Collaborative Research: Diversity Structures Create Illusions of Fairness

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Today, organizations spend a great deal of time and money to create structures and procedures for managing organizational diversity. However, relatively little is known about how the diversity structures that are created actually affect members of underrepresented groups. This research project focuses on one significant, unintended cost of diversity structures for those they intend to help -- "the illusion of fairness." The investigators propose that diversity structures have the potential to cause an illusion of fairness concerning the treatment of members of underrepresented groups among members of high status groups. This illusion leaves members of high status groups blind to discrimination against underrepresented groups, and unsympathetic toward those who claim to experience discrimination. The research is based upon two theoretical assumptions: 1) most diversity structures do not actually make organizations fairer for members of underrepresented groups; and 2) most high status group members believe that diversity programs make organizations fairer for members of underrepresented groups. The experiments included in this project test whether White Americans believe that diversity programs create procedurally fair environments for members of underrepresented groups, whether the perceptions of procedural fairness for underrepresented group members lead them to be blind to discrimination; whether participants' group status (e.g., Whites or minorities; men or women) and endorsed or primed beliefs that legitimize status differences moderate the illusion of fairness; and whether the illusion of fairness extends to instances of "reverse discrimination" in which high status group members claim to experience discrimination. As part of the Science of Broadening Participation, this research offers insight into increasing the effectiveness of diversity structures as well as reducing animosity directed at members of underrepresented groups. It will be of interest to researchers and practitioners studying anti-discrimination law and policy, as well as to organizations seeking to build and manage a more diverse workforce. In addition, the research promotes teaching, training, and learning. Both investigators run active teaching labs that include a diverse group of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates. These students will be involved in the implementation of this research as well as its dissemination in presentations and papers.