Is Bias with “Justifications” Acceptable? Citizens’ Perceptions of Gendered Recruitment in Government

Yao WANG, Ning LIU, Richard Mark WALKER

Research output: Journal PublicationsJournal Article (refereed)peer-review

Abstract

Gender bias in recruitment continues to be a concern in many work settings, including the public sector. This study explores the perceptions of citizens on gender-targeted government recruitment, with a particular focus on the effect of justifying gender preferences in job advertisements. Findings from a preregistered online survey experiment suggest a negative impact of gender bias on citizens’ perceptions of fairness and reasonableness on government recruitment, while additional justifications explaining the expected occupational expertise for the hiring position make gender bias appear more acceptable. Mediation analysis and qualitative interviews further pointed out the complex nature of citizens’ attitudes.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAcademy of Management Proceedings
Volume2023
Issue number1
Early online date24 Jul 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2023
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • AOM Annual Meeting Proceedings 2023
  • AOM Boston 2023
  • Best Paper
  • Public and Nonprofit

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