One hundred years of discrimination research in the Journal of Applied Psychology: A sobering synopsis.

Abstract

Employment discrimination-a legal, social, moral, and practical problem-has been a persistent focus of narrow scholarship in the since its inception. Indeed, this article identifies the environmental characteristics, conceptual underpinnings, dominant methodologies, research questions and findings across 508 articles published on discrimination in the journal over the last 100 years. Emergent themes document signs of stability and change in 3 eras: an era wherein discrimination research was itself discriminatory (1917-1969), the heyday of discrimination research (1970-1989), and an era of unsteady progress (1990-2014). This synthesis suggests that, although increasingly sophisticated methodological approaches have been applied to this topic, the targets of focus and theories driving research have largely been static. Additionally, research published on discrimination in the has often trailed too far behind the times. Specific recommendations for advancing the psychological study of employment discrimination in applied contexts are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record

Workplace discrimination: A meta‐analytic extension, critique, and future research agenda

“…Our mediation analyses also confirmed the predominant conceptualization of workplace discrimination as a social stressor that elicits stress responses that subsequently lead to strain reactions (Raver & Nishii, ; Sonnentag & Frese, ). However, it is noteworthy that our examination of justice as a mediator answers recent calls to move beyond the consideration of stress as an explanatory mechanism for discrimination–outcome relationships (Colella et al., ). This extends the existing theory on workplace mistreatment by providing evidence to suggest that both job stress and perceived injustice can explain the associations between discrimination and negative work and health‐related outcomes.…”

“…Although the predominant approach in the discrimination literature is to conceptualize discrimination as a stressor, a recent review noted that discrimination research would benefit from a wider variety of viewpoints that move beyond this approach (Colella et al., ). We contend that, in addition to stress, an individual's perception of justice is a mechanism by which discrimination relates to attitudinal, behavior, and health outcomes.…”

Thriving of employees with disabilities: The roles of job self‐efficacy, inclusion, and team‐learning climate

“…Given the ubiquity of stigmatization and discrimination against PWD, there is a continuous call for the integration of PWD in the workplace, so organizations can benefit from a more diverse workforce (Colella & Bruyère, ; Dwertmann & Boehm, ). Since most of the current studies on disability were conducted in the United States, there is a limited understanding of integrating PWD into the workplace in other parts of the world (Colella, Hebl, & King, ). As discrimination against PWD is a universal phenomenon, disability research using non‐U.S.…”

“…As discrimination against PWD is a universal phenomenon, disability research using non‐U.S. samples is of paramount importance (Colella et al, ). The current article first discusses U.S.‐based cases, because most of the current research comes from the U.S. context.…”

Does Reducing Male Domination in Teams Attenuate or Intensify the Harmful Effects of Perceived Discrimination on Women's Job Satisfaction? A Test of Competing Hypotheses

“…Additionally, by proposing competing hypotheses regarding why interactions between perceived discrimination and male domination in teams might yield attenuating or intensifying effects on female team members’ job satisfaction, we contribute much‐needed theoretical insight to the workplace discrimination literature (Colella, Hebl, & King, ). With respect to our attenuating hypothesis, which was based, in part, on the contact hypothesis, it may be that other conditions need to be in place in order to support effective contact and promote the positive effects of decreased male domination in teams.…”