An Examination of Interracial Contact: The Influence of Cross-Race Interpersonal Efficacy and Affect Regulation

Gwendolyn Combs, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Jakari Griffith, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Document Type Article

Published in Human Resource Development Review Vol. 6, No. 3 (September 2007), pp. 222-244; doi 10.1 17711534484307303990 Copyright © 2007 Sage Publications. Used by permission.

Abstract

The ability of employees to interact cooperatively and collaboratively is the fulcrum of competitive advantage for organizations operating in pluralistic environments. Contact theory suggests several conditions under which ef¬fective interpersonal relationships across racial, ethnic, and cultural groups may occur: Research examining the contact hypothesis has been mixed. The explanation of this inconsistency in the research generally centers on proce¬dural rather than cognitive aspects of the interactions. This article discusses the contact hypothesis with respect to social cognitive functioning of inter¬action participants. We propose that positive outcomes from application of the contact hypothesis may be influenced by the individual employees’ level of cross-race interpersonal efficacy and affect regulation. An investi¬gation of the influence of cross-race interpersonal efficacy and affect regu¬lation may lead to a more developed theoretical understanding of the vari¬ance currently associated with the application of the contact hypothesis.