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Special Issue of Journal of Managerial Psychology

Influence of Cultural Values of Minorities on Managerial Practices 

Guest Editors: Dianna L. Stone and Brian Murray

Deadline dates:

Proposal Due: January 15, 2024 (tentative)

Final Manuscripts Due: July 1, 2024 (tentative)

It is clear that the population of the U. S. and that of many Western nations (e.g., United Kingdom, Germany,  France.)  are becoming more diverse. For example, ethnic minorities in the U. S. now make up 39.6 % of the population, and are expected to become the majority in by 2044 (U.S. Bureau of Census, 2022.).  Likewise, ethnic minorities constitute a growing number of those in the European Union (e.g., 16.1% of population in England, 14 % in Germany,  and 5% in France.)  Apart from differences in ethnic diversity in these countries, there is also an increase in the diversity of religious beliefs.  For instance, the majority of the U. S. population is Protestant (e.g., 46.6%), but

5.9% adhere to other religious beliefs (e.g., Judaism, Muslim, Buddhism, Hinduism)

(Pew Research Center, 2022.) Similarly, even though the majority of people in the European Union are Christian, a growing percentage (e.g., 5%) endorse alternative religious values  (e.g., 5%, 2.1% Muslim, 1.3% Hindu, 1.6 Buddhist, .9 Jewish.) We believe that the differences in ethnic and religious beliefs are important in organizations because current human resources (HR) policies and organizational practices were developed for majority group members (e.g., European-Americans, Europeans), and may be less effective with members of a multicultural than a monocultural workforce (Stone et al., 2008.) Thus, we maintain that existing HR and organizational policies may need to be modified to fit with the cultural values of the new multicultural population (Stone et al., 2008.)

Given the growing diversity in ethnicity and religious beliefs, the primary purpose of this special issue is to is to gain a better understanding of how the cultural values of different ethnic and religious groups influence the effectiveness of  HR policies and organizational practices.  Stated differently, we want to understand if current HR policies (e.g., recruitment, pay systems) and organizational behavior (OB)  practices (e.g., leadership, job design) are  effective in attracting, motivating, and retaining talented employees who are members of ethnic and religious minority groups.  There had been research on the influence of cultural values in an international context (Gelfand et al., 2007), but little research has focused on these issues in a domestic diversity context (e.g.,

Cox, 1993; Stone & Stone-Romero, 2008.) Our hope is that an increased understanding

of these issues will help organizations align their HR and OB practices with the needs and values of the new multicultural workforce. Thus, the primary purposes of this special issue are to (a) consider the cultural values of a wide variety of ethnic and religious groups and subgroups  (e.g., Hispanic- Americans, Native Americans,  Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and those who endorse Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, etc.,) (b) review the existing research on these issues, (c) determine  if current HR and OB practices (e.g., recruitment, compensation, leadership, job design)  are or will be effective with these new multicultural groups, (d) suggest modifications in HR and OB practices that will meet the needs and values of all multicultural group members, and ( e) offer directions for future research and practice on these issues.

For example, research has shown that, on average, members of multicultural  groups in the U. S. (e.g., Hispanic-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans) are more likely to value collectivism than members of the majority group (e.g., EuropeanAmericans) who typically stress individualism (Osyerman et al., 2002.)   Individuals who value collectivism use the group as the unit of analysis in social relationships, and the goals of the group take precedence over those of the individual (Hofstede, 1980). In contrast, those who emphasize individualism cultural values believe that there should be loose ties between individuals, and people should look after themselves and their immediate families (Hofstede, 1980). Collectivistic cultures are characterized by values that favor interdependence, security, obedience, duty, in-group harmony, and personalized relationships (Markus & Kitayama, 1991a, 1991b; Triandis, 1994). Those who stress individualism often emphasize independence, competitive achievement, autonomy, and self-reliance (Triandis,1994; Trice & Beyer, 1993). Previous research has shown that differences in individualism and collectivism cultural values influence individuals' preferences for rewards, work schedules, allocation of outcomes, work-family policies, benefits, team orientation, and responses to feedback (Stone-Romero & Stone, 1998).

 As a result, current pay for individual performance practices may be less motivating for multicultural group members who often stress  collectivism  than members of the majority group who typically emphasize  individualism. Thus, organizations may have to modify their individual pay for performance plans in order to motivate multicultural workers. Further,  members of new some multicultural groups may prefer working in teams rather than working individually so organizations may want to redesign jobs so that they offer  opportunities to work in teams. These are just two examples of how employees' cultural values may influence the success of HR practices and the design of jobs.

In summary, even though there are a number of advantages of diversity in organizations, it also poses challenges because current HR and OB  policies and practices are largely based on European-American (or European) cultural values, and may be less effective with members of multicultural than monocultural groups (Cox, 1993; Stone & Stone-Romero, 2008). In view of the growing numbers of multicultural groups in our nation and other countriesaround the world, alternative HR and OB practices may be needed to motivate and retain ethnic and religious minorities (Stone & Stone-Romero, 2008). Thus, we welcome manuscripts that examine the degree to which current HR and OB practices (e.g., recruitment, compensation, leadership, job design, feedback) are effective with individuals who have cultural values that are different than the majority group. Although most research in HR and OB stresses the cultural values identified by Hofstede (1980) or Triandis (1984), authors may use other cultural value frameworks, but they should provide empirical evidence on how multicultural and majority groups vary on these cultural values

Some suggested topics. Please note that these are only examples and are not exhaustive:

a.       How do the cultural values of racial and religious minorities influence recruitment and applicants' job choice?

b.      How do the cultural values of racial and religious minorities influence preference for reward systems?

c.       How do the cultural values racial of and religious minorities influence the effectiveness of benefits plans (e.g., paid leave or holidays) or other types of HR policies (e.g., work-family policies, alternative work schedules like telework?)

d.      How do the cultural values of racial and ethnic minorities influence the effectiveness of leadership styles?

e.       How do individuals with cultural values that vary from the majority react to various aspects of job design (e.g., autonomy, task variety, job crafting?)

f.        How do individuals with cultural values that are different from the majority react to technological changes in jobs?

g.      How do individuals with cultural values that are different from the majority to react to supervisory feedback? 

h.      How do the cultural values of racial and religious minorities affect teamwork? 

i.        What factors affect the career choices of individuals who have cultural values that are

different than those of the majority group.

Proposal Requirements:

We would like to ask authors to submit a short proposal (no more than 2 -3 pages) to the Guest Editor prior to submitting a manuscript for the special issue. Please include a justification for your paper, brief literature review, method if applicable, plan for the manuscript, etc. Send your proposal to Dr. Dianna Stone at diannastone2015@gmail.com by February 1, 2024. She will provide you with feedback on it. If you have questions about the special issue please contact her at the email address above or call 505 867 5370.

Submission of Final Manuscripts:

All manuscripts must be submitted through the Scholar One system on the journal website. Authors should also carefully review the submission guidelines included on that website (https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/.)

Some notable submission requirements include the following:

a.       Manuscripts should be submitted using Scholar One in Microsoft Word format.

b.      They should be between 5000 and 7500 words in length including abstracts, references, tables, etc.

c.       Authors should use concise titles.

d.      Names of all contributors should be added to Scholar One.