Abstract
Climate for inclusion has captured the attention of management scholars as well as practitioners due to the positive effects inclusive climates have on organizations. Prior research has shown that a strong climate for inclusion leads to desirable outcomes such as increased organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and creativity, as well as a decrease in intent to turnover (e.g., Acquavita et al., 2009; Groeneveld, 2011; Choi & Rainey, 2010; Pitts, 2009). However, the field is lacking understanding of the factors that impact inclusion climate (Guillaume et al., 2014). To answer this call for inclusion climate formation research, this dissertation considers the relationship between supervisor perceptions of organizational rationale for diversity and climate for inclusion, moderated by organizational structure (formalization and communication) as well as supervisor and unit diversity orientation. Ely and Thomas' diversity perspectives and strategy framework (2001) suggests four rationales for diversity along with four complimentary strategies. This dissertation empirically tests the validity of this widely utilized diversity perspectives framework by first developing a 13- item measure for organizational rationale for diversity, then by investigating its relationship with inclusion climate. A second order factor structure with three first order factors resulted from confirmatory factor analysis of the organizational rationale for diversity measure. A sample of 22 work units with 95 employees from across the United States provided no support for the primary hypothesis that more inclusive supervisor perceptions of organizational rationale for diversity, along with the Integration-and-Learning rationale, would have a significant relationship with inclusion climate.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2019
Semester
Summer
Advisor
Bennett, Rebecca
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Business Administration
Degree Program
Business Administration; Management Track
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0008094; DP0023233
URL
https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0023233
Language
English
Release Date
2-15-2021
Length of Campus-only Access
1 year
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Leonard, Stephanie, "You Can Sit With Us: An Investigation of Organizational Rationale for Diversity and Inclusion Climate" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 6837.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/6837