Effects of advertised human resource management practices on attraction ofAfrican American applicants

Student members of a national organization-of African American engineers (n = 1019) and currently employed African American engineers (n = 303) respon ded to a hypothetical job advertisement differing by staffing policy (ident ity-brind vs. identity-conscious), advertised work characteristics (i.e., i ndividual-based vs. team-based), and compensation system characteristics (p ay based on individual performance vs, pay based on work-group performance) . Both groups of respondents reported being more likely to apply when the s taffing policy was identity conscious (i.e., affirmative action) than when it was identity blind (i.e., equal-employment opportunity). However, only t he student sample reported being more likely to apply when the advertisemen t described team-based work instead of individual-based work. Both groups r eacted negatively to the combination of individual-based work and group-per formance based pay systems.