JOURNAL OF BUSINESS DIVERSITY

Not All Differences Are the Same: Variation in the Status Value of Demographic

Characteristics Within and Across Organizations

Author(s): Sandra Spataro

Citation: Sandra Spataro, (2012) "Not All Differences Are the Same: Variation in the Status Value of Demographic Characteristics Within and Across Organizations," Journal of Business Diversity, Vol.12, Iss. 3, pp. 67 - 80

Article Type: Research paper

Publisher: North American Business Press

Abstract:

Managing workplace diversity has long been a subject of interest to researchers and practitioners alike. While research to date has revealed some important patterns in diverse groups, many questions are left unanswered. In the current study, I suggest a fundamental and still unanswered question of workplace diversity – which characteristics should be included – may be the reason for much of the divergence in existing research results. Instead of simply choosing characteristics at random, or categorizing characteristics based on type, I suggest looking at the status value of a demographic characteristic in a specific environment as a way to discern which characteristics are salient bases of differentiation for diversity, as well as what meaning and value are associated with those characteristics. Results of a field study of three different organizations show that both standard and nonstandard demographic characteristics have status value in organizations. Further, the status value of characteristics differs both within and across organizations. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.