The authors argue that human resource management practitioners and researchers do not adequately take national origin into account when devising policies and theories. It is further asserted that this failure puts companies at risk for both lesser achievement of organizational objectives and potential legal liability (e.g., disparate impact). The background of the legal concept of a "reasonable man " is discussed in order to provide a possible explanation for why insufficient attention is paid to demographic factors such as race and national origin, and implications for theory and practice.
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