Can workplaces foster an openness to diversity surreptitiously?

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-11-2017-0260
• Published date: 20 November 2018
• Date: 20 November 2018
• Pages: 750-762
• Author: Simon Andrew Moss,Gretchen Ennis,Kerstin Z. Zander,Timothy Bartram,Darren Hedley

Can workplaces foster an

openness to diversity

surreptitiously?

Simon Andrew Moss

School of Psychological and Clinical Sciences, Charles Darwin University,

Casuarina, Australia

Gretchen Ennis

School of Health, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Australia

Kerstin Z. Zander

Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Australia

Timothy Bartram

Department of Management and Marketing, La Trobe University,

Melbourne, Australia, and

Darren Hedley

School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University,

Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Purpose –To enhance their innovation and reputation, many organizations introduce programs that are

intended to attract, retain and support diverse communities. Yet, these programs are often unsuccessful,

partly because explicit references to diversity tend to evoke defensive reactions in employees from the

dominant culture. To circumvent this problem, the purpose of this paper is to explore the hypothesis that

individuals tend to be more receptive to diversity whenever they experience meaning in life. Furthermore,

four workplace characteristics –informational justice, a manageable workload, equality in status and a

compelling vision of the future –should foster this meaning in life.

Design/methodology/approach –To assess these possibilities, 177 employees completed a survey that

assessed workplace practices, meaning in life and openness to diversity.

Findings –The results showed that informational justice, a manageable workload and a compelling vision

were positively associated with openness to other cultures, constituencies and perspectives, and these

relationships were partly or wholly mediated by meaning in life.

Originality/value –These findings imply that leaders might be able to foster an openness to diversity,

but without explicit references to this diversity, circumventing the likelihood of defensive reactions.

Specifically, a program that simultaneously encourages transparent communication, diminishes workload

and clarifies the vision or aspirations of the future may represent an inexpensive but powerful means to foster

an openness to diversity.

Keywords Strategic vision, Workload, Perceived justice, Meaning in life, Openness to diversity

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Organizations have introduced many programs, policies and practices –such as diversity

training –to attract, support and utilize diverse employees (see Carstens and De Kock, 2017).

Unfortunately, these attempts are often unsuccessful. Members of the dominant culture

often become defensive and may, ultimately, even sabotage these attempts (Dover et al.,

2015). Furthermore, biases against disadvantaged communities tend to persist unabated,

despite attempts to redress these misconceptions (cf. Petty et al., 2006). Consequently,

diversity training programs, and many similar provisions, are not always effective:

one meta-analysis of 700 organizations, over 30 years, showed that diversity training

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

An International Journal

Vol. 37 No. 8, 2018

pp. 750-762

© Emerald PublishingLimited

2040-7149

DOI 10.1108/EDI-11-2017-0260

Received 20 November 2017

Revised 29 January 2018

27 February 2018

Accepted 11 April 2018

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

www.emeraldinsight.com/2040-7149.htm

750

EDI

37,8