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Why Do Racial Slurs Remain Prevalent in the Workplace? Integrating Theory on Intergroup Behavior

Ashleigh Rosette, Duke University

Description

Semester:

  • Fall 2012

Speakers:

Ashleigh Rosette, Management and Center of Leadership and Ethics, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

Lecture Time:

Fri, November 30, 2012 @ 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Lecture Location:

Room K1310, Ross School of Business

Speaker Webpage(s):

http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/faculty_research/faculty_directory/rosette/

Introduced By:

No introduction available.

Abstract

Racial slurs are prevalent in organizations; however the social context in which racial slurs are exchanged remains somewhat poorly understood. To address this limitation, we integrate three intergroup theories (social dominance, gendered prejudice, and social identity) and complement the traditional emphasis on aggressors and targets with an emphasis on observers. In three studies, we test two primary expectations: (1) when racial slurs are exchanged, Whites will act in a manner more consistent with social dominance than Blacks and (2) this difference will be greater for White and Black men than White and Black women. In a survey (n = 471), we show that Whites are less likely to be targets of racial slurs and more likely to target Blacks than Blacks are to target them. We also show that the difference between White and Black men is greater than the difference between White and Black women. In an archival study that spans five years (n = 2,480), we found that White men are more likely to observe racial slurs than Black men, and that the difference between White and Black men is greater than the difference between White and Black women. In a behavioral study (n = 133), mediated moderation analyses showed that social dominance orientation explains why observer silence is greater for Whites than Blacks and why the difference between White and Black men in observer silence is greater than the difference between White and Black women. Further, racial identification explains when these patterns are strongest.

Recording & Additional Notes

No recordings available.

Introducer: Madeline Ong, Management & Organizations