Interracial frontline encounters: how white customers’ stereotype threat affects black frontline employees’ immediate job outcomes
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Mikolon, Sven
Dinhof, Katharina
Kleber, Janet
Haumann, Till
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Interracial interactions are often laden with concerns about being assimilated by group stereotypes. This study examines the “White-and-prejudiced” stereotype threat, which can be triggered in White customers when interacting with Black frontline employees. Our findings, derived from two field studies and two experiments, reveal short-term positive effects of the White stereotype threat on the job performance effectiveness of Black frontline employees. For example, White customers buy more and intend to tip more when interacting with a Black relative to a White frontline employee. These short-term positive behavioral shifts toward Black frontline employees are especially present when the frontline employee is categorized in terms of race but diminished when the frontline employee is individuated. The implications of our findings are managerially relevant because employees from marginalized racial groups are often overrepresented in frontline and in service occupations in several countries including Europe and the United States.
Date Issued
2025-10-01
Date Acceptance
2025-01-15
Citation
Journal of Applied Psychology, 2025, 110 (10), pp.1318-1330
ISSN
0021-9010
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Start Page
1318
End Page
1330
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Applied Psychology
Volume
110
Issue
10
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). This is the author’s accepted manuscript made available under a CC-BY licence in accordance with Imperial’s Research Publications Open Access policy (www.imperial.ac.uk/oa-policy)
License URL
Publication Status
Published