UCLA Anderson Associate Professor Margaret Shih studies stigmas and stereotypes. In an Anderson podcast, she discussed how stereotyping might even enhance worker performance. In her new working paper, co-authored with Anderson PhD student Geoffrey Ho (PhD '13) and Anderson MBA student Daniel Walters ('11), Shih examined the stigmas and stereotypes associated with those who are unemployed.
"What we found," Shih said, "is that stigmas override objective data. The unemployed are seen as less competent than those who are employed." In short, regardless of the reason a person is unemployed, future potential employers believe those currently without jobs are less competent than job-seekers who still have a place to go every morning. "There is a tendency to blame people for their misfortunes," Shih said.
Shih and her colleagues wondered "why some people stayed unemployed, there must be more to it than decaying skills." The working paper looked at two groups, a group of UCLA Anderson students and a general population sample. (There may also be a study of human resource executives in the future.) Ho recently presented the paper at UCLA's Institute for Research on Labor and Employment's "Reconnecting to Work" conference. The paper has also garnered a fair share of media attention (see below).
The survey results relate to the "just world hypothesis." This theory suggests that people believe the world is "just" or "fair" and therefore those who suffer misfortune -- like unemployment -- somehow deserve their fate. "This belief makes people feel better about themselves," Shih said. "It makes it seem as if their world is more controllable."
The study gives credence to the old adage that it is easier to look for work while one still has a job. Shih's advice to the unemployed is to try to avoid being labeled as such. She suggests taking classes or going back to school while between jobs, anything to look active and proactive in the eyes of potential future employers. Shih also cautions employers to be aware of their own biases, as these stigmas could prevent one from hiring the best possible candidates for their job openings.
Shih, Ho and Walter's research findings on the psychological stigma of unemployment were featured in the Daily Bruin, Main Street, Psych Central, Emax Health and on the CBS Evening News.
Comments