Race in Workplace Study Finds Whites Most Uncomfortable
Bryan Schaffer and Christine Riordan
University of North Carolina at Asheville; Texas Christian University
As reported on Newswise.com, at study yet to be published find that White employees with African-American supervisors experience greater racially based discomfort than do African-Americans with white supervisors. The study, titled "Relational Demography in Supervisor-Subordinate Dyads: An Examination of Discrimination and Exclusionary Treatment," is one of the first to examine directly the relationship between worker perceptions of discrimination and demographic differences between workers and their bosses.
One of the significant findings the researchers point to is that while African-Americans and Caucasians both felt discrimination with racially different supervisors, Caucasians perceived less support from African-American supervisors than did African-Americans with white supervisors, and being racially different from a supervisor resulted in perceived discrimination that was both subtle and overt. The study discovered striking results for differences in race, but no significant effects for gender and age differences, thus revealing race to be the top demographic concern in the workplace.
According to the study, white employees may feel greater unease with black supervisors because they are unfamiliar with the situation, whereas blacks are often accustomed to having white supervisors. This discomfort can lead to perceptions of racially unfair treatment. To address and deal with these perceptions, the researchers suggest that workers and supervisors seek other common ground. For instance, they might focus on work-group goals or similarities like children and personal interests.
As yet unpublished, this study was recently presented at the Southern Management Association meeting in Charleston, South Carolina.
