Elizabeth Umphress - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Elizabeth Umphress
Academy of Management Perspectives, 2019
Kanter's (1977) tokenism theory stimulated a flurry of research activity devoted to understanding... more Kanter's (1977) tokenism theory stimulated a flurry of research activity devoted to understanding the experiences of those who are in the numerical minority in their workgroups, organizations, or occupations. Society continues to increase the proportion of some demographic groups within organizations, but the notion of tokens continues to be relevant, as many women, men, racial groups, and those who identify with intersecting identities find themselves numerically underrepresented in the workplace. We systematically organize and analyze recent work on the consequences of being a token for women, men, and racial minorities to address challenges and identify opportunities for future research. We highlight gaps and ambiguities to provide clarity and momentum for future research in this area. Further, we identify current and propose the consideration of potential measurement, individual, and contextual contingencies that may influence the outcomes of being a token. These critical contingencies shed light on the potential variations in the outcomes associated with being a token.
Journal of Management Development, 2015
Purpose– Individuals who are high in social dominance orientation (SDO) tend to endorse the belie... more Purpose– Individuals who are high in social dominance orientation (SDO) tend to endorse the belief that members of traditionally considered high-status groups should dominate members of traditionally considered low-status groups within society. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how SDO influences the selection of an individual who is a member of a traditionally considered low-status group for a leadership position as opposed to a non-leadership position.Design/methodology/approach– The methodology included undergraduate business students who were investigated in a laboratory setting.Findings– Results indicate that individuals who are high in SDO are more likely to discriminate against the most qualified candidate who is a traditionally considered low-status group member when compared to those low in SDO, and job position moderated this outcome. This effect was stronger when selecting the traditionally considered low-status group member candidate for a leadership role as op...
Academy of Management Proceedings, 2000
Description: "Umphress, E., Labianca, J., Kass, E.E., Scholten, L. & Brass, D.J. (2000) ... more Description: "Umphress, E., Labianca, J., Kass, E.E., Scholten, L. & Brass, D.J. (2000) The Social Construction of Organizational Justice Perceptions: A Social Networks Approach. Paper presented at Academy of Management Conference, Toronto, Canada"
Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 2014
Prior research has not given much attention to understanding how those in the numeric minority (i... more Prior research has not given much attention to understanding how those in the numeric minority (i.e., tokens) with high social status (e.g., males) react to those with low social status (e.g., females). We draw from social dominance orientation (SDO) to better understand how male tokens' beliefs about group-based hierarchies affect their evaluation of a highly qualified female candidate. We conducted a laboratory study in which participants were placed in a selection situation and were asked to evaluate a highly qualified female candidate. We discovered a significant interaction between token status and SDO such that male tokens who were high in SDO were more likely to evaluate negatively a highly qualified female.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 2008
The authors examined one manner in which to decrease the negative impact of social dominance orie... more The authors examined one manner in which to decrease the negative impact of social dominance orientation (SDO), an individual difference variable that indicates support for the "domination of 'inferior' groups by 'superior' groups" (J. Sidanius & F. Pratto, 1999, p. 48), on the selection of candidates from low-status groups within society. Consistent with the tenets of social dominance theory, in 2 studies we found that those high in SDO reported that they were less likely to select a potential team member who is a member of a low-status group (i.e., a White female in Study 1 and a Black male in Study 2) than those low in SDO. However, explicit directives from an authority moderated this effect such that those high in SDO were more likely to select both candidates when authority figures clearly communicated that job performance indicators should be used when choosing team members. Thus, our studies suggest that the negative effects of SDO may be attenuated if those high in SDO are instructed by superiors to use legitimate performance criteria to evaluate job candidates.
Academy of Management Journal, 2005
We conducted two studies that bring communities into the study of organizational demographics. Re... more We conducted two studies that bring communities into the study of organizational demographics. Reasoningfrom a realistic group conflict theory base, we predicted (1) negative whitereactions to racial and ethnic diversity in organizations and (2) mod eration of this ...
Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2012
The present research contributes to a growing literature on observer reactions to injustice exper... more The present research contributes to a growing literature on observer reactions to injustice experienced by others. In particular, we separated two variables that have previously been confounded in prior research, namely perpetrator intent to cause harm and victim perception of harm. We expected that injustice intent and injustice perceptions would have both unique and joint effects on observer reactions. The results of three experiments in which we manipulated perpetrator injustice intent and victim injustice perceptions supported our predictions. First, we found that observers had more negative reactions toward superiors who intended to inflict high versus low levels of interpersonal injustice toward a subordinate. Second, the injustice intent of the superior influenced observers' reactions more than did victim perceptions of injustice. Third, most novel, we found that the mere intent to cause injustice generated negative reactions in observers, even in the absence of a "true" victim-that is, when the subordinate perceptions of injustice were low. Together, our results emphasize the importance of examining observers' reactions to injustice and incorporating perpetrator intentions into the study of organizational justice.
Social Justice Research, 2003
We present and discuss a theoretical model of an organization's ethical infrastructure, defi... more We present and discuss a theoretical model of an organization's ethical infrastructure, defined as the organizational elements that contribute to an organization's ethical effectiveness. We propose that the infrastructure is composed of both formal and informal elements—including communication, surveillance, and sanctioning systems—as well as organizational climates for ethics, respect, and justice. We discuss the nature of the relationship between these
This Peer-Reviewed Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It ... more This Peer-Reviewed Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact scholarsarchive@byu.edu.
The Journal of applied psychology, Jan 11, 2017
When providing social accounts (Sitkin & Bies, 1993) for the unethical conduct of subordinates, l... more When providing social accounts (Sitkin & Bies, 1993) for the unethical conduct of subordinates, leaders may use language consistent with cognitive strategies described by Bandura (1991, 1999) in his work on moral disengagement. That is, leader's social accounts may reframe or reconstrue subordinates' unethical conduct such that it appears less reprehensible. We predict observers will respond negatively to leaders when they use moral disengagement language within social accounts and, specifically, observers will ostracize these leaders. In addition, we predict that observer moral disengagement propensity moderates this effect, such that the relationship between leaders' use of moral disengagement language within a social account and ostracism is stronger when observer moral disengagement propensity is lower versus higher. Finally, we predict that the reason why observers ostracize the leader is because observers perceive the leader's social account with moral disengag...
Organization Science, Jun 1, 2001
2009 39th IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, 2009
In this paper, the ethical responsibility of the engineer will be linked to the obligation to pro... more In this paper, the ethical responsibility of the engineer will be linked to the obligation to promote diversity by creating a welcoming environment in the engineering professions. This ethical obligation will be supported using the theories of moral decision-making and the fundamental canons of the engineering codes of ethics. Including this concept in engineering ethics education could potentially result in a more welcoming and inclusive workplace environment, and ultimately aid in addressing the engineering workforce needs gap. Successfully linking the ethical obligation of the engineer to diversity issues, and including this in engineering ethics education, could make a positive difference across engineering disciplines.
Organization Science, 2003
... unjustly may be primed to interpret a supervisor's ambiguous behavior as unfair ... ... more ... unjustly may be primed to interpret a supervisor's ambiguous behavior as unfair ... Social Information Processing Salancik and Pfeffer (1978) argued that organizations are complex ... Consequently, individuals use information from other people to form evaluations and perceptions ...
Organization Science, 2001
Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2013
Outsourcing of jobs to contract workers who work alongside a client's employees has changed the h... more Outsourcing of jobs to contract workers who work alongside a client's employees has changed the human resource landscape of many organizations. In this study we examine how a contract worker's perceived employment status similarity to the client's own standard employees influences his/her affective commitment to both the client and the employer and ultimately intent to quit the employer. Using a sample of 623 contract workers, we found strong support for our hypotheses. In particular, findings indicate an important role for perceived employment status at the client organization in driving contract worker's attitudes and that contract workers consider both the client and the employer when making decisions to leave the employer. Implications for managing contractor relationships are discussed.
![Research paper thumbnail of Erratum to "Is virtue its own reward? Self-sacrificial decisions for the sake of fairness" [Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 89 (2002) 839-865]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/44076589/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
We investigate the ways in which concern for fairness influences decision-making. We use a paradi... more We investigate the ways in which concern for fairness influences decision-making. We use a paradigm previously shown to illustrate circumstances under which a decision maker sacrifices some of his or her own potential for financial gain to punish or reward someone who has demonstrated a prior intent to be either unfair or fair to another person. By ruling out alternative hypotheses related to the original finding, we obtain evidence that “virtue is its own reward”: Decision makers make self-sacrificing allocations, despite the absence of short- or long-term benefits for doing so. Extending the generality of this effect, we also identify circumstances under which the desire for virtuous fairness produces decisions that are not self-sacrificial and do reward someone whose motives seemingly include a willingness to exploit others. These special circumstances apparently indicate the decision maker's belief that “two wrongs don't make a right.” Thus, these studies show that the f...
Academy of Management Perspectives, 2019
Kanter's (1977) tokenism theory stimulated a flurry of research activity devoted to understanding... more Kanter's (1977) tokenism theory stimulated a flurry of research activity devoted to understanding the experiences of those who are in the numerical minority in their workgroups, organizations, or occupations. Society continues to increase the proportion of some demographic groups within organizations, but the notion of tokens continues to be relevant, as many women, men, racial groups, and those who identify with intersecting identities find themselves numerically underrepresented in the workplace. We systematically organize and analyze recent work on the consequences of being a token for women, men, and racial minorities to address challenges and identify opportunities for future research. We highlight gaps and ambiguities to provide clarity and momentum for future research in this area. Further, we identify current and propose the consideration of potential measurement, individual, and contextual contingencies that may influence the outcomes of being a token. These critical contingencies shed light on the potential variations in the outcomes associated with being a token.
Journal of Management Development, 2015
Purpose– Individuals who are high in social dominance orientation (SDO) tend to endorse the belie... more Purpose– Individuals who are high in social dominance orientation (SDO) tend to endorse the belief that members of traditionally considered high-status groups should dominate members of traditionally considered low-status groups within society. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how SDO influences the selection of an individual who is a member of a traditionally considered low-status group for a leadership position as opposed to a non-leadership position.Design/methodology/approach– The methodology included undergraduate business students who were investigated in a laboratory setting.Findings– Results indicate that individuals who are high in SDO are more likely to discriminate against the most qualified candidate who is a traditionally considered low-status group member when compared to those low in SDO, and job position moderated this outcome. This effect was stronger when selecting the traditionally considered low-status group member candidate for a leadership role as op...
Academy of Management Proceedings, 2000
Description: "Umphress, E., Labianca, J., Kass, E.E., Scholten, L. & Brass, D.J. (2000) ... more Description: "Umphress, E., Labianca, J., Kass, E.E., Scholten, L. & Brass, D.J. (2000) The Social Construction of Organizational Justice Perceptions: A Social Networks Approach. Paper presented at Academy of Management Conference, Toronto, Canada"
Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 2014
Prior research has not given much attention to understanding how those in the numeric minority (i... more Prior research has not given much attention to understanding how those in the numeric minority (i.e., tokens) with high social status (e.g., males) react to those with low social status (e.g., females). We draw from social dominance orientation (SDO) to better understand how male tokens' beliefs about group-based hierarchies affect their evaluation of a highly qualified female candidate. We conducted a laboratory study in which participants were placed in a selection situation and were asked to evaluate a highly qualified female candidate. We discovered a significant interaction between token status and SDO such that male tokens who were high in SDO were more likely to evaluate negatively a highly qualified female.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 2008
The authors examined one manner in which to decrease the negative impact of social dominance orie... more The authors examined one manner in which to decrease the negative impact of social dominance orientation (SDO), an individual difference variable that indicates support for the "domination of 'inferior' groups by 'superior' groups" (J. Sidanius & F. Pratto, 1999, p. 48), on the selection of candidates from low-status groups within society. Consistent with the tenets of social dominance theory, in 2 studies we found that those high in SDO reported that they were less likely to select a potential team member who is a member of a low-status group (i.e., a White female in Study 1 and a Black male in Study 2) than those low in SDO. However, explicit directives from an authority moderated this effect such that those high in SDO were more likely to select both candidates when authority figures clearly communicated that job performance indicators should be used when choosing team members. Thus, our studies suggest that the negative effects of SDO may be attenuated if those high in SDO are instructed by superiors to use legitimate performance criteria to evaluate job candidates.
Academy of Management Journal, 2005
We conducted two studies that bring communities into the study of organizational demographics. Re... more We conducted two studies that bring communities into the study of organizational demographics. Reasoningfrom a realistic group conflict theory base, we predicted (1) negative whitereactions to racial and ethnic diversity in organizations and (2) mod eration of this ...
Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2012
The present research contributes to a growing literature on observer reactions to injustice exper... more The present research contributes to a growing literature on observer reactions to injustice experienced by others. In particular, we separated two variables that have previously been confounded in prior research, namely perpetrator intent to cause harm and victim perception of harm. We expected that injustice intent and injustice perceptions would have both unique and joint effects on observer reactions. The results of three experiments in which we manipulated perpetrator injustice intent and victim injustice perceptions supported our predictions. First, we found that observers had more negative reactions toward superiors who intended to inflict high versus low levels of interpersonal injustice toward a subordinate. Second, the injustice intent of the superior influenced observers' reactions more than did victim perceptions of injustice. Third, most novel, we found that the mere intent to cause injustice generated negative reactions in observers, even in the absence of a "true" victim-that is, when the subordinate perceptions of injustice were low. Together, our results emphasize the importance of examining observers' reactions to injustice and incorporating perpetrator intentions into the study of organizational justice.
Social Justice Research, 2003
We present and discuss a theoretical model of an organization's ethical infrastructure, defi... more We present and discuss a theoretical model of an organization's ethical infrastructure, defined as the organizational elements that contribute to an organization's ethical effectiveness. We propose that the infrastructure is composed of both formal and informal elements—including communication, surveillance, and sanctioning systems—as well as organizational climates for ethics, respect, and justice. We discuss the nature of the relationship between these
This Peer-Reviewed Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It ... more This Peer-Reviewed Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact scholarsarchive@byu.edu.
The Journal of applied psychology, Jan 11, 2017
When providing social accounts (Sitkin & Bies, 1993) for the unethical conduct of subordinates, l... more When providing social accounts (Sitkin & Bies, 1993) for the unethical conduct of subordinates, leaders may use language consistent with cognitive strategies described by Bandura (1991, 1999) in his work on moral disengagement. That is, leader's social accounts may reframe or reconstrue subordinates' unethical conduct such that it appears less reprehensible. We predict observers will respond negatively to leaders when they use moral disengagement language within social accounts and, specifically, observers will ostracize these leaders. In addition, we predict that observer moral disengagement propensity moderates this effect, such that the relationship between leaders' use of moral disengagement language within a social account and ostracism is stronger when observer moral disengagement propensity is lower versus higher. Finally, we predict that the reason why observers ostracize the leader is because observers perceive the leader's social account with moral disengag...
Organization Science, Jun 1, 2001
2009 39th IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, 2009
In this paper, the ethical responsibility of the engineer will be linked to the obligation to pro... more In this paper, the ethical responsibility of the engineer will be linked to the obligation to promote diversity by creating a welcoming environment in the engineering professions. This ethical obligation will be supported using the theories of moral decision-making and the fundamental canons of the engineering codes of ethics. Including this concept in engineering ethics education could potentially result in a more welcoming and inclusive workplace environment, and ultimately aid in addressing the engineering workforce needs gap. Successfully linking the ethical obligation of the engineer to diversity issues, and including this in engineering ethics education, could make a positive difference across engineering disciplines.
Organization Science, 2003
... unjustly may be primed to interpret a supervisor's ambiguous behavior as unfair ... ... more ... unjustly may be primed to interpret a supervisor's ambiguous behavior as unfair ... Social Information Processing Salancik and Pfeffer (1978) argued that organizations are complex ... Consequently, individuals use information from other people to form evaluations and perceptions ...
Organization Science, 2001
Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2013
Outsourcing of jobs to contract workers who work alongside a client's employees has changed the h... more Outsourcing of jobs to contract workers who work alongside a client's employees has changed the human resource landscape of many organizations. In this study we examine how a contract worker's perceived employment status similarity to the client's own standard employees influences his/her affective commitment to both the client and the employer and ultimately intent to quit the employer. Using a sample of 623 contract workers, we found strong support for our hypotheses. In particular, findings indicate an important role for perceived employment status at the client organization in driving contract worker's attitudes and that contract workers consider both the client and the employer when making decisions to leave the employer. Implications for managing contractor relationships are discussed.
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
We investigate the ways in which concern for fairness influences decision-making. We use a paradi... more We investigate the ways in which concern for fairness influences decision-making. We use a paradigm previously shown to illustrate circumstances under which a decision maker sacrifices some of his or her own potential for financial gain to punish or reward someone who has demonstrated a prior intent to be either unfair or fair to another person. By ruling out alternative hypotheses related to the original finding, we obtain evidence that “virtue is its own reward”: Decision makers make self-sacrificing allocations, despite the absence of short- or long-term benefits for doing so. Extending the generality of this effect, we also identify circumstances under which the desire for virtuous fairness produces decisions that are not self-sacrificial and do reward someone whose motives seemingly include a willingness to exploit others. These special circumstances apparently indicate the decision maker's belief that “two wrongs don't make a right.” Thus, these studies show that the f...