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An intersectionality perspective of Organizational stereotypes and Interpersonal dynamics

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Neslihan Turnalar Çetinkaya at MEF University
Neslihan Turnalar Çetinkaya
Serin İşiaçık
Serin İşiaçık
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Abstract and Figures

People have overlapping identities that impact their experiences. It is, therefore, essential to examine relationships between social identities to understand stereotypes and their effects better. The primary objective of this study was to explore perceptions of sexual orientation, age, gender, ethnicity, and stereotypical attributes of warmth and competence in a Turkish organizational context. The secondary objective was to discern coworker and manager preferences based on the intersection of these categories. A sample of 451 university students rated hypothetical work profiles. Analysis showed that Turkishness was pivotal in shaping social perceptions and workplace relationship preferences. The integration of stigmatized group categories, such as Kurdish identity, with non-stigmatized categories showed adverse impacts on preferences. The research highlights the importance of studying the interplay among diverse identity categories when analyzing social dynamics. We propose practical and theoretical implications concerning workplace diversity and discrimination.
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:28710–28727
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06503-6
interpersonal perceptions and dynamics (Cuddy et al., 2011;
Fiske et al., 1999). The issue of intersectionality is relevant
to work settings (Casad & Bryant, 2016); employees who
belong to two or more underrepresented groups experience
increased discrimination (Bagalini, 2020), income inequal-
ity (Longhi, 2017), limited employment opportunities
(Premji & Shakya, 2017), and a higher likelihood of sexual
harassment (Cassino & Besen-Cassino, 2019).
Healy (2009) noted that most inequality studies adopt
an intersectional perspective. In Turkey, however, more
research is needed regarding the multiplicative eects of
identities on social dynamics in the workplace. Some stud-
ies showed the existence of intersectionality (e.g., İşiaçık &
Turnalar-Çetinkaya, 2022), but further evidence is needed
regarding its impact on workplace diversity and inclu-
sion. Given the lack of literature on this matter, we aimed
to show how intersectionality operates in organizations. In
terms of social identity, the current status quo in Turkey
reects Turkish, Sunni, male, heterosexual, middle-aged,
non-disabled, and wealthy categories (Özatalay & Doğuç,
2018). Identities that dier from this combination may be
more prone to facing negative stereotypes and discrimina-
tion. Past research with Turkish samples has found evidence
for stereotypes against gender (Sakallı-Uğurlu et al., 2018),
ethnicity (Aytaç & Çarkoğlu, 2019), and age (Marcus &
An intersectionality perspective
ofOrganizational stereotypes and
Interpersonal dynamics
Stereotypes are xed attributes associated with social groups
(Hinton, 2013) that promote the belief that all members of
a specic group share specic behaviors and characteristics
(Gustafsson Sendén et al., 2019). Stereotypes lead to over-
generalization and negative beliefs about outgroups (Katz &
Braly, 1933) and are commonly used to justify the mistreat-
ment of minority groups (Collins, 2000). Considering their
harmful impact, stereotypes are signicant for organizations
and a frequent focus of workplace diversity initiatives (Ellis
& Keys, 2015; Gallegos et al., 2022; Herring, 2009).
Overlapping social identities elicit unique stereotyping
patterns (Petsko & Bodenhausen, 2019; Strinić et al., 2021).
Understanding these intersections is critical for assessing
Neslihan Turnalar-Çetinkaya
turnalarn@mef.edu.tr
1 Department of Psychology, MEF University, Huzur Mah.
Ayazağa Cad. No: 4, Istanbul 34396, Türkiye
2 Department of Psychology, Istanbul Okan University,
Istanbul, Türkiye
Abstract
People have overlapping identities that impact their experiences. It is, therefore, essential to examine relationships between
social identities to understand stereotypes and their eects better. The primary objective of this study was to explore per-
ceptions of sexual orientation, age, gender, ethnicity, and stereotypical attributes of warmth and competence in a Turkish
organizational context. The secondary objective was to discern coworker and manager preferences based on the intersec-
tion of these categories. A sample of 451 university students rated hypothetical work proles. Analysis showed that Turk-
ishness was pivotal in shaping social perceptions and workplace relationship preferences. The integration of stigmatized
group categories, such as Kurdish identity, with non-stigmatized categories showed adverse impacts on preferences. The
research highlights the importance of studying the interplay among diverse identity categories when analyzing social
dynamics. We propose practical and theoretical implications concerning workplace diversity and discrimination.
Keywords Intersectionality · Stereotype content model · Stereotypes · Workplace relationships · Social perception
Accepted: 30 July 2024 / Published online: 24 August 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024
An intersectionality perspective of Organizational stereotypes and
Interpersonal dynamics
NeslihanTurnalar-Çetinkaya1· Serinİşiaçık2
1 3
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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