Demographic (Mis)matching and the Dark Side of Discretion

• In Event: The Role of Representation in Government

Abstract

Public managers use discretion to distribute both rewards and sanctions, and previous research
has demonstrated that the cumulative effects of manager-subordinate demographic (mis)match
have significant implications for the job experiences of public sector workers (Grissom & Keiser,
2011). However, the literature on demographic congruence is nascent in public sector research,
leaving a notable gap in our understanding of how demographic incongruence influences
outcomes associated with the exercise of managerial discretion, particularly regarding
disciplinary actions and sanction-oriented tools. Additionally, existing studies have focused on
the distribution of benefits and rewards (e.g., Marvel, 2023), limited attention has been devoted
to sanctions and punitive actions (exceptions, Heider-Markel et al., 2022; Roch et al., 2010).
In this paper, we are particularly interested in how federal managers use discretion in under-the-
radar punitive actions––such as involuntary transfers, reassignments, or reclassifications
resulting in demotions––and whether demographic incongruence with subordinates increases
their propensity to do so. Using gender and race as salient identities, we examine four categories
of demographic (in)congruence: minority employee – non-minority supervisor, non-minority
employee – minority supervisor, female employee – male supervisor, male employee – female
supervisor.
Drawing on rich, micro-level federal personnel data spanning the years 1979-2013 and
employing a two-way fixed effects (employee and workgroup) identification strategy, we assess
the impact of employee-supervisor demographic identity match on supervisor’s discretion in
sanctioning employees. Preliminary results suggest punitive discretionary actions are more likely
when there is a demographic mismatch between managers and subordinates. The findings pose
important implications for our understanding of the effects of supervisor-employee demographic
congruence and the exercise of managerial discretion, particularly in instances where discretion
is used for punitive actions.

Grissom, J. A., & Keiser, L. R. (2012). A supervisor like me: Race, representation, and the
satisfaction and turnover decisions of public sector employees. Journal of Policy Analysis and
Management, 30(3), 557-580.
Haider-Markel, D. P., Bright, C. L. M., & Sylvester, S. M. (2022). Staying in Class:
Representative Bureaucracy and Student Praise and Punishment. Journal of Policy Studies,
37(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.52372/jps37203

Holt, S. B., & Gershenson, S. (2019). The Impact of Demographic Representation on Absences
and Suspensions. Policy Studies Journal, 47(4), 1069-1099.
Marvel, J. D. (2023). Sex, Race, and the Allocation of Credit in Dispersed Teams: Whose
Contributions to Team Success Get Noticed and Whose Get Neglected. Journal of Public
Administration Research and Theory, 33(4), 578-592.
Roch, C. H., Pitts, D. W., & Navarro, I. (2010). Representative bureaucracy and policy tools:
Ethnicity, student discipline, and representation in public schools. Administration & Society,
42(1), 38–65. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399709349695

Authors

• John Marvel, George Mason University

• Chris Birdsall, Boise State University

• Sanghee Park, Indiana University Indianapolis