Myrtle P. Bell

Beyond Relational Demography: Time and the Effects of Surface- and Deep-Level Diversity on Work Group Cohesion

We examined the impact of surface-level (demographic) and deep-level (attitudinal) diversity on group social integration. As hypothesized, the length of time group members worked together weakened the effects of surface-level diversity and strengthened the effects of deep-level diversity as group members bad the opportunity to engage in meaningful interactions.

Work-life, diversity and intersectionality: a critical review and research agenda

Work-life issues have important implications at both organizational and individual levels. This paper provides a critical review of the work-life literature from 1990 onwards through the lens of diversity, with a particular focus on disparities of power induced by methodological and conceptual framings of work and life. The review seeks to answer the following questions: What are the gaps and omissions in the work-life research? How may they be overcome? To answer these questions, the review scrutinizes blind spots in the treatment of life, diversity and power in work-life research in both positivist and critical scholarship. In order to transcend the blind spots in positivist and critical work-life research, the review argues the case for an intersectional approach which captures the changing realities of family and workforce through the lens of diversity and intersectionality. The theoretical contribution is threefold: first, the review demonstrates that contemporary framing of life in the work-life literature should be expanded to cover aspects of life beyond domestic life. Second, the review explains why and how other strands of diversity than gender also manifest as salient causes of difference in experiences of the work-life interface. Third, the review reveals that social and historical context has more explanatory power in work-life dynamics than the micro-individual level of explanations. Work-life literature should capture the dynamism in these contexts. The paper also provides a set of useful recommendations to capture and operationalize methodological and theoretical changes required in the work-life literature.

Abject Economics The Effects of Battering and Violence on Women’s Work and Employability

Research on the effects of battering on women’s lives has focused on poverty, homelessness, and welfare receipt, often centering on women who are uneducated or undereducated. The authors analyze how battering impacts the work and employability of women from various employment levels and backgrounds. Data were obtained through qualitative interviews with 19 residents of a domestic violence shelter, some of whom had obtained substantial education and built solid and lucrative careers prior to being abused. The women described instances in which battering had obstructed their ability to find work, maintain employment, and use their wages to establish greater economic independence and safety.

Strategic human resource management: Employee involvement, diversity, and international issues

Abstract The new millennium will necessitate many changes in organizations and therefore in the issues we study. The field of strategic human resource management has certainly come to an evolutionary crossroads. It has evolved quite rapidly during the past decade, growing from early definitional and theoretical beginnings to the current state of an accumulation of empirical work exploring the fit among human resources practices, strategy, and performance. We attempt to stretch the boundaries of how we define and research strategic human resource management, by introducing three arenas for inquiry that may serve as a springboard or starting point for provocative and controversial discussion which may influence both the theoretical and empirical progress in the field. We focus on Employee Involvement, Diversity, and Strategic International Human Resource Management as presenting important challenges for current researchers and future scholars.

Stigma and Acceptance of Persons With Disabilities Understudied Aspects of Workforce Diversity

Although persons with disabilities compose a growing portion of workers, when compared with other aspects of diversity (e.g., race/ethnicity or gender), disability has received relatively little research attention. In a between-subjects experimental design with more than 600 participants, we evaluated the roles of disability type (AIDS, cerebral palsy, and stroke), stigma, and employee characteristics in acceptance of a coworker with a disability. Stigma largely mediated the relationship between disability type and acceptance. Employee characteristics had direct effects on some aspects of acceptance. Exploratory factor analysis of stigma revealed six factors; however, only a “performance impact” factor was consistently related to acceptance, suggesting that perceived implications of the coworker’s disability for job performance are critical.

Discrimination, harassment, and the glass ceiling: Women executives as change agents

In this article, we discuss the relationships between discrimination, harassment, and the glass ceiling, arguing that many of the factors that preclude women from occupying executive and managerial positions also foster sexual harassment. We suggest that measures designed to increase numbers of women in higher level positions will reduce sexual harassment. We first define and discuss discrimination, harassment, and the glass ceiling, relationships between each, and relevant legislation. We next discuss the relationships between gender and sexual harassment, emphasizing the influence of gender inequality on sexual harassment. We then present recommendations for organizations seeking to reduce sexual harassment, emphasizing the role that women executives may play in such efforts and, importantly, the recursive effects of such efforts on increasing the numbers of women in higher level positions in organizations.

Using intra-national diversity for international assignments: A model of bicultural competence and expatriate adjustment

Abstract Considerable international HRM literature focuses on training expatriates to increase cultural awareness and provide realistic previews of life and work in the host country, thereby increasing expatriate effectiveness and adjustment. This article emphasizes a complementary form of improving expatriate adjustment, namely, selection on individual differences resulting from the bicultural life experiences that individuals may bring with them to potential assignments. Parallel themes in literatures on biculturalism and on the knowledge, skills, abilities and other requirements (KSAOs) for expatriate effectiveness are discussed. A model integrating these bicultural life experiences/KSAOs and effects of other constructs on expatriate adjustment is proposed. Research and managerial implications follow.

Assessment and Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Employees: An Applied Guide to Creating Healthy Organizations

Sexual harassment occurs in organizations around the world, with costly consequences for employees and employers. In this article, we present a case for the primary prevention of sexual harassment, a dysfunctional, counterproductive behavior. We propose that primary prevention can positively influence organizational characteristics and the organizational harassment culture through preventive organizational actions (POAs), helping to build healthy organizations. Rather than being reactive, and instituted after the fact, primary prevention is a proactive approach that addresses root causes of sexual harassment, preventing its development. This approach is research-based and grounded in the well-established traditions of public health and preventive medicine that are applied to prevention of chronic health problems, such as cardiovascular disease. Management commitment, zero tolerance, applicant and new hire awareness, and regular assessments and training are important aspects of the proactive preventive management of sexual harassment.

Immigrants: The new “invisible men and women” in diversity research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the invisibility of immigrants in diversity research in the management field. Design/methodology/approach – Reasons for the paucity of immigrant research, focusing on discrimination, exploitation, and abuse of low‐skilled Hispanic immigrants in the USA, are examined. Considerations of what can be applied to the study of immigrants from extant diversity research are explored. Findings – Experiences of Hispanic immigrants to the USA are largely absent from diversity literature even though immigrants are significant contributors to the diversity of the USA. There are clear differences in the employment experiences of native‐born Hispanic‐Americans and those who are immigrants, with the latter, both documented and undocumented, generally faring worse in wages, benefits, and interpersonal treatment when compared with those who are native‐born. Research limitations/implications – Suggestions for research are provided to increase the inclusion of immigrants in diversity research. Originality/value – This paper focuses on integrating the experiences of discrimination of low‐skilled Hispanic immigrants, who comprise the bulk of newcomers to the USA, into the mainstream diversity literature in management studies and provides questions to stimulate research in the area.

Viewing Diversity Through Different Lenses: Avoiding a Few Blind Spots

The article is a response to the article “Making the Difference: Applying a Logic of Diversity,” by Scott Page in this issue of the journal. The author surveys relevant academic literature concerning the logic of diversity, including a study published by Cox and Blake in 1991. The author also critiques several of the “lessons” Page offers in his article, including relevant diversity, the conflation of identity and stereotypes, and the willingness to consult dissenters in business planning. The author concludes that Pages logic would be more helpful if it factored in different types of diversity.