Culture Shock at Work: Explaining Nonsymmetrical Effects of Racial Diversity

• In Event: 4255 - Section on Economic Sociology Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 11. Race and Ethnicity

Abstract

Who benefits from diversity in the workplace? Prior studies suggest that the benefits and challenges associated with being demographically different from others in the workplace vary across demographic groups. This paper extends research on such “nonsymmetry.” In Study 1, we use unique interview data from 90 high school teachers to highlight that racial difference is the most salient dimension mentioned by teachers. In particular, teachers in the racial numerical minority describe their interracial experiences at work with surprise, confusion, and frustration, that is, as characteristic of experiencing culture shock. We deepen our analysis of reported culture shock by examining the ways different demographic groups, with varying degrees of success, coped with and adjusted to their social environment. In Study 2, we triangulate and complement interview findings with 323 surveys from the same sample, and show that race distance does in fact loom larger than other dimensions of demographic difference, and has consequences for teachers’ work outcomes of job satisfaction, intent to stay, and psychological commitment. A spline regression analysis reveals no significant effects of faculty racial composition for white teachers’ outcomes net of controls, while effects for black teachers are significant and follow a nonlinear pattern. These findings contribute to research in nonsymmetry theory, and develop culture shock theory to apply to management settings by illustrating why and how tipping points of minority/majority status in an organization may affect one demographic group, but not another. We discuss implications for organizations and future research.

Authors

• Jennifer Lauren Nelson, Vanderbilt University

• Tiffany Johnson, Georgia Institute of Technology Scheller College of Business