The effects of candidate race, team membership, and team racial composition on fairness perceptions of selection decisions

Abstract

Organizational justice has been linked to many organizational outcomes. Perceptions of fairness with respect to personnel selection can impact how applicants and employees perceive the organization, whether applicants join the organization, and the future behavior of employees and applicants. In a 2 x 2 x 3 design, this study examined the impact of candidate race, team membership, and team racial composition on fairness perceptions with respect to the selection of an employee to join the executive committee of a fictitious organization. A main effect for candidate race, an interaction between candidate race and team membership, and an interaction between candidate race and team racial composition were predicted. None of the hypotheses were supported. Unexpectedly, there was a main effect for team racial composition, such that perceptions of fairness increased as the proportion of Blacks on the committee increased irrespective of whether a Black candidate or a White candidate was selected.