The affirmative action stigma of incompetence: Effects of performance information ambiguity

Madeline E. Heilman, Caryn J. Block, Peter Stathatos

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

In two studies, 264 male and female managers reviewed information about the job performance of a person portrayed as either a man or a woman and, if a woman, as either an affirmative action hire or not. As expected, subjects rated female affirmative action hires as less competent and recommended smaller salary increases for them than for men and women not associated with affirmative action. This pattern held even when disconfirming performance information was provided if that information was ambiguous either with regard to degree of success (Study 1) or with regard to who was responsible for the success (Study 2).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)603-625
Number of pages23
JournalAcademy of Management Journal
Volume40
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1997

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business and International Management
  • General Business, Management and Accounting
  • Strategy and Management
  • Management of Technology and Innovation

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