CHAPTER 3: Stereotypes of Ethnic Groups in Terms of Attributes Relevant to Work Organizations: An Experimental Study

Our experimental study considered work-relevant stereotypes of six ethnic groups (i.e., Anglo American, Native American, African American, Mexican American, Chinese American, East Indian American). Members of these groups were rated in terms of such attributes as status, reliability, emotional adjustment, skill, and cognitive ability. The same attributes were assessed with respect to two views or perspectives: (a) subjects’ own views or (b) their beliefs about the views of others. Results showed ethnic group differences on numerous attributes. Anglo Americans, Chinese Americans, Native Americans, and East Indian Americans were viewed most positively, whereas African Americans and Mexican Americans were viewed most negatively. In addition, there were numerous (Bonferroni adjusted) statistically significant pairwise differences between ethnic groups on various attributes. Finally,own views were more positive than the views of others. Implications of these findings are considered for human resource management (HRM) policies and practices.