Employment discrimination laws: a country level analysis of voice and accountability

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether the number of employment discrimination laws in a country influences voice and accountability.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors compared the number of employment discrimination laws in different countries to perceptions of voice and accountability.

Findings

Results indicate that the number of discrimination laws enacted in a country has a positive impact on the voice and accountability perceptions of citizens. Further, this relationship is found to be moderated by two contextual factors: cultural assertiveness and the percentage of females in the population. Specifically, the positive impact of the number of discrimination laws on voice and accountability perceptions was found to be stronger in highly assertive cultures and in countries with a lower percentage of females in the population.

Originality/value

This is the first study to show a relationship between the number of employment discrimination laws in a country and perceptions of voice and accountability.

Citation

Cheng, H., Flores, G., Singh, S. and Posthuma, R. (2018), "Employment discrimination laws: a country level analysis of voice and accountability", International Journal of Law and Management, Vol. 60 No. 6, pp. 1286-1298. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLMA-06-2017-0129