Interracial Frontline Encounters: How White Customers' Stereotype Threat Affects Black Frontline Employees' Immediate Job Outcomes

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Mikolon, Sven; Dinhof, Katharina; Kleber, Janet; Haumann, Till
• 署名单位: Imperial College London; University of Klagenfurt
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/apl0001272
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 1318-1330
• 关键词: racial bias; frontline employees; Stereotype threat; racial categorization

摘要

Interracial interactions are often laden with concerns about being assimilated by group stereotypes. This study examines the White-and-prejudiced stereotype threat, which can be triggered in White customers when interacting with Black frontline employees. Our findings, derived from two field studies and two experiments, reveal short-term positive effects of the White stereotype threat on the job performance effectiveness of Black frontline employees. For example, White customers buy more and intend to tip more when interacting with a Black relative to a White frontline employee. These short-term positive behavioral shifts toward Black frontline employees are especially present when the frontline employee is categorized in terms of race but diminished when the frontline employee is individuated. The implications of our findings are managerially relevant because employees from marginalized racial groups are often overrepresented in frontline and in service occupations in several countries including Europe and the United States.