Ethnic Identity and Job Attribute Preferences: The Role of Collectivism and Psychological Capital

The globalization of the workforce has resulted in the need to recruit talent from an increasingly diverse labor market. Understanding how ethnicity may drive individual preferences regarding two important types of job attributes is of value in knowing how to attract potential employees from different ethnic backgrounds. Using a sample of 380 college students from the Midwest and Southeastern region, the authors examined the relationship between ethnic identity, job attributes, collectivism/individualism, and psychological capital. Using structural equation modeling, they found that ethnical identity is more strongly related to the competence and growth aspect of job attribute preferences than status and independence. Next, they demonstrated that collectivism and psychological capital mediate the relationship between ethnic identity and the competence and growth aspect. These promising results suggest that organizational efforts to attract a diverse workforce may benefit from considering the aspects of work that would appeal to different ethnic groups.