Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Management
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Individuals with a criminal record represent a sizable and significant population, including one-third of adults in the United States. With that in mind, this dissertation explores the challenges faced by individuals with criminal histories in securing employment despite widespread support for government-backed hiring initiatives. Through a mixed-methods approach, this work examines organizational attitudes and applicant reactions, revealing the stigmatization faced by companies that implement such initiatives. In particular, the first chapter reviews the current state of the literature, identifying seven main themes, such as a lack of employment outcome differences between those incarcerated, convicted but not incarcerated, and accused but not convicted; while also pointing out missing pieces in the current research, such as considering perspectives of multiple stakeholders like those inside and outside the hiring companies. The second chapter uses a qualitative grounded theory approach to build a model of organizational resistance to hiring individuals with criminal records, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 15 HR professionals. The third chapter utilizes an analysis of archival data and a series of behavioral experiments to explore applicants’ perspectives on reincorporation initiatives as well as interventions companies might implement to address these perspectives and solve these hiring challenges. The findings suggest that utilizing reincorporation initiatives does translate into negative stigma associations and reduced attractiveness for organizations; however, the use of moral language—in particular, inherent moral justification informed by deonance theory—emerges as a promising intervention to mitigate this stigma. By integrating stigma and ethics literatures, this work not only advances theoretical development but also offers actionable guidance for organizations promoting fair chance hiring initiatives
Date
3-26-2025
Recommended Citation
Moreno Gonzalez, Francisco J., "NAVIGATING CRIMINAL HISTORY IDENTITY: EXPLORING CHALLENGES, STIGMA, AND ETHICS IN COMPANY HIRING PRACTICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CRIMINAL HISTORIES" (2025). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6694.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6694
Committee Chair
Michael A. Johnson
Included in
Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Human Resources Management Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons
