Prejudice and Violence in the American Workplace, 1988-1991: Survey of an Eastern Corporation (ICPSR 6135)

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Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection

Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

The site of this study was a corporation located in the middle Atlantic states. Approximately ten years prior to the study, the company had experienced difficulty implementing its affirmative action plan. Since then, the company had aggressively recruited African Americans and women of any background. This study was undertaken to examine the nature and extent of intergroup tensions, prejudice-based mistreatment, conflict, and ethnoviolence in the workplace and how these experiences affect psychological well-being, interpersonal relationships, perceptions of the work environment, and role performance of workers and managers and the various social groups to which they belong.

Study Design View help for Study Design

The unidentified corporation employed over 4,300 people and had 23 work sites in the local metropolitan area. The study was conducted at its two largest work sites, which are referred to by the pseudonyms Gopher and Blucher. Interviews with 327 employees at the work sites were conducted by the researchers and eight other trained interviewers. The data collection instrument included both structured and open-ended questions. Three dimensions of victimization were explored: personal victimization, prejudiced victimization, and co-victimization. Self-reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress were identified. Data were also collected to ascertain job satisfaction and job autonomy and to determine if these factors mitigate the effects of mistreatment. Respondents were limited to discussing incidents occurring in the last three years and were asked to describe their own personal experiences with mistreatment as well as instances of mistreatment involving coworkers.

Sample View help for Sample

Individuals were selected for the study through cluster sampling. Workers were randomly selected from the company's two largest work sites. Personnel records were reviewed to identify each individual's coworkers. The researchers attempted to interview the selected individual and all of her/his coworkers.

Universe View help for Universe

Employees at the two largest work sites of a corporation in the middle Atlantic states.

Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation

Data Source View help for Data Source

Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)

Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables

Data were collected on the frequency of prejudice-based mistreatment involving eight social categories: sex, education, race, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, and handicap/illness. Additional data were collected on the occurrence of 12 types of mistreatment: name-calling or insulting comments, deprivation of privileges other workers received, denial of promotions or raises, treatment as if nonexistent, set up for failure, deprivation of necessary training, unwanted sexual attention, physical attacks or threats, destruction of personal property, threat of firing, insulting phone calls, and any other form of mistreatment. Victims of mistreatment were asked to indicate how it affected their jobs and to describe what subsequent actions they would, or did, take following an incident of mistreatment, including talking about the incident with peers, filing a formal complaint, and confronting the perpetrator. Additional data were collected regarding job satisfaction, job autonomy, and the presence of post-traumatic stress. Demographic information includes age, race, sex, income, education, marital status, ethnicity, religion, handicap, and sexual orientation.

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

Not applicable.

Presence of Common Scales View help for Presence of Common Scales

None

Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

1994-03-10

Version History View help for Version History