The present study explored the impact of relational demography on observer responses to workplace bullying. To do so, we experimentally manipulated the racial composition a working group and the race of a bullied victim. Participants watched their workgroup bully a coworker at three time points. At each time point, observers responded during the bullying incident (high immediacy) and/or after the incident ended (low immediacy). The impact of racial categorizations on observer responses depended upon the immediacy of the response and time. Observers in groups that were mainly White and in groups that were mainly White with a Black victim responded more riskily at first and subsequent exposure to the bullying, suggesting that racial similarity and stereotypes of prejudicial interactions are initial contextual cues for observer responses. Relational demography did not influence observer responses after repeated exposure to the bullying. Time moderates the impact of relational demography on observer responses, though its effects differ depending on the nature of the response.
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