Suchergebnisse

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to learn how managers make downsizing decisions.Design/methodology/approachParticipants read a created organizational scenario and 25 hypothetical employee profiles and then chose five employees to lay off.FindingsOlder and minority applicants were chosen most often. No significance was found for performance. Rater group membership in race, gender, and age were significant predictors of layoff decisions.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the participants were in a controlled environment they may have disregarded other information often available to decision makers. The majority of the sample was students who may be unrepresentative of managers who make layoff decisions. The inclusion of managers who have made downsizing decisions was designed to help address this limitation.Practical implicationsAn employer's use of personal characteristics in making downsizing decisions may ultimately affect the aftermath of downsizing.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to study the decision‐making process of layoffs.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mentoring, job satisfaction and organizational commitment among African‐American males.Design/methodology/approachAn online questionnaire was completed by 359 African‐American males in a business setting.FindingsJob satisfaction and organizational commitment were higher for those who were being mentored versus those who were not. The multiple regression results suggested mentoring was a statistically significant predictor of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Further, the relation between mentoring and organizational commitment was mediated by job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsCurrent organizational research is limited, in that it tends to focus on majority culture where findings can be inappropriately generalized to minority groups. Future mentoring research should include more minorities that can provide a new window for interpreting the contributions of minorities to organizational competitiveness.Practical implicationsMentoring programs should be continued and/or expanded upon to reduce the likelihood of poor job satisfaction and organizational commitment for African‐American males.Social implicationsOrganizations through their human resource efforts can contribute to the learning and development of African‐American males and other minorities by designing and implementing quality mentoring programs. Such programs could lessen the likelihood of costly under‐performance and turnover.Originality/valueThis is one of the relatively few organizational studies designed specifically for a minority group. The results have implications for how human resource professionals and managers might improve mentoring experiences for minorities.

PurposeThis research aims to apply virtue theory to the under‐employment problem of persons with disabilities (PWD). Historically, PWD have been under‐employed within society and discriminated against in the workplace. The authors review virtue theory research and illustrate how it can be used to better support the meaningful employment of PWD.Design/methodology/approachThis research reviews the current literature in the areas of virtue theory and the employment challenges of PWD to create a new framework that can assist in the integration of PWD into the workplace.FindingsLiterature on the employment of PWD indicates that significant differences exist in the employment experiences between PWD and persons without disabilities (PWOD). Problems such as stigmatization impede the integration of PWD into the work environment. The review of the virtue theory literature supports the development of a new framework that provides additional ways to address this ongoing problem.Practical implicationsThis paper suggests human resource management practices that virtuous organizations could use to address the problem of the under‐employment and stigmatization of PWD.Originality/valueNo research currently applies virtue theory to the under‐employment problem of persons with disabilities.

PurposeDespite the fact that Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing segment of the population and that 44 percent of Hispanics of 18 years of age and older speak English less than very well, research examining the impact of Spanish‐accented English on employment‐related decisions has been scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effects of the accent (standard American English and Mexican Spanish) of a hypothetical job applicant on employment‐related judgments and hiring decisions.Design/methodology/approachParticipants made employment‐related decisions (i.e. job suitability ratings, likelihood of a promotion, and hiring decision) and judgments of personal attributes (i.e. perceived competence and warmth) of a hypothetical applicant for an entry‐level software engineering job. The accent of the applicant was manipulated using the matched‐guise technique.FindingsResults showed that compared to an applicant with a standard American‐English accent, one with a Mexican‐Spanish accent was at a disadvantage when applying for the software engineering job. The Mexican‐Spanish‐accented applicant was rated as less suitable for the job and viewed as less likely to be promoted to a managerial position. In addition, fewer participants decided to hire the Mexican‐Spanish‐accented applicant than the standard American English‐accented applicant.Practical implicationsGiven the negative evaluations of the Mexican‐Spanish‐accented applicant, recruiters and interviewers should be selected who do not view foreign accents negatively. Furthermore, organizations should make a conscious effort to regard foreign accents as assets to their businesses.Originality/valueThis research contributes to our understanding of how foreign accents influence decisions that have important economic consequences for individuals.