EXPRESS: Disparities in Minority Executive Dismissal: A Contingency Perspective

Abstract

As part of society’s motivation to address racial and ethnic disparities, scholars have examined racial/ethnic minorities’ underrepresentation in organizations’ upper echelons. However, prior research on minority executive dismissal has yielded equivocal findings. We draw on leadership categorization theory and token status theory to hypothesize that, under conditions of greater ambiguity and uncertainty, the likelihood of dismissal differs for White and non-White executives. Using a sample of NCAA Division 1 college basketball coaches over an 18-year period, we find overall support for our theorizing – lower financial support, low prestige power, and greater strategic change increase the chances of non-White executives being dismissed. Our findings have important implications for minority executive dismissal research and point to potential remedies that organizations can implement to reduce stereotyping and bias against non-White executives.