Black or White? It depends where you work: organization type influences how a racially ambiguous person is racially categorized.

Humans regularly categorize one another based on race, with these categorizations influencing how people are viewed and treated. Racial categorizations are not always accurate, however, especially for those who are multiracial. We examined how information about a racially ambiguous man’s occupation (specifically, the person’s role [leader <italic>vs</italic>. employee] and the type of organization [Fortune 500 company <italic>vs</italic>. non-profit]) may influence how they are racially categorized and potential downstream consequences. Although relatively weak in one study but stronger in the other, a racially ambiguous man working in a Fortune 500 (<italic>vs.</italic> non-profit) was perceived as relatively more White. This pattern was present for participants higher in social dominance orientation. Findings regarding downstream consequences were less clear but suggested that when a racially ambiguous man was viewed as more White, they were evaluated less positively by those lower in social dominance orientation, possibly due to perceptions that the man did not obtain their position based on individual merit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]