Employment Discrimination: Authority Figures ’ Demographic Preferences and Followers ’ Affective Organizational Commitment

The authors used theories of organizational commitment and obedience to authority to explain employment discrimination. In Study 1, employees participated in an experimental simulation of their work. An organizational authority’s demographic preferences led to employment discrimina-tion. As expected, affective organizational commitment moderated this effect, such that it was stronger for more committed employees. In Study 2, another sample of employees completed a survey that included an employment discrimination scenario. A model of linkages from affective organizational commitment to submissiveness to organizational authorities to employment discrim-ination fit the data well, after controlling for prejudicial attitudes and authoritarianism. Submissive-ness to organizational authorities mediated the relationship between affective organizational com-mitment and employment discrimination. The authors discuss the importance of studying employment discrimination as an organizational and not just an intergroup phenomenon