Who promotes a value‐in‐diversity perspective? A fuzzy set analysis of executives’ individual and organizational characteristics

Abstract

Diversity perspectives are philosophies of or approaches to diversity held by organizations, groups, or executives. They are important for organizations because they can determine the success or failure of diversity in the workforce. However, little is known about the predictors of diversity perspectives among executives. Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, we analyzed 50 interviews with top executives in Germany to identify individual and organizational characteristics that predict executives' adoption of a diversity perspective, in particular of a value‐in‐diversity perspective. Specifically, we analyzed gender, age, education level, vocational background, and tenure (individual characteristics), as well as size, sector of organization, and competitive environment (organizational characteristics), as potential predictors. We found single characteristics did not predict adoption, but configurations of characteristics did. Drawing on the person‐situation‐interactionist perspective, we developed specific profiles of executives likely to foster a value‐in‐diversity perspective and identified characteristics of their work environments that support such an approach. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Challenges for foreign companies in China: implications for research and practice

“…Evolving demographic and regional differences are likely to bring more diversity to the workforce. Already being familiar with these challenges, MNEs from Western industrialized countries may be in better positions to manage such diversity (Bader et al 2019;Kemper et al 2016Kemper et al , 2019. Chinese companies might learn from Western MNEs regarding how to deal with an increasingly diverse workforce (Kemper et al 2019).…”

Motivation and knowledge sharing: a meta-analysis of main and moderating effects

“…tight and loose cultures (Gelfand et al , 2011). Further extending cross-cultural research, future research could also investigate the role of motivation and knowledge sharing between employees of different nationalities, from a diversity perspective (Bader et al , 2019) and/or an expatriate perspective (Stoermer et al , 2017). Other potential moderators that may influence the relationship between motivation and knowledge sharing behavior, e.g.…”

Sixty years of discrimination and diversity research in human resource management: A review with suggestions for future research directions

“…Similarity‐attraction (Byrne, 1971) and homophily theories (Ibarra, 1992, 1993) have also been used several times, as have tokenism (Kanter, 1977) and attraction‐selection‐attrition (Schneider, 1987). Institutional theory (Scott, 2000), signaling theory (Spence, 1973), upper echelons theory (Hambrick & Mason, 1984), and the resource‐based view of the firm (Barney, 1991) have also been used mainly (but not exclusively) with organization‐level studies. Also, many studies have been framed around various employment laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.…”

“…To enact diversity management change in organizations, it is also vital to have leaders who believe in the value of diversity (Bader et al, 2019;Wong, 2008). High-status leaders that champion diversity and demonstrate inclusiveness have a strong influence on an organization's inclusive climate (Boekhorst, 2015), on organizational performance (Mitchell et al, 2015), and on other organizations within the same industry (Shi et al, 2018), because they serve as an important source of social information (Boekhorst, 2015).…”