Global Mobility and Bias in the Workplace

Abstract

(from the chapter) Economic aspirations are one of the major motivations for international mobility, but new settlers are more often unemployed or underemployed than their native-born peers and may never attain parity in labor market outcomes. This book chapter discusses bias in the workplace, commencing with evidence of inequality in the labor market and organizations, and then outlining areas in which bias may operate to create and maintain inequalities. Bias in the workplace is particularly relevant in the recruitment and selection process, but can also been seen in connection with performance evaluation. Employment bias may occur when pre-screening applicants, choosing recruitment and selection methods and criteria, and appraising selection criteria. Reasons behind bias at the workplace lie in a complex interplay of interpersonal and intergroup processes on an individual, organizational and societal level. Social psychological processes such as social categorization and comparison, perception of dissimilarity, stereotyping and inter-group conflict help to understand why systematic bias occurs and how it leads to the unequal participation of immigrants and new settlers in the workplace. Furthermore, personal and situational factors, such as intercultural contact, workforce demographics and societal-level attitudes, often underpin bias and discrimination. The chapter concludes with practical recommendations for counteracting bias in the workplace, considering the roles organizations and managers can play as key agents of change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)