|date 12-09-2013 faculty of behavioural and social sciences department of social psychology what’s...

1|Date 12-09-2013

faculty of behaviouraland social sciences

department of social psychology

What’s wrong with being normal?Including majority members in organizational diversity

EASP 2014 Conference

Wiebren JansenSabine Otten

Karen van der Zee

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Cultural diversity in The Netherlands

2060: 30% of the Dutch population belongs to a cultural minority(CBS, 2011)

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How to manage cultural diversity?

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Goals of diversity management (Ely & Thomas, 2001)

Access-and-legitimacy

Integration & Learning

Diversity management

Discrimination & Fairness

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Diversity: only for minorities?

› Majority members may perceive to be excluded by value-in-diversity ideologies/multiculturalism (Plaut et al., 2011)

› Yet, effectiveness of diversity initiatives is largely dependent on the receptiveness of the majority (James, Brief, Dietz, and Cohen, 2001)

› All-inclusive multiculturalism (AIM): explicitly include majority group in diversity structures, policies, and statements (Stevens et al., 2008)

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AIM: How does it work?

› People constantly monitor their social environment for contextual cues (such as diversity statements) that indicate the social fit or safety of a social identity (Leary & Baumeister, 2000; Purdie-Vaughns et al., 2008)

› AIM (in comparison to the standard MC approach) may increase social identity safety for majorities

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Research questions

› Does AIM (in comparison to the standard MC ideology) result in higher levels of perceived inclusion among majority members?

› Does AIM work for everyone? People with a high NTB are particularly sensitive to these cues (Pickett et al., 2004)

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Study 1: Participants and procedure

› 112 visitors to a job fair in the Netherlands (Mage = 37 years; 54 % female; all born in the Netherlands)

› Study trifold brochure. Two conditions: MC (n = 60) and AIM (n = 52) ‘CCG consultancy’. Services, expertises, portfolio, and possible career opportunities:

constant across both conditions. Manipulation: “Our HR vision” and pictures (pretested for attractiveness

and correct identification of cultural background)

› Completed questionnaire

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Manipulation – MC (cf. Plaut et al., 2011)

“Many companies miss the point when think about putting together the best team of people. At CCG we know that diversity, for example in cultural background, is very important. Therefore, we are very happy to have employees with a Moroccan, Turkish or Antillean background. It is exactly this diversity that strengthens our organization.”

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Manipulation – AIM (cf. Plaut et al., 2011)

“Many companies miss the point when think about putting together the best team of people. At CCG we know that diversity, for example in cultural background, is very important. Therefore, we are very happy to have employees with a Moroccan, Turkish or Antillean background, but of course also with our Dutch employees. It is exactly this diversity that strengthens our organization.”

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Measures

Moderator:

› NTB (7 items; = .69)α

E.g. ‘I have a strong need to belong’

DV:

› Anticipated inclusion (3 items; = .81)α

E.g. ‘Imagine you would work at CCG. To what extent would you fit in’?

Controls:

› Preference to work in consultancyE.g. ‘Regardless of your impression of CCG, to what extent would you like to work in the consultancy sector?’

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NTB x Diversity statement

MC AIM4

4.5

5

5.5

High NTBLow NTB

Ant

icip

ated

incl

usio

n

b = -.25, p = .33

b = .62, p < .01

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Discussion Study 1

› Why no main effect of our manipulation? Diversity messages are perhaps less powerful and immediate cues for prospective

members than for sitting organizational members

› How does AIM affect majority members’ support for organizational diversity efforts?

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Study 2

› Manipulation: Internationalization vision of the University of Groningen- 2 conditions (MC vs AIM)

› Participants: 92 Dutch students of the University of Groningen(36 MC; 56 AIM)

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Study 2

DiversityThe university realizes that diversity, for example in the cultural background of staff and students, is very important. In fact, the [combined] presence of [Dutch and] international students has helped us to be what we are today: a leading university. We are therefore particularly happy with [both our Dutch and] our international students. It is exactly this diversity that strenghtens our organization.

Teaching & ResearchTo give students and staff from all over the world the opportunity to succeed, we have committed ourselves to providing excellent conditions for teaching and research. This means that by the academic year 2015-2016, the University of Groningen will offer all Master’s degree programmes in [both Dutch and] English.

StudentsAt the moment, the University of Groningen already has 4000 international students from over 115 countries – we hope to reach 5000 by the year 2015.

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Study 2 – DV’s and Moderator

DV’s:› Inclusion (6 items: α = .87)

E.g.: ‘With this strategic vision, the university indicates that I belong within the university’

› Support for internationalization (3 items: α = .65)

E.g.: ‘Further internationalization of the university contributes to the image of the university’

Moderator:› Need to belong (6 items: α = .72)

E.g.: ‘I have a strong need to belong’

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Study 2 – Controls and Manipulation check

Controls› International experience: › International ambitions:› Identification with Dutch nationality› Gender› Age› Attractiveness brochure

No differences between

conditions

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Study 2 – Results

MC AIM3.5

4

4.5

5

Low NTBHigh NTB

Perc

eive

d in

clus

ion

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Study 2 – Results

Condition(MC = 0; AIM = 1)

Inclusion

.40**Diversity support

.31*

Indirect effect: .13*

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General discussion

› AIM increases perceptions of inclusion, and indirectly, support for diversity efforts

› Beneficial effects of AIM may be more pronounced for sitting employees than for prospective employees

› Organizations should “put their money where their mouth is”

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Thank you!

[email protected]

|date 12-09-2013 faculty of behavioural and social sciences department of social psychology what’s...

Documents

social fit

social environment

social identity safety

majority members

diversity statements

diversity structures

majority group

majority james