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Biased Perceptions of Racially Diverse Teams and Their Consequences for Resource Support

Author

Listed:
  • Robert B. Lount

    (Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210)

  • Oliver J. Sheldon

    (Rutgers Business School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102)

  • Floor Rink

    (University of Groningen, 9747 AE Groningen, Netherlands)

  • Katherine W. Phillips

    (Columbia Business School, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027)

Abstract

We examine whether observers hold biases that can negatively affect how racially diverse teams are evaluated, and ultimately treated, relative to racially homogeneous groups. In three experiments, which held the actual content of observed behavior constant across diverse and homogeneous teams, observers were less willing to allocate additional resources to diverse teams. Through applying both statistical mediation (Studies 1 and 2) and moderation-of-process methods (Study 3), our findings supported the expectation that biased perceptions of relationship conflict accounted for this reduced support of diverse teams. Implications for diverse teams in organizations are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert B. Lount & Oliver J. Sheldon & Floor Rink & Katherine W. Phillips, 2015. "Biased Perceptions of Racially Diverse Teams and Their Consequences for Resource Support," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(5), pages 1351-1364, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:26:y:2015:i:5:p:1351-1364
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2015.0994
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. McCarter, Matthew W. & Wade-Benzoni, Kimberly A. & Kamal, Darcy K. Fudge & Bang, H. Min & Hyde, Steven J. & Maredia, Reshma, 2020. "Models of intragroup conflict in management: A literature review," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 925-946.
    3. Sharma, Amalesh & Moses, Aditya Christopher & Borah, Sourav Bikash & Adhikary, Anirban, 2020. "Investigating the impact of workforce racial diversity on the organizational corporate social responsibility performance: An institutional logics perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 138-152.

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