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A Socioecological Approach to Relational Demography: How Relative Representation and Respectful Coworkers Affect Job Attitudes

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper advances a socioecological perspective toward understanding the relationship between demography and job attitudes by considering the joint effects of individual ethnicity and ethnic group relative representation—the degree to which an individual’s own demographic group is represented similarly in their organization and the community in which the organization is located.

Design/Methodology/Approach

Hierarchical polynomial regression analyses of census and survey data from 57,000 employees of 142 hospitals in the United Kingdom suggest that ethnic group relative representation is related to ethnic minority employees’ job satisfaction and turnover intentions.

Findings

An asymmetric pattern emerged wherein the effect of under-representation on turnover intentions was stronger than the effect of over-representation. Moreover, the effects of relative representation varied with respectful treatment by coworkers; relative representation had little effect on attitudes of employees who reported low levels of coworker respect but generally enhanced attitudes when respect was high.

Originality/Value

This work points to the meaningful role that socioecological factors can play in what are typically considered to be intraorganizational phenomena, thereby highlighting the need for organizational research to assess relevant aspects of the communities in which organizations are embedded.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN3f5, Fairfax, VA, 22032, USA

    Eden King & Kristen Jones

  2. Institute of Work Psychology, Sheffield University, Conduit Road, Sheffield, S10 1FL, UK

    Jeremy Dawson

  3. College of Business, DePaul University, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL, 60604, USA

    Jaclyn Jensen

Authors
  1. Eden King
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  2. Jeremy Dawson
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  3. Jaclyn Jensen
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  4. Kristen Jones
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Correspondence to Eden King.

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King, E., Dawson, J., Jensen, J. et al. A Socioecological Approach to Relational Demography: How Relative Representation and Respectful Coworkers Affect Job Attitudes. J Bus Psychol 32, 1–19 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-016-9439-8

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