What’s in a Name?

The literature has provided empirical evidence that ethnic-sounding names are met with overt and covert biases and discrimination. Such disturbing discrimination has been identified in the housing market, in hiring practices, and in managers’ expectations of employees.

Names are our introduction to unfamiliar people. These monikers can disclose the sex, ethnicity, and religious affiliation of a potential employee. Research shows that names are similar to nonverbal communication and can convey the following:
1. Ethnicity and race
2. Intelligence
3. Achievement potential
4. Collective inclusion or exclusion (e.g., Susan/inclusion, Jamal/exclusion)
5. Religious affiliation
6. Demographic information (e.g., gender, sex)
7. Physical attractiveness (i.e., anglo-normative names are attributed to physical attractiveness).

Potential and current employees can find themselves being unknowing victims of discrimination based solely on their first, last, or combined name. Some employees alter their birth-given names in organizations where they feel uncomfortable displaying their non-Caucasian moniker. This is done by shortening first or last names, using initials, and even going as far as adopting an Americanized name for easy pronunciation. My local nail salon has Vietnamese and Korean employees and each wears a name tag with an Americanized name (e.g., Kat, Katrina, John, etc.).

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can help with the name discrimination debacle. It is important to acknowledge that certain names invoke stereotypical responses. The responses can be bisected as positive or negative. Some employers have higher expectations for those with Asian, Indian, and Jewish sounding names. In contrast, Middle Eastern names can often create fear in those that identify these types of names with criminal activity.

Another issue is non-American names of employees and the mispronunciation of such. This is often a problem when the names stem from certain parts of the globe. In contrast, the feminine Irish name Siobhan (shiv + awn), an anglo-normative derivative, and the employees with this name are more likely to be asked how to pronounce it correctly. In the workplace, this employee could possibly benefit from colleagues and leadership purposely learning the correct pronunciation. Names from Africa and Asia are deemed too hard to pronounce and often are mispronounced without much effort on learning the correct pronunciation. Some of the most creative names are by African Americans. Too often, they are the brunt of puns and jokes (e.g., Johntavius, Shanequa)

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has found that job applicants with a name that might belong to an African-American such as Lakisha or Jamal could find it harder to find a job. A field experiment by NBER research fellows titled Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination reported there was a 50% gap in callback rates for applicants with White names and those with African American names.

Why are job applicants required to “whiten” their resumes in the hopes of getting a callback? Whitening a resume is accomplished by removing any references to past employment, education, or community involvement that would expose an applicant’s race to the recruiter.

How do we promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace if the discrimination begins before the actual employment?
Should employees consider accepting resumes without names the same way academia promotes a double-blind review on the publishing of academic papers? Could this effectively even the playing field for prospective job applicants?

So how can ERGs combat biased anglo-normativity in hiring practices?
1. Encourage members of ERGs to be open about discussing name-based discrimination with their colleagues with the intent of the leader sharing with upper management.
2. Remind employees of the importance of correcting mispronunciation of their name.
3. Communicate with leadership on the importance of unconscious biases surrounding ethnic sounding names and employment practices.
4. Recruiters should be included in the discussion on name discrimination. They are usually the first line introduction of a company and a potential employee.
5. Create an atmosphere where employees spend time learning the pronunciation and origin of non-anglo-normative names.
ERGs have a responsibility to assist with making their employer as diverse, inclusive, and equity-based as possible within their role in the company’s organizational structure. These conversations should move the organization away from biases employment practices into true inclusiveness.

Notes: Carpusor, A. G., & Loges, W. E. (2006). Rental discrimination and ethnicity in names. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36(4), 934-952.
National Bureau of Economic Research (2003). Employers' replies to racial names. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/digest/sep03/w9873.html

About the Blogger:

Nneka Greene is a Ph.D. Student in Higher Education Leadership and Management