Addressing Stereotype Threat is Critical to Diversity and Inclusion in Organizational Psychology

Abstract

Recently researchers have debated the relevance of stereotype threat to the workplace. Critics have argued that stereotype threat is not relevant in high stakes testing such as in personnel selection. We and others argue that stereotype threat is highly relevant in personnel selection, but our review focused on underexplored areas including effects of stereotype threat beyond test performance and the application of brief, low-cost interventions in the workplace. Relevant to the workplace, stereotype threat can reduce domain identification, job engagement, career aspirations, and receptivity to feedback. Stereotype threat has consequences in other relevant domains including leadership, entrepreneurship, negotiations, and competitiveness. Several institutional and individual level intervention strategies that have been field-tested and are easy to implement show promise for practitioners including: addressing environmental cues, valuing diversity, wise feedback, organizational mindsets, reattribution training, reframing the task, values-affirmation, utility-value, belonging, communal goal affordances, interdependent worldviews, and teaching about stereotype threat. This review integrates criticisms and evidence into one accessible source for practitioners and provides recommendations for implementing effective, low-cost interventions in the workplace.

Age‐based stereotype threat and negative outcomes in the workplace: Exploring the role of identity integration

“…It has been shown, for instance, that even simply being reminded of one's membership in a group that traditionally underperforms in a particular area of competence leads to a series of negative outcomes. Over the past two decades, hundreds of studies have demonstrated that stereotype threat has a pervasive and negative effect on individual performance, attitudes, motivations, and well-being (Casad & Bryant, 2016). Studies on this topic have focused on threats related to different group membership-such as gender, race, and age-in diverse social contexts (Spencer, Logel, & Davies, 2016).…”

The impact of diversity, bias and stereotype: expanding the Medical Physics and Engineering STEM workforce

“…Stereotype threat has many consequences [38] which can directly impact performance at interview and career progression. Stereotype threat also manifests in the workplace and can lead to a cascade of processes including reduced engagement, reduced or changed career aspirations, higher stress, poorer performance and higher failure rates [39]. Failure can reinforce the stereotype threat [37] and ''could be interpreted as evidence of supporting the stereotype'' [40].…”

“…Increasing personnel diversity, actively identifying similarities amongst group members and actively promoting the value of difference to problem solving are interventions that can be adapted in the workplace to counteract stereotype threat [39]. When teams are made up of people from many demographic groups the 'otherness' of an individual is less apparent.…”

“…Their confidence is systematically challenged as they are continually held to high expectations with ad-hoc support. Significant female talent is being undermined and wasted [23,39,41,42]. Even when women display the qualities considered important for leadership they are viewed less favourably than men; there are built in failure points at every turn.…”

“…It will allow women to reinterpret past negative feedback about their own and females' performance in science to discrimination rather than lack of ability [30]. We need to encourage women to lead and to build their self-belief [39]. ''If more women survive and thrive in their careers, you'll have more women and a more diverse leadership, and that also is important for institutional change'' [8].…”