Search results
1 – 10 of over 1000Makini Chisolm-Straker and Howard Straker
Implicit bias is the application of an unconscious attitude or belief; in the clinical setting, a provider’s perception of a patient, based upon perceived race or ethnicity, is…
Abstract
Purpose
Implicit bias is the application of an unconscious attitude or belief; in the clinical setting, a provider’s perception of a patient, based upon perceived race or ethnicity, is hypothesized to affect clinical decisions, provider-patient interactions and patient health. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief synopsis of and critique the relevant works over the past 15 years while highlighting the strengths of this body of literature.
Design/methodology/approach
A MEDLINE search, from 2000 to 2015, using the terms “implicit bias,” “unconscious bias” and “aversive racism” was performed. US-based studies investigating the effect of racial or ethnic implicit bias on the clinical encounter or patient outcomes were assessed. In total, 15 articles were eligible for review.
Findings
Despite well-reasoned hypotheses that racial/ethnic bias negatively affects patient care, this review found mixed results. Largely, studies showed that US-providers hold an anti-black implicit bias negatively affecting patient-provider communication and patient satisfaction. But studies have not shown that this bias consistently negatively affects diagnosis and treatment regimens of black patients in comparison to white patients. There is a significant dearth of implicit bias literature addressing the care of other patient groups of color.
Originality/value
This review of the recent literature challenges the black-white dichotomy of most implicit bias research in the USA and highlights the lack of patient-oriented outcome research in this field. Furthermore, it demonstrates that regardless of the effect of implicit bias on patient outcomes, focus on eliminating implicit bias is insufficient to improve the health of people of color.
Details
Keywords
Madhu S. Jadnanansing, Robin B. DiPietro and Mieke De Droog
This study aimed to collect data on the perception of top executive women in the Aruban hotel sector regarding implicit gender bias.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to collect data on the perception of top executive women in the Aruban hotel sector regarding implicit gender bias.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study on the metacognitive processes of awareness, evaluation and autocorrection was utilized. Through purposive sampling women in the top two leadership levels in Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA) member-hotels were selected.
Findings
Results showed that a third of the top female executives experienced implicit gender bias career barriers. Different types of bias were identified such as: judgments regarding pregnancy, unequal pay and obstructions by the male general manager. How the women dealt with this bias depended on the type of bias and their personality. The identification of bias and its effects on the career trajectory were also influenced by characteristics of the work setting such as the size of the hotel and functional area.
Research limitations/implications
The research limitations include the chosen scope, the impediment of the generalizability of the findings due to the nature of the study, self-perceived data and possible researcher and respondent bias.
Practical implications
This study added to the existing body of leadership development literature with a focus on the effects of implicit bias on female leadership advancement. Some specific theoretical concepts that were combined in this study are organizational leadership, metacognition and the unconscious mind. The important role of personality was also confirmed in this study however one element that stood out in the current study was the effect of resilience in overcoming perceived barriers and attaining personal career goals. Suggestions and directions for future research are provided.
Originality/value
Despite the fact that gender bias was not observed in an explicit form, participants advised to be aware of the existence and effects of the implicit form and to seek education and guidance from female mentors and to remain goal oriented when confronted with this bias. Since female under-representation in senior leadership positions in other economic sectors is not observed this advice serves as a significant practical implication for the development of female leadership in this important sector in Aruba.
Details
Keywords
Eve Fine, Jennifer Sheridan, Molly Carnes, Jo Handelsman, Christine Pribbenow, Julia Savoy and Amy Wendt
We discuss the implementation of workshops for faculty search committees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A central focus of the workshops is to introduce faculty to…
Abstract
Purpose
We discuss the implementation of workshops for faculty search committees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A central focus of the workshops is to introduce faculty to research on the influence of unconscious bias on the evaluation of job candidates and to recommend evidence-based strategies for minimizing this bias. The workshops aim to help universities achieve their goals of recruiting excellent and diverse faculty.
Methodology
With basic descriptive statistics and a simple logistic regression analysis, we utilize several datasets to examine participants’ responses to the workshop and assess changes in the percentage of women who receive offers and accept positions.
Findings
Faculty members are becoming aware of the role bias can play in evaluating faculty applicants and are learning strategies for minimizing bias. In departments where women are underrepresented, workshop participation is associated with a significant increase in the odds of making a job offer to a woman candidate, and with a non-significant increase in the odds of hiring a woman.
Limitations
This study is limited by our inability to assess the diversity of the applicant pools our faculty search committees recruit and by lack of control over the myriad other factors that influence hiring. Data are from a single institution and therefore these results may not generalize to other universities.
Originality/value
Educating faculty search committees about the role of unconscious bias and presenting them with evidence-based strategies for minimizing its influence promotes changes that contribute to increasing representation of women faculty.
Details
Keywords
The online economy has not resolved the issue of racial bias in its applications. While algorithms are procedures that facilitate automated decision-making, or a sequence of…
Abstract
Purpose
The online economy has not resolved the issue of racial bias in its applications. While algorithms are procedures that facilitate automated decision-making, or a sequence of unambiguous instructions, bias is a byproduct of these computations, bringing harm to historically disadvantaged populations. This paper argues that algorithmic biases explicitly and implicitly harm racial groups and lead to forms of discrimination. Relying upon sociological and technical research, the paper offers commentary on the need for more workplace diversity within high-tech industries and public policies that can detect or reduce the likelihood of racial bias in algorithmic design and execution.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper shares examples in the US where algorithmic biases have been reported and the strategies for explaining and addressing them.
Findings
The findings of the paper suggest that explicit racial bias in algorithms can be mitigated by existing laws, including those governing housing, employment, and the extension of credit. Implicit, or unconscious, biases are harder to redress without more diverse workplaces and public policies that have an approach to bias detection and mitigation.
Research limitations/implications
The major implication of this research is that further research needs to be done. Increasing the scholarly research in this area will be a major contribution in understanding how emerging technologies are creating disparate and unfair treatment for certain populations.
Practical implications
The practical implications of the work point to areas within industries and the government that can tackle the question of algorithmic bias, fairness and accountability, especially African-Americans.
Social implications
The social implications are that emerging technologies are not devoid of societal influences that constantly define positions of power, values, and norms.
Originality/value
The paper joins a scarcity of existing research, especially in the area that intersects race and algorithmic development.
Details
Keywords
Himani Oberai and Ila Mehrotra Anand
Unconscious biases are often ignored in organizations; thus, it becomes more important to identify them so that we can build strong and competent organizations. In present dynamic…
Abstract
Purpose
Unconscious biases are often ignored in organizations; thus, it becomes more important to identify them so that we can build strong and competent organizations. In present dynamic and competitive business situations, you need to be well aware about those concerns of the organizations where these biases exist.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper identifies various types of unconscious biases prevailing at workplace. It also identifies different strategies which can be used to avoid them so that we can gain a competitive edge over others in market.
Findings
Unconscious biases are a fact of life; no one can deny them. Thus, it is important to identify them so that they can be eliminated, and our businesses can avoid their detrimental effects.
Research limitations/implications
Unconscious biases narrow down the pool of people in an organization and ultimately destabilize an organization’s base.
Practical implications
Unconscious biases narrow down the pool of people in the organization and ultimately destabilize an organization’s base.
Originality/value
This paper can help managers and executives to highlight the areas where these biases lie so that they can be removed easily.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to critically examine whether the individual values and bias of police officers could be frustrating attempts to achieve black and ethnic minority…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to critically examine whether the individual values and bias of police officers could be frustrating attempts to achieve black and ethnic minority (BME) representation within the police service, especially at senior levels. It focusses on the micro-individual level, examining perceptions, values and attitudes towards equality and diversity, unconscious bias and the impact of leadership in addressing these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews the literature on values, police culture and leadership. It draws upon data produced from a very small study undertaken within a local police service specialist unit where the author was employed, by means of semi-structured interviews with a selection of staff and senior officers, and values and attitudes surveys. Data were examined from a national survey of BME officers and Human Resources Leads, conducted by the College of Policing’s BME Progression 2018 Programme. Finally, unconscious bias test data of samples of police officers, including senior leaders and HR professionals were examined.
Findings
The interview data show that equality and diversity are perceived to be largely embedded by organisational members. This is contradicted by the data from the values and attitudes survey which show that equality is not fully embedded in the culture, and the data from BME officers survey supports this. Leader role models and behaviours were found to play a crucial role in embedding these values, along with training. The findings also demonstrated a higher level of unconscious bias among senior officers and HR professionals, responsible for recruitment and selection, than police employees in general.
Research limitations/implications
This exploratory research is concerned with policing in England and Wales. The very small sample limits inferences possible in the findings but is highly relevant to current and future policing.
Practical implications
The paper highlights some potential barriers to achieving a representative police service at an individual rather than organisational level and makes a number of recommendations on the role of leaders now, and crucially in the future, to fully embed equality and diversity into police culture to address under-representation, a phenomenon which has plagued the police service throughout its entire history.
Originality/value
There appears to be a dearth of studies examining the issue of under-representation at the micro-individual level within British police organisations. The current, exploratory research study seeks to contribute to closing this gap.
Details
Keywords
Lois James, Stephen James and Renée Jean Mitchell
The authors evaluated the impact of an anti-bias training intervention for improving police behavior during interactions with community members and public perceptions of…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors evaluated the impact of an anti-bias training intervention for improving police behavior during interactions with community members and public perceptions of discrimination.
Design/methodology/approach
Fifty patrol officers from a diverse municipal agency were randomly selected to participate in an anti-bias intervention. Before and after the intervention, a random selection of Body Worn Camera (BWC) videos from the intervention group as well as from a control group of officers was coded using a validated tool for coding police “performance” during interactions with the public. Discrimination-based community member complaints were also collected before and after the intervention for treatment and control group officers.
Findings
The treatment group had a small but significant increase in performance scores compared to control group officers, F = 4.736, p = 0.009, R2ß < 0.01. They also had a small but significantly reduced number of discrimination-based complaints compared to control group officers, F = 3.042, p = 0.049, p2 = 0.015. These results suggest that anti-bias training could have an impact on officer behaviors during interactions with public and perceptions of discrimination.
Originality/value
Although these results are from a single municipal police department, this is the first study to suggest that anti-bias trainings may have a positive behavioral impact on police officers as well as the first to illustrate the potential for their impact on community members' perceptions of biased treatment by officers.
Details
Keywords
Bahar Ashnai, Sudha Mani, Prabakar Kothandaraman and Saeed Shekari
In response to calls to reduce the gender gap in the salesforce, this study aims to examine the effect of candidate gender, manager gender and industry to explain gender bias in…
Abstract
Purpose
In response to calls to reduce the gender gap in the salesforce, this study aims to examine the effect of candidate gender, manager gender and industry to explain gender bias in salesperson recruitment during screening and skill assessment.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper tested the hypotheses using observational data from a national sales competition in the USA, where managers evaluated student candidates for entry-level sales positions.
Findings
This research finds gender bias during screening using the dyadic perspective. Specifically, female managers evaluate male candidates more favorably than male managers do during screening. Further, managers of service companies evaluate female candidates more favorably than managers of goods companies during screening. However, this paper finds no such effects during candidates’ skill assessment.
Research limitations/implications
The findings indicate the importance of using dyadic research techniques to assess gender bias.
Practical implications
Managers should not use short interactions to screen candidates.
Social implications
Implicit bias exists when candidates and managers interact during screening. To reduce gender bias in recruitment the candidates and managers should interact for a longer duration.
Originality/value
This study draws upon a unique setting, where the candidates interact with the managers for screening and skill assessment. Implicit bias exists when candidates and managers interact for screening under time pressure. This paper finds no evidence of gender bias in skill assessment. This study finds that female managers are more prone to bias when evaluating male candidates than male managers. Prior work has not examined industry-based bias; this paper provides evidence of such bias in candidate screening.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the impact of persistent racial bias, discrimination and racial violence is facilitated by otherwise well-intentioned individuals…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the impact of persistent racial bias, discrimination and racial violence is facilitated by otherwise well-intentioned individuals who fail to act or intercede. Utilizing the aversive racism framework, the need to move beyond awareness raising to facilitate behavioral changes is discussed. Examining the unique lens provided by the aversive racism framework and existing research, the bystander effect provides important insights on recent acts of racial violence such as the murder of Mr. George Floyd. Some promise is shown by the work on effective bystander behavior training and highlights the need for shared responsibility in preventing the outcomes of racial violence and discrimination to create meaningful and long-lasting social change.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses literature based on the aversive racism framework together with the literature on the bystander effect to understand the factors, conditions and consequences for lack of intervention when the victim is African American. This paper also provides evidence and theory-based recommendations for strategies to change passive bystanders into active allies.
Findings
The use of the aversive racism framework provides a powerful lens to help explain the inconsistencies in the bystander effect based on the race of the victim. The implications for intervention models point to the need for behavioral and competency-based approaches that have been shown to provide meaningful change.
Practical implications
Several different approaches to address incidents of racial aggression and violence have been developed in the past. However, given the principles of aversive racism, a unique approach that considers the inconsistencies between self-perceptions and actions is needed. This sets a new agenda for future research and meaningful behavioral intervention programs that seek to equip bystanders to intercede in the future.
Social implications
The need to address and provide effective strategies to reduce the incidence of racial aggression and violence have wide-ranging benefits for individuals, communities and society.
Originality/value
By connecting the aversive racism framework to the bystander effect, the need for different models for developing responsive and active bystanders can be more effectively outlined.
Details