Hispanic Perceptions of the Hiring Decision
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
Diversity in the workplace
Hispanic perceptions of the hiring decision
Spero C. Peppas
Stetson School of Business and Economics, Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Abstract Purpose – Given the growing importance of the Hispanic population in the USA, the increasing presence of this minority at all organizational levels, and the possibility that different subcultures would value different traits when hiring, the purpose of this research was to determine if there were culture-related differences in the importance placed on 26 job applicant attributes by Hispanics and non-Hispanics who were involved in hiring. Design/methodology/approach – This study compares the importance ratings of 26 job selection attributes by Hispanic and non-Hispanic respondents to determine the hiring criteria that are important to each group, and to see if differences are statistically significant. Findings – Significant differences in mean rating scores were found in 13 of the 26 criteria. The Hispanic sample attached greater importance to subjective traits, while the non-Hispanic group had higher ratings for objectively-assessed traits. Practical implications – Given organizational efforts to increase diversity and changing demographics in the US workforce, the results of this study should prove useful to individuals and organizations in the private and public sectors. The findings show that Hispanic and non-Hispanic respondents had significantly different perceptions with regard to the importance of certain hiring criteria and hence, may assess candidates differently because of what they consider important. Originality/value – These findings should lead to better understanding among US subcultures, help organizations manage cultural diversity, assist academicians in preparing students for business careers, and improve the matching process between hiring organizations and job
Diversity in the workplace
Hispanic perceptions of the hiring decision
Spero C. Peppas
Stetson School of Business and Economics, Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Abstract Purpose – Given the growing importance of the Hispanic population in the USA, the increasing presence of this minority at all organizational levels, and the possibility that different subcultures would value different traits when hiring, the purpose of this research was to determine if there were culture-related differences in the importance placed on 26 job applicant attributes by Hispanics and non-Hispanics who were involved in hiring. Design/methodology/approach – This study compares the importance ratings of 26 job selection attributes by Hispanic and non-Hispanic respondents to determine the hiring criteria that are important to each group, and to see if differences are statistically significant. Findings – Significant differences in mean rating scores were found in 13 of the 26 criteria. The Hispanic sample attached greater importance to subjective traits, while the non-Hispanic group had higher ratings for objectively-assessed traits. Practical implications – Given organizational efforts to increase diversity and changing demographics in the US workforce, the results of this study should prove useful to individuals and organizations in the private and public sectors. The findings show that Hispanic and non-Hispanic respondents had significantly different perceptions with regard to the importance of certain hiring criteria and hence, may assess candidates differently because of what they consider important. Originality/value – These findings should lead to better understanding among US subcultures, help organizations manage cultural diversity, assist academicians in preparing students for business careers, and improve the matching process between hiring organizations and job
References: Adams, T. and McQuillan, K. (2000), “New jobs, new workers? Organizational restructuring and management hiring decisions”, Relations Industrielles, Vol. 55 No. 3, pp. 391-413. Boatwright, E.W. and Stamps, M. (1988), “Employers’ importance ratings of student characteristics: a conjoint analysis approach”, Journal of Marketing Education, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 74-8. Cable, D.M. and Judge, T.A. (1997), “Interviewers’ perceptions of person-organization fit and organizational selection decisions”, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82 No. 4, pp. 546-61. Canadian Manager (1993), “Interpersonal skills”, Canadian Manager, Vol. 18 No. 1, p. 26. Chang, J. and Cohen, A. (2003), “New hires: fit the profile or don’t apply”, Sales & Marketing Management, Vol. 155 No. 3, p. 11. Daniels, J.D. and Radebaugh, L.H. (1995), International Business, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, MA. Delgado, M.J.G. (1994), “Latinos/Latinas at work: cultural considerations”, Public Manager, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 36-8. Doyle, K. (1992), “Mastering motivation”, Incentive,, Vol. 166 No. 3, pp. 20-3. Gonzalez, G. (2004), “Hispanic vs Latino survey by comScore Dec. 2002”, 15 September, Ahorre Marketing, New Fairfield, CT, available at: www.ahorre.com/archives/2004/09/ hispanic_vs_lat_1.html (accessed November 11, 2004). Graves, L.M. and Karren, R.J. (1992), “Interviewer decision processes and effectiveness: an experimental policy-capturing investigation”, Personnel Psychology, Vol. 45 No. 2, pp. 313-40. Diversity in the workplace 127 ER 28,2 128 Greenberg, H. and Amabile, D. (1996), “The personality of a top salesperson”, Agency Sales Magazine, Vol. 26 No. 11, pp. 40-1. Greenberg, J. and Greenberg, H. (1989), “How to hire the best employees in the 1990s”, Agency Sales, Vol. 19 No. 12, pp. 16-19. Griffin, R.W. and Pustay, M.W. (1996), International Business, Addison Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, MA. Gummer, B. (2000), “Workplace diversity and the global economy”, Administration in Social Work, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 75-93. Hafer, J.C. and Hoth, C.C. (1981), “Job selection attributes: employer preferences vs. student perceptions”, Journal of College Placement, Winter, pp. 54-7. Harris, P.R. and Moran, R.T. (1996), Managing Cultural Differences, Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, TX. Hill, J.S. and Birdseye, M. (1989), “Salesperson selection in multinational corporations: an empirical study”, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 39-47. Hofstede, G. (1983), “The cultural relativity of organizational practices and theories”, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 75-89. Holland, A.M. and Herron, B. (1982), “The importance of job selection attributes: congruence between employer reports and MBA students’ perception”, Proceedings of the Southern Management Association, pp. 242-4. McGee, M.K. (2004), “Soft skills can boost careers”, Information Week, Vol. 593, 19 August, available at: www.informationweek.com/593/93caskl.htm (accessed 18 November, 2004). McKendrick, J. (1986), “Managers talk about careers”, Management World, Vol. 15 No. 7, pp. 18-19. Management Accounting (2000), “How to succeed at interviews”, Management Accounting, Vol. 78 No. 4, p. 42. Marlowe, C.M., Schneider, S.L. and Nelson, C.E. (1996), “Gender and attractiveness biases in hiring decisions: are more experienced managers less biased?”, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 81 No. 1, pp. 11-21. Messmer, M. (2003), “Five things to look for in job candidates”, Strategic Finance, Vol. 85 No. 3, pp. 15-16. Murray, J.P. (1999), “Successfully hiring and retaining IT personnel”, Information Systems Management, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 18-24. Myszkowski, G.J. and Sloan, S. (1991), “Hiring by blueprint”, HR Magazine, Vol. 36 No. 5, pp. 55-8. Office of Personnel Management (2001), Report to the President on Hispanic Employment in the Federal Government, available at: www.opm.gov/diversity/hispanic/2001Report2Pres00. asp (accessed November 14, 2004). Peppas, S.C. (2001), “Subcultural similarities and differences: an examination of US core values”, Cross Cultural Management, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 59-70. Peppas, S.C., Peppas, S.R. and Jin, K. (1999), “Choosing the right employee: Chinese vs US preferences”, Management Decision, Vol. 37 No. 1, pp. 7-13. Personnel Journal (1992), “Questionnaire helps identify top sales producers”, Personnel Journal, June Supplement, p. 6. Rodriguez, R. (2004), “Tapping the Hispanic labor pool”, HRMagazine, Vol. 49 No. 4, pp. 72-7. Roosevelt, T.R. Jr (1996), “Redefining diversity”, HR Focus, Vol. 73 No. 4, pp. 6-7. Siegel, G. (2000), “Skills needed for entry-level management accounting positions”, Strategic Finance, Vol. 81 No. 10, pp. 79-80. Silverhart, T.A. and Hinchcliffe, R.H. (1996), “New selection tool assesses candidate/agency fit”, LIMRA’s MarketFacts, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 4-6. Terry-Azios, D.A. (1999), “Recruiting diversity”, Hispanic, Vol. 12 No. 9, p. 88. US Census Bureau (2003a), “Hispanic population reaches all-time high of 38.8 million, new census bureau estimates show”, available at: www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/ cb03-100.html (accessed November 11, 2004). US Census Bureau (2003b), “The Hispanic population of the United States: March 2002”, available at: www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p20-545.pdf (accessed November 12, 2004). Vessenes, P.M. (2001), “Are they right for the job?”, Journal of Financial Planning, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 52-4. Wade, K.J. and Kinicki, A.J. (1995), “Examining objective and subjective applicant qualifications within a process model of interview selection decisions”, Academy of Management Journal: Best Papers Proceedings, Academy of Management, Briarcliff Manor, NY, pp. 151-5. About the author Spero C. Peppas is Director of the Center for International Business Relations and Professor of International Business at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He has taught in the USA and Europe and has received numerous teaching awards. He has also served as Marketing Specialist for the United Nations and the ILO as well as for the governments of Senegal and Benin in developing small and medium-sized businesses. His research and consulting focus is on domestic and international issues in marketing, management, and ethics. He can be contacted at: peppas_sc@mercer.edu Diversity in the workplace 129 To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: reprints@emeraldinsight.com Or visit our web site for further details: www.emeraldinsight.com/reprints