Training has shown little effectiveness in altering harassing or discriminatory behavior. Limitations of prior intervention efforts may reflect poor conceptualization of the problems involved, poor training intervention design, approaches that engender cynicism, or misunderstanding psychological principles of attitude and behavior change. Interventions should capitalize on behavioral science models and tools at multiple levels from a broad array of disciplines to explain harassment and bias, and then to defeat these behaviors. Measures to ensure fair treatment should focus on leadership socialization, organizational culture and climate, increased professional competence, and integration with organizational approaches to corporate social responsibility and performance.
The present research links a nonsocial, contextual influence (construal level) to the tendency to endorse genetic attributions for individual and social group differences. Studies 1 to 3 show that people thinking in an abstract (vs. concrete) mind-set score higher on a measure of genetic attributions for individual and racial group differences. Study 4 showed that abstract (vs. concrete) construal also increased genetic attributions for novel groups. Study 5 explored the potential downstream consequences of construal on intergroup attitudes, and found that abstract (vs. concrete) construal led people to endorse genetic attributions in general and this was associated with increased anti-Black prejudice.
Initiatives for diversity and inclusion should promote the representation and involvement of all employees in the organization and should be primarily driven by management. However, a leader’s commitment to diversity management cannot be assumed because some leaders are more committed than others. We explore commitment to diversity management for three entities: corporate boards, overall organizational culture, and among individual managers. Individual and group dynamics are explored within each level. We also explore commitment to diversity management among consulting psychologists and diverse managers. Finally, we identify actions a consulting psychologist could take to assess and improve managerial commitment to diversity.
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