Subtle Biases and Covert Prejudice in the Workplace

Subtle biases and covert prejudice affect interactions in the workplace. Subtle biases are automatically activated associations or stereotypes that relate groups (e.g. men and women) with attributes or characteristics (e.g. career or household), often outside of our awareness. Covert prejudice refers to concealed negative opinions about members of other groups. Managers and business leaders can benefit both from understanding how subtle biases and covert prejudices can translate into discriminatory behaviors and from learning to manage in a way that avoids such biases and prejudices. The note has four sections, each of which can be read individually: Managerial Relevance, Subtle Biases, Covert Prejudice, and Managing to Avoid Subtle Biases and Covert Prejudice.