Job Allocations as Cultural Sorting in a Culturally Diverse Organizational Context

Authors

Akram Al Ariss, Université de Toulouse
Chun (Grace) Guo, Sacred Heart UniversityFollow

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

4-2016

Abstract

This study addresses the inadequacy of the career and diversity literatures in explaining the dynamics of job allocations in a culturally diverse organizational context. In order to better understand this topic, we conducted a qualitative study involving personal interviews with 50 Emiratis and international employees who worked in managerial positions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The purpose of the study was to explore the unique challenges associated with managing a culturally diverse workforce and explore the role of culture in allocating jobs among employees with diverse cultural backgrounds. Despite the perceived value of having a culturally diverse workforce, our findings indicate a lack of effective diversity management strategies for dealing with challenges and issues associated with a high level of cultural diversity in the participating organizations. This study provides insights into the impact of cultural/nationality-based stereotypes on job allocations as well as on organizational outcomes. Based on the findings, we discussed implications for research and practice and as well as for policy makers.

Comments

Version posted is the authors' post-print.

DOI

10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.09.010

Recommended Citation

Al Ariss, A. & Guo, C. (2016). Job allocations as cultural sorting in a culturally diverse organizational context. International Business Review, 25(2), 579-588. doi: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.09.010

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.