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Forewarned is forearmed: Potential between and within sex discrimination

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Abstract

Effects of sex and concern for equal employment opportunity on responses to mailed job applicant resumes were examined. Applicant sex and concern for equal employment opportunity were systematically varied to yield four different resumes for two functionally equivalent applicants. One of the four resumes of the applicants was sent to 200 corporations. Sex of the applicant was identified using a female name and initials (neutral designation). Interest in equal employment opportunity was manipulated using a thesis title involving sex discrimination and no thesis reported. Results indicated that both the number of replies and number of positive responses were influenced by the interaction of an applicant's sex and interest in sex discrimination.

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Hitt, M.A., Zikmund, W.G. Forewarned is forearmed: Potential between and within sex discrimination. Sex Roles 12, 807–812 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287873

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