Beyond Majority Versus Minority: Bureaucracy, Distributional Outcomes, and a Racialized Multiethnic Society

EasyChair Preprint no. 1142

Abstract

Existing research on racial dynamics in public administration (PA) rarely considers racism in an explicit manner, despite considerable evidence from other disciplines that many organizations pay a role in perpetuating racial inequality. Another limitation of the PA literature is that it typically draws on biracial frameworks, focusing on white versus minority, or same-race versus different-race. Sociological studies, however, suggest that different racial groups occupy different places in the racialized social system of the U.S. This study contributes to the literature by introducing the framework of a racialized social system to PA, allowing for the development of a more nuanced understanding of how racial dynamics help shape the distributional outcomes of public organizations.

I conduct an observational study of client outcomes, focusing on five different racial groups (white, black, Latino, Asian, and Native American). For each racial/ethnic group, I examine how bureaucratic outcomes are associated with the racial composition of personnel in the organization. I use a 13-year panel dataset of California public schools (2000-2012), assembled from publicly available records. Bureaucratic outcomes are measured using standardized exam results, which are reported by racial group for each school. I run panel regression models (specifically, random effects with a lagged dependent variable). I estimate several alternative models as robustness checks, including two-way fixed effects models. I also use various measures of the racial composition of the organization, including measures of passive representation (% same race), diversity, and white dominance (% white). The results indicate different patterns is results for different racial groups. Same-race effects are strongest and most consistent for Asians and Latinos. Managers should take care to distinguish between distinct minority groups. A solution that works for one minority group may not work for others.

Keyphrases: Equity, race, representative bureaucracy

@Booklet{EasyChair:1142,
  author = {Nathan Favero},
  title = {Beyond Majority Versus Minority: Bureaucracy, Distributional Outcomes, and a Racialized Multiethnic Society},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint no. 1142},

  year = {EasyChair, 2019}}