Prof. Sven Mikolon (Imperial College London)
Date: Tuesday, December 6th
Time: 12:15pm - 01:45pm
Location: Ludwigstr. 28, front building, Room 211b
Title: On the Positive Consequences of Frontline Workers’ Minority Group Status on Their Job Performance
Abstract: Previous research on the link between customers’ biases and frontline workers’ job performance has largely demonstrated negative job performance consequences of frontline workers’ minority group status. Our findings derived from the field and the lab reveal that there can sometimes be positive consequences as well; for example, that frontline workers from marginalized groups sell more and receive higher tips than their colleagues with majority group status. This effect occurs when the frontline employee is categorized by the customer in terms of their personal social categories, but less so when categorized in terms of e.g., their professional category. The implications of our findings are relevant because employees with minority group status tend to be overrepresented in the frontline and service occupations in several countries, including the U.S.