Article Summary: Hiring Discrimination in the Labor Market

This assignment is an article summary of "Warm and Competent Hassan ¼ Cold and Incompetent Eric: A Harsh Equation of Real-Life Hiring Discrimination" by Agerström et al. (2012). The study, rooted in the Five Factor Model of Personality and the concept of hiring discrimination, investigates how recruiters' decisions are influenced by candidates' perceived warmth and competence. The research question examines whether recruiters' hiring decisions are impacted by these two factors. The study involved Swedish and Arabic job candidates, with warmth and competence being manipulated through letters of interest and interviews. The dependent variable was the recruiters' decisions, measured using paired-sample t-tests. The results confirmed the hypothesis that recruiters' decisions are influenced by warmth and competence, with Swedish applicants having a higher chance of being interviewed. The research suggests that appearing both warm and competent is especially important for Arab applicants, highlighting the impact of discrimination in the labor market. The article suggests future research regarding how the warmth and competence of potential candidates can be used to transcend the barriers of discrimination in recruitment and selection.

Running Head: ARTICLE SUMMARY
ARTICLE SUMMARY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Article Summary Template
PART 1: Article Info (-.25pt for each missing section)
Title of Article:
Warm and Competent Hassan ¼ Cold and Incompetent Eric: A Harsh Equation of Real-Life
Hiring Discrimination
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Author(s):
Jens Agerstro¨m, Fredrik Bjo¨rklund and Rickard Carlsson, Dan-Olof Rooth
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Title of Journal
Basic and Applied Social Psychology
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Volume: __ 34_______ Year: 2012 Pages: ______ 359–366______
Doi:10.1080/01973533.2012.693438

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PART II: Article summary:
One of the significant theory or model used in this article is Five Factor Model of
Personality. In this case ‘Five Factors Model’ of personality is used to describe individual
differences. The five factor model consists of-conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness,
extraversion as well as neuroticism. Along with this the concept of hiring discrimination is also
discussed in this article (Agerström, et al., 2012). Further this article has also thrown lights on
the existing warmth as well as competence in the labor market.
A piece of research generated is-“A five-factor theory of personality”. In other words, the
research paper “A five-factor theory of personality”, which is a research work of Robert R.
McCrae, Paul T. Costa, Jr can be linked with the theories as well as concepts used in this article.
In order to find out how the previously mentioned research has motivated the researcher to
carry on the current research work, the crux of the previously mentioned research needs to be
discussed. The research work, “A five-factor theory of personality”, has elaborated vividly the
big five traits of personality and how they shape the temperament of every individual leading to
substantial individual differences. The big five traits of personality help people to cast an
impression especially, upon the recruiter during the process of hiring. From this concept the
current research study - “Warm and Competent Hassan ¼ Cold and Incompetent Eric: A Harsh
Equation of Real-Life Hiring Discrimination” has founds its essence, inspiration as well as
motivation. According to the current research at the time of creating impression through
individual personality traits like- conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness, extraversion as
well as neuroticism; people depends on two factors-warmth as well as competence. Thus the
current research deals with the fact whether the recruiters’, at the time of making hiring decisions

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are influenced by the way a candidate exhibit warmth as well as competence taking into account
Swedish as well as Arabic job candidates (Agerström, et al., 2012)
Research question and main Hypothesis is Recruiters’ hiring decision is impacted by the two
factors observed in a candidate, which are warmth as well as competence (Agerström, et al.,
2012). Hypothesis 1 involves, recruiters’ hiring decision is impacted by the two factors observed
in a candidate, which are warmth as well as competence. Again, hypothesis 2 involves
Recruiters’ hiring decision is not at all impacted by the two factors observed in a candidate,
which are warmth as well as competence. Variables, in case of this research article. Variables
used in this research article are Recruiters’ decision, warmth as well as competence (Agerström,
et al., 2012)
. In this research article, 84 candidates who were Swedish as well as Arabic job candidates.
The participants have gone through job interviews so that, some factors can be estimated. Firstly,
how friendly are Swedish as well as Arabic job candidates. Secondly, how empathetic Swedish
as well as Arabic job candidates are. Further, the productiveness, hard work, the dimension of
their competence as well as the perceived traits of personality among the Big Five Traits of
Personality are also assessed (Agerström, et al., 2012).
Manipulation of the independent variable Warmth and Competence actually indicated to
degree or rate to which candidates were warm as well as competent. Manipulation is done
through the letter of interest reflecting warmth as well as competence and also through personal
interviews (Agerström, et al., 2012). In this case the Dependent variable was Recruiters’
decision. The impact of the independent variable on the dependent variable is measured through
Paired-sample t tests (Agerström, et al., 2012).
The sampling tests indicated to the fact that there is a compensatory relationship among
warm, competence as well as decision of the recruiter that between the Swedish as well as

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Arabic job candidates. The researcher hypothesis was confirmed. The research revealed that
Swedish applicants have enhanced their probability of being interviewed at about 20% as
compared to the Arabic job candidates (Agerström, et al., 2012). This research paves the way for
the future scope of further research regarding the way warm as well as competence of potential
candidates can be used to transcend the barriers of discrimination in recruitment and selection.

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Reference:
Agerström, J., Björklund, F., Carlsson, R., & Rooth, D. O. (2012). Warm and competent
Hassan= cold and incompetent Eric: A harsh equation of real-life hiring discrimination. Basic
and Applied Social Psychology, 34(4), 359-366.

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Marlow, J., & Dabbish, L. (2013, February). Activity traces and signals in software developer
recruitment and hiring. In Proceedings of the 2013 conference on Computer supported
cooperative work (pp. 145-156).
Salvucci, C., & Lawless, C. A. (2016). NURSING FACULTY DIVERSITY: BARRIERS AND
PERCEPTIONS ON RECRUITMENT, HIRING AND RETENTION. Journal of
Cultural Diversity, 23(2).