Abstract
Over the past couple of decades, organisational scholars have been investigating barriers that prevent minorities (e.g. women) from entering and remaining at all levels of organisations. Consequently, the management of workforce diversity and inclusion became a central topic for organisations and research. Despite this attention, our understanding of how diversity shapes the work context in organisations and how these can be translated into an inclusive climate that fosters employees’ performance and well-being is limited. Based on insights of the diversity and inclusion literature and occupational health research, this chapter presents a conceptual framework that suggests that work environments are influenced by the extent of workforce diversity that is present in the organisation (e.g. homogeneous organisations mostly have processes and infrastructures that are developed by and based on the needs of the majority group, minority employees might thus face an unfavourable work context). Moreover, the framework points out that the work context affects employees’ experience of inclusion. The more resourceful one’s work (e.g. the freedom to fulfil task in an authentic way) and the less demanding the work environment (e.g. fewer discrimination), the more one feels an accepted member of their work environment. Higher levels of feeling included is likely to result in better performance and well-being of employees. Finally, the framework proposes that inclusive organisations, in which employees feel good and perform well, will in the long term have more diversity among employees and more gender equality because they attract and retain a diverse workforce.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Acquavita, S. P., Pittman, J., Gibbons, M., & Castellanos-Brown, K. (2009). Personal and organizational diversity factors’ impact on social workers’ job satisfaction: Results from a national internet-based survey. Administration in Social Work, 33(2), 151–166.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands-resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands-resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–285.
Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., Taris, T. W., Schaufeli, W. B., & Schreurs, P. J. (2003). A multigroup analysis of the job demands-resources model in four home care organizations. Journal of Stress Management, 10(1), 16–38.
Bernstein, M. J., Sacco, D. F., Young, S. G., Hugenberg, K., & Cook, E. (2010). Being “in” with the in-crowd: The effects of social exclusion and inclusion are enhanced by the perceived essentialism of ingroups and outgroups. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(8), 999–1009.
Brewer, M. B. (1979). In-group bias in the minimal intergroup situation: A cognitive–motivational analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 86(2), 307–324.
Brimhall, K. C., Lizano, E. L., & Barak, M. E. M. (2014). The mediating role of inclusion: A longitudinal study of the effects of leader–member exchange and diversity climate on job satisfaction and intention to leave among child welfare workers. Children and Youth Services Review, 40, 79–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.003
Burke, P. J., & Reitzes, D. C. (1991). An identity theory approach to commitment. Social Psychology Quarterly, 54(3), 239–251. https://doi.org/10.2307/2786653
Catalyst. (2019). Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics STEM: Quick take. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/women-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem#footnote27_777ra2y.
Chen, C., & Tang, N. (2018). Does perceived inclusion matter in the workplace? Journal of Managerial Psychology, 33(1), 43–57.
Cho, S., & Mor Barak, M. E. (2008). Understanding of diversity and inclusion in a perceived homogeneous culture: A study of organizational commitment and job performance among korean employees. Administration in Social Work, 32(4), 100–126.
Chow, I. H.-S. (2018). Cognitive diversity and creativity in teams: The mediating roles of team learning and inclusion. Chinese Management Studies, 12(2), 369–383.
Chrobot-Mason, D., Ruderman, M. N., & Nishii, L. H. (2013). Leadership in a diverse workplace. In Q. M. Roberson (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of diversity and work (pp. 1–39). Oxford: Oxford Handbooks Online.
Cunningham, G. B., & Melton, E. N. (2014). Signals and cues: LGBT inclusive advertising and consumer attraction. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 23, 37–46.
Collins, C. J., & Smith, K. G. (2006). Knowledge exchange and combination: the role of human resource practices in the performance of high-technology firms. Academy of Management Journal, 49, 544–560. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMJ.2006.21794671
Daya, P. (2014). Diversity and inclusion in an emerging market context. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, 33(3), 293–308.
De Dreu, C. K. W., & West, M. A. (2001). Minority dissent and team innovation: The importance of participation in decision making. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(6), 1191–1201.
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512.
Devillard, S., Sancier-Sultan, S., de Zelicourt, A., & Kossoff, C. (2016). Reinventing the workplace to unlock the potential of gender diversity. Women matter.
Eagly, A. H., Makhijani, M. G., & Klonsky, B. G. (1992). Gender and the evaluation of leaders: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 111(1), 3–22.
Ehrhart, K. H., Chung-Herrera, B. G., Randel, A. E., Dean, M. A., & Shore, L. M. (2014). Inclusion and health moderated by demographic status as numerical majority/minority. Honolulu, HI: Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference.
Ely, R. J., & Thomas, D. A. (2001). Cultural diversity at work the effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46, 229–273.
Ferdman, B. M., Avigdor, A., Braun, D., Konkin, J., & Kuzmycz, D. (2010). Collective experience of inclusion, diversity, and performance in work groups. RAM. Revista de Administração Mackenzie (Online), 11(3), 6–26.
Flynn, F. J. (2005). Identity and forms of orientations in organizations social exchange. Academy of Management Review, 30(4), 737–750.
Gonzales, J. A., & DeNisi, A. S. (2009). Cross-level effects of demography and diversity climate on organizational attachment in firm effectiveness. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30, 21–40.
Guillaume, Y. R. F., Dawson, J., Otaye-Ebede, L., Woods, S. A., & West, M. A. (2017). Harnessing demographic differences in organizations: What moderates the effects of workplace diversity? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(2), 276–303. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2040
Hofhuis, J., Van der Zee, K. I., & Otten, S. (2014). Comparing antecedents of voluntary job turnover among majority and minority employees. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 33(8), 735–749. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-09-2013-0071
Hakanen, J. J., Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2006). Burnout and work engagement among teachers. Journal of School Psychology, 43(6), 495–513.
Hülsheger, U. R., Anderson, N., & Salgado, J. F. (2009). Team-level predictors of innovation at work: A comprehensive meta-analysis spanning three decades of research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(5), 1128–1145.
Hwang, J., & Hopkins, K. (2012). Organizational inclusion, commitment, and turnover among child welfare workers: A multilevel mediation analysis. Administration in Social Work, 36(1), 23–39.
Inzlicht, M., & Good, C. (2005). How environments can threaten academic performance, self-knowledge, and sense of belonging. In Stigma and group inequality: Social psychological perspectives (pp. 129–150). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Jansen, W. S. (2015). Social inclusion in diverse work settings. Groningen: University of Groningen.
Jansen, W. S., Otten, S., Van der Zee, K. I., & Jans, L. (2014). Inclusion: Conceptualization and measurement. European Journal of Social Psychology, 44, 370–385.
Jehn, K. A., Northcraft, G. B., & Neale, M. A. (1999). Why differences make a difference: A field study of diversity, conflict, and performance in workgroups. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(4), 741.
Jonsen, K., Point, S., Kelan, E., & Grieble, A. (2019). Diversity and inclusion branding: A five-country comparison of corporate websites. International Journal of Human Resource Management.https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2018.1496125
Joshi, A., & Roh, H. (2009). The role of context in work team diversity research: A meta-analytic review. Academy of Management Journal, 52(3), 599–627.
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724.
Kraiger, K., & Ford, J. K. (1985). A meta-analysis of rate race effects in performance ratings. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70(1), 56–65.
Kristof-brown, A. M. Y. L., Zimmerman, R. D., & Johnson, E. C. (2005). Consequences of individuals’ fit at work: Meta-analysis of person-job, person-organization, person-group, and person-supervisor fit. Personnel Psychology, 58, 281–342. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.00672.x
Leary, M. R., & Baumeister, R. F. (2000). The nature and function of self-esteem: Sociometer theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 32, 1–62.
Leary, M. R., Tambor, E. S., Terdal, S. K., & Downs, D. L. (1995). Self-esteem as an interpersonal monitor: The sociometer hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(3), 518–530.
Meeussen, L., Delvaux, E., & Phalet, K. (2014). Becoming a group: Value convergence and emergent work group identities. British Journal of Social Psychology, 53(2), 235–248.
Meeussen, L., & van Dijk, H. (2016). The perceived value of team players: A longitudinal study of how group identification affects status in work groups. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 25(2), 200–211.
Mor Barak, M. E. (2015). Inclusion is the key to diversity management, but what is inclusion? Human Service Organizations Management Leadership and Governance, 39(2), 83–88.
Mor Barak, M. E., & Cherin, D. A. (1998). A tool to expand organizational understanding of workforce diversity. Administration in Social Work, 22(1), 47–64.
Mor Barak, M. E., Levin, A., Nissly, J. A., & Lane, C. J. (2006). Why do they leave? Modeling child welfare workers’ turnover intentions. Children and Youth Services Review, 28, 548–577.
Mor Barak, M. E., Lizano, E. L., Kim, A., Duan, L., Rhee, M.-K., Hsiao, H.-Y., et al. (2016). The promise of diversity management for climate of inclusion: A state-of-the-art review and meta-analysis. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 40(4), 305–333.
Mor Barak, M. E., & Travis, D. (2009). Diversity and organizational performance. In Y. Hasnfeld (Ed.), Human services as complex organizations (2nd ed., pp. 341–378). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Mummendey, A., & Wenzel, M. (1999). Social discrimination and tolerance in intergroup relations. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 3(2), 158–174.
Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. C. (2006). Making it safe: The effects of leader inclusiveness and professional status on psychological safety and improvement efforts in health care teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27, 941–966. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.413
Nishii, L. H. (2013). The benefits of climate for inclusion for gender-diverse groups. Academy of Management Journal, 50(6), 1754–1774.
Parker, S. K., Williams, H. M., & Turner, N. (2006). Modeling the antecedents of proactive behavior at work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(3), 636–652.
Pearce, J. L., & Randel, A. E. (2004). Expectations of organizational mobility, workplace social inclusion, and employee job performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 81–98.
Pelled, L. H., Eisenhardt, K. M., & Xin, K. R. (1999). Exploring the black box: An analysis of work group diversity, conflict, and performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44, 1–28.
Sabharwal, M. (2014). Is diversity management sufficient? Organizational inclusion to further performance. Public Personnel Management, 43(2), 197–217.
Schneid, M., Isidor, R., Li, C., & Kabst, R. (2015). The influence of cultural context on the relationship between gender diversity and team performance: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(6), 733–756.
Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N., & Sanchez, D. (2018). Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), 176–189.
Shore, L. M., Randel, A. E., Chung, B. G., Dean, M. A., Ehrhart, K. H., & Singh, G. (2011). Inclusion and diversity in work groups: A review and model for future research. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1262–1289.
Sonnentag, S., Volmer, J., & Spychala, A. (2008). Job performance. In J. Barling & C. Cooper (Eds.), Sage Handbook of Organizational Behavior (pp. 427–447). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849200448.n24
Stauffer, J. M., & Buckley, M. R. (2005). The existence and nature of racial bias in supervisory ratings. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(3), 586–591.
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity of intergroup behavior. In W. A. S. Worchel (Ed.), Psychology of intergroup relations. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall.
Tyler, T. R., & Blader, S. L. (2000). Procedural justice, social identity, and behavioral engagement. Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press.
UNDP. (2019). Human development report 2019. Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: Inequaltities in human development in the 21st century, New York, NY. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2019.pdf.
Van Dijk, H., Van Engen, M., & Paauwe, J. (2012). Reframing the business case for diversity: A values and virtues perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 111, 73–84.
Van Dijk, H., Van Engen, M. L., & Van Knippenberg, D. (2012). Defying conventional wisdom: A meta-analytical examination of the differences between demographic and job-related diversity relationships with performance. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 119(1), 38–53.
Van Knippenberg, D., & Schie, E. C. M. (2000). Foci and correlates of organizational identification. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 73(2), 137–147.
Van Knippenberg, D., & Schippers, M. C. (2007). Work group diversity. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 515–541.
Worchel, S., Rothgerber, H., Day, E. A., Hart, D., & Butemeyer, J. (1998). Social identity and productivity within groups. British Journal of Social Psychology, 37, 389–413.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Behnke, J., Rispens, S., Demerouti, E. (2021). Creating Inclusion to Leverage Workforce Diversity from a Work Characteristics Perspective. In: Hassard, J., Torres, L.D. (eds) Aligning Perspectives in Gender Mainstreaming. Aligning Perspectives on Health, Safety and Well-Being. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53269-7_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53269-7_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-53268-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-53269-7
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)