The Multiple-Category Problem: Category Activation and Inhibition in the Hiring Process

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that organizational decision makers use categories and associated stereotypes to make hiring decisions. But what happens when a job applicant can be categorized in multiple ways? We use the social cognition literature to develop a model of category activation and inhibition in the hiring process. The model explains how situational and individual-difference variables influence which category will dominate the decision maker's impression of the job candidate and exert the greatest influence on the hiring decision.