Perceptions of Employee Race, Skills, and Their Impact on Job Assignment Distribution

Abstract

This study evaluated the impact of racial perceptions on distributing job assignments to employees. Participants evaluated four employee resumes and performance appraisals to determine which employee was most qualified for four different job assignments. Two of the four job assignments were considered racialized for Black and Asian races. It was found that participants were capable of correctly distributing job assignments based on qualifications, but still demonstrated subtle prejudices on what types of races they believed would most likely hold the various job assignments. These findings may be due to the amount of contact participants have with individuals of different races and the types of jobs they have seen these individuals holding. The results suggest that subtle racial prejudice exists and could possibly influence various functions of the workplace.