Page 59 - Discrimination at Work The Psychological and Organizational Bases

DOVIDIO AND HEBL
30
membership salient, minorities are particularly susceptible to experienc­
ing stereotype threat (Steele, 1997) or feelings of tokenism (Niemann & Do­
vidio, 1998; Sekaquaptewa & Thompson, 2003), which can interfere with
their cognitive performance, even on tasks of considerable importance and
relevance. However, minorities can also respond in ways that reduce the
impact of stereotyping and prejudice, for example, by displaying individ­
uating characteristics or emphasizing common group membership (Gaert­
ner & Dovidio, 2000), and by facilitating intergroup communication and
interaction (Hebl & Kleck, 2002; Miller & Myers, 1998). Future research,
therefore, might productively consider how the attitudes and behaviors of
minorities influence perceptions of and responses to discrimination and
ultimately help to shape their advancement within organizations.
In conclusion, understanding the dynamics of individual-level discrim­
ination, with a focus on both majority and minority group members, offers
a more comprehensive view of how bias affects the lives of minority and
stigmatized group members. Knowledge of the causes of discrimination
(e.g., unconscious negative feelings, ingroup favoritism) and of the fac­
tors that promote its manifestation (e.g., ambiguous criteria) can also help
guide policies and interventions that can effectively combat individual-
level discrimination. To address discrimination at the individual level, it
is important "to structure programs and policies that make people and
organizations accountable for their actions, provide accurate assessment
of patterns of bias, and initiate action to eliminate biases without necessar­
ily demonstrating intentionality or eliminating all other possible explana­
tions" (Dovidio, 1997, p. 4). Alternatively, employment situations can be
structured to emphasize the importance of other identities (e.g., company
or workgroup allegiance) that reduce the salience of social categorization
based on race, sex, or other stigmatizing characteristics and redirect the
forces of ingroup bias to improve intergroup attitudes and productivity
within an organization (Gaertner & Dovidio, 2000). Clearly, despite sub­
stantial progress in addressing open forms of discrimination, discrimina­
tion is not yet "a thing of the past."

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Preparation of this chapter was supported by NIMH Grant MH 48721 to
the first author. Correspondence should be sent to John F. Dovidio, Depart­
ment of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd., Storrs,
CT 06269-1020, e-mail: john.dovidio@uconn.edu, or to Michelle R. Hebl,
1600 S. Main Street-MS 25, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, e-mail:
hebl@rice.edu.