Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. with Diversity in the Workplace

“All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his letter from Birmingham Jail

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. day, we decided to take a look back at an article published in Group and Organization Management in October of 2013 which highlighted diversity in the workplace. “The Psychological Benefits of Creating an Affirming Climate for Workplace Diversity” explores how diverse work environments benefit not only the employee but the employer as well.

The abstract:

Workforce diversity has been described as a double-edged sword; it has the potential for positive and negative outcomes. To better understand why and how diversity leads to positive outcomes, we examined the relationship between employee perceptions of diversity climate perceptions and intent to turnover. We explored the role of four psychological outcome variables (organizational commitment, climate for innovation, psychological empowerment, and identity freedom) as possible mediators of this relationship. Racial and gender subgroup differences were also examined. Survey data were collected from 1,731 public employees. Findings suggest that when employees perceive equal access to opportunities and fair treatment, intent to turn over decreases. Furthermore, these relationships are significantly mediated by psychological outcomes. Implications for diversity management and training are discussed.

“The Psychological Benefits of Creating an Affirming Climate for Workplace Diversity” published in Group and Organization Management can be read for free for the next week by clicking here.

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