. For example, Aronson (1990) adopted a "jigsaw classroom"
approach to attempting to resolve interracial conflict in a desegregated
school system, in which each child was able to bring a unique contribu­
tion to the class project (i.e., each student represented a piece of the jigsaw
puzzle). Cooperation and respect among the students increased as each
child became a valued and important contributor to the class assignment.
It seems then that this is the primary challenge that both practitioners and
researchers will face in the future, as the workplace continues to diversify
and the possible incidence of group-based discrimination increases, to cre­
ate a shared and common identity so that employees may work effectively
together to accomplish work goals, but yet still allow organizational mem­
bers to derive a sense of self-worth and value from their own unique social
identities.

REFERENCES

Aronson, E. (1990). Applying social psychology to desegregation and energy conservation.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 16,118-132.
Ashforth, B. E., & Mael, F. (1989). Social identity theory and the organization. Academy of
Management Review, 14, 20-39.
Blank, R., & Slipp, S. (1994). Voices of diversity: Real people talk about problems and solutions in a
workplace where everyone is not alike. New York: American Management Association.