When birds of a feather flock together and when they do not: status composition, social dominance orientation, and organizational attractiveness.
Although similarity-attraction notions suggest that similarity--for example, in terms of values, personality, and demography--attracts, the authors found that sometimes demographic similarity attracts and sometimes it repels. Consistent with social dominance theory (J. Sidanius & F. Pratto, 1999), they demonstrated in 3 studies that when prospective employees supported group-based social hierarchies (i.e., were high in social dominance orientation), those in high-status groups were attracted to demographic similarity within an organization, whereas those in low-status groups were repelled by it. An important theoretical implication of the findings is that social dominance theory and traditional similarity-attraction notions together help explain a more complex relationship between demographic similarity and attraction than was previously acknowledged in the organizational literature.
Umphress
Elizabeth E
EE
Mays Business School, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA. eumphress@mays.tamu.edu
Smith-Crowe
Kristin
K
Brief
Arthur P
AP
Dietz
Joerg
J
Watkins
Marla Baskerville
MB
D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010560:Personnel Selection; D012919:Social Behavior; D012928:Social Desirability; D012930:Social Dominance