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What We Know and Don't: Eradicating Employment Discrimination 50 Years After the Civil Rights Act

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2015

Alex Lindsey*
Affiliation:
George Mason University
Eden King
Affiliation:
George Mason University
Tracy McCausland
Affiliation:
George Mason University
Kristen Jones
Affiliation:
George Mason University
Eric Dunleavy
Affiliation:
DCI Consulting Group
*
E-mail: aplindse@gmail.com, Address: Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3F5 Fairfax, VA 22030

Abstract

Although nearly 50 years have passed since the Civil Rights Act, employment discrimination persists. Thus, this focal article raises and addresses critical issues regarding a yet unanswered question: how can organizational researchers and practitioners contribute to the ultimate goal of eradicating employment discrimination? This article will push previous work a step forward by considering discrimination reduction tactics spanning the attraction, selection, inclusion, and retention phases of the employment cycle. Additionally, we expand our discussion of strategies to reduce discrimination beyond classically studied racial, ethnic, and gender differences. Our synthesis of this literature will inform organizational psychologists on how to address discrimination, but will also highlight the lack of evidence regarding important aspects of these strategies.

Type
Focal Article
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2013

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