FACTORS INFLUENCING ETHNIC-ATTITUDES IN SOUTH-AFRICAN WORK SITUATIONS

The relationship between ethnic attitudes and factors associated with work-related intergroup contact in South Africa was investigated. Variables included were subjective work status, the behavior of supervisors, the ethnic group membership of supervisors, the largest population group at place of work, and competition versus cooperation. Two random samples of working Afrikaners and Coloureds were drawn from the Cape metropolitan area. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify significant predictors of attitudes. The attitudes of Afrikaners employed by organizations in which most of the employees were English-speaking were significantly more positive than those of Afrikaners in organizations in which most employees were Afrikaans-speaking. The opposite was true for organizations in which most of the employees were Black, Asian, or of another group. Significant predictors for Coloureds were subjective status, considerative supervisor behavior, cooperation versus competition between Coloured groups, and cooperation versus competition between Afrikaner and Coloured groups. It appears that relations can be improved by supervisor training and institutional support for positive intergroup attitudes.