Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato
Abstract
The current study aims to examine the effects that applicant race and gender have on ratings of promotability for a leadership role. The current study will also investigate the role that Social Dominance Orientation, an individual difference variable that reflects attitudes towards intergroup relations being equal or not, plays in attitudes towards a candidate\u27s promotability. 213 participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (candidates race: Caucasian vs. African-American) × 2 (candidates gender: male vs. female) factorial design and asked to assess the promotability of the candidate based on a brief work history and interview responses. Results suggest that candidate gender did not affect promotability ratings, and African-American candidates received significantly higher ratings than Caucasian candidates. No significant interaction of race and gender was found. Additionally, social dominance orientation was not a significant moderator of the effects of race, gender, or the interaction of race and gender
