Why Subtle Bias Is So Often Worse than Blatant Discrimination

It’s more common and harder to prove.

by

Eden King

and

Kristen Jones

by

Eden King

and

Kristen Jones

July 13, 2016

Headlines today are filled with blatant examples of workplace bias, from employees who give black coworkers nooses, to pay disparities in soccer, to supervisors’ admonitions that women need to “get along with the boys.” These are obvious, inflammatory, and offensive behaviors that deserve vigorous scrutiny.

EK

Eden King is the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Rice University. She is pursuing a program of research that seeks to guide the equitable and effective management of diverse organizations. She has also partnered with organizations to improve diversity climate, increase fairness in selection systems, and to design and implement diversity training programs.
KJ

Dr. Kristen Jones is an Assistant Professor of Management in the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis. Her research focuses on identifying and remediating subtle bias that unfairly disadvantages diverse employees at work, particularly women and mothers.

Why Subtle Bias Is So Often Worse than Blatant Discrimination

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