The effectiveness of corporate diversity training from the trainers' perspective: results of a qualitative study in Germany

• Date: 22 April 2024
• Pages: 1259-1275
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-06-2023-0208
• Published date: 22 April 2024
• Author: Irma Rybnikova,Annkathrin Weigel

The effectiveness of corporate

diversity training from the

trainers’perspective: results of

a qualitative study in Germany

Irma Rybnikova and Annkathrin Weigel

Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Science, Hamm, Germany

Abstract

Purpose –Organizational diversity training is designed to enhance employees’skills and competencies

regarding diversity and its management. The question of its effectiveness, and the conditions under which it

thrives, remains a matter of debate. Unlike previous studies that have predominantly focused on the

perspective of training participants, this study shifts the lens to the viewpoints of diversity training providers

in Germany –a country where the formal requirement for diversity management was implemented relatively

recently. The primary objective is to ascertain the critical factors influencing training effectiveness from the

providers’perspective.

Design/methodology/approach –This research draws upon case studies based on document analysis and

qualitative interviews with diversity training providers across Germany.

Findings –The investigation reveals that the effectiveness of diversity training, as perceived by providers,

hinges on several key factors: the organizational environment (including the widespread recognition of

diversity issues and the presence of an organizational diversity framework), the attributes of diversity trainers

(notably their personal familiarity with diversity) and the setting and design of the training (such as venue,

duration and a blend of instructional approaches). A notable barrier to achieving effective training outcomes is

the lack of supportive conditions within client companies, exemplified by limited training budgets, which

impedes the accurate assessment of training effectiveness.

Originality/value –This study marks a novel contribution to the field by explicitly focusing on the

perspective of diversity training providers in Germany. It provides new insights into the importance of the

organizational context surrounding diversity education within the private sector.

Keywords Effectiveness, Qualitative research, Diversity trainings

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Companies implement diversity training to enhance employee awareness and competencies

regarding organizational diversity (Creon and Schermuly, 2019), reduce biases against

minorities, and prevent workplace discrimination (Lipman, 2018) while placing special

emphasis on the participants’personal beliefs and ideologies (Bezrukova et al., 2012;

Gieselmann and Krell, 2008). Even though companies worldwide are investing generous

resources in diversity training (Ahnand and Winters, 2008), such as Google spending 150

million US dollars for diversity programs in 2015 (Newkirk, 2019), skepticism persists about

the effectiveness and long-term success of such programs (Kalev et al., 2006). Critics argue

that such trainings are primarily used to circumvent legal requirements, to enhance corporate

image, with limited impact on preventing biases (Kalev and Dobbin, 2020). Moreover, there is

concern that in-depth treatment of potential biases in training is claimed to inadvertently

foster new prejudices among participants, reinforcing discriminatory attitudes and behaviors

(Gieselmann and Krell, 2008).

Corporate

diversity

training

1259

We thank all interviewees for being interested in our research question and taking time for interviews.

We also thank reviewers for valuable suggestions that led to relevant improvements in our paper.

Finally, we thank the Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Science for providing support.

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

https://www.emerald.com/insight/2040-7149.htm

Received 27 June 2023

Revised 1 January 2024

23 February 2024

Accepted 28 March 2024

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

An International Journal

Vol. 43 No. 8, 2024

pp. 1259-1275

© Emerald Publishing Limited

2040-7149

DOI 10.1108/EDI-06-2023-0208

Previousresearch on diversitytraining and its effectivenesshas predominantlyfocussed on

the USA, leaving the practices and outcomes in other nations less explored. Scholars have

highlightedthe failure to accurately assessthe effectiveness of diversity training (e.g.Hite and

McDonald, 2006)and advocated for greater effortsto evaluate diversity education (McDonald

and Hite, 2010). Much of the existing literature (e.g. Hanover and Cellar, 1998;Holladay and

Qui~

nones, 2005;Alhejji et al., 2016) reviews effectiveness from the traine es’viewpoint, with

alternative perspectives, notably that of the trainingproviders, receiving less attention.

The present study was conducted in Germany, a country that provides a unique context

for organizational diversity. The emergence of diversity training in Germany can be traced

back to the General Equal Treatment Act (Germ.: Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz)

which was enacted in 2006 and mandates companies to ensure equal rights within their

workforce. This law thus requires German companies to deal with diversity issues. Unlike in

the USA, where diversity training constitutes the most widely used diversity management

tool, its adoption in Germany is more restrained. Studies by K€

oppel et al. (2007) as well as

Beham (2015) reveal that German companies favor other diversity initiatives, such as work-

related assignments abroad, networking groups, diversity committees, and coaching, over

diversity training. A study published by the Diversity Charter (der Vielfalt, 2020), a German

association that promotes the integration of diversity into businesses, confirms that diversity

training ranks only ninth among the most frequently implemented diversity measures in

German companies. While research conducted in Germany or German-speaking countries

acknowledges the introduction of diversity management as a novel concept in German

companies post-2006 (e.g. S€

ußand Kleiner, 2006;Hanappi-Egger and Bendl, 2015), detailed

examination of corporate diversity training remains scarce.

Addressing the gap in research on diversity training in German companies and the

ongoing skepticism about its effectiveness, the present study deals with the following

research question: What do German corporate diversity training providers identify as factors

influencing training effectiveness?

This research enriches the diversity management scholarship by offering in-depth

insights into diversity training practices in German companies from the providers’

perspective. Our findings allow us to shed significant light on training effectiveness,

revealing its strong correlation with the organizational context. Specifically, they underscore

the significance of client companies’recognition of diversity issues as legitimate and the

presence of an organizational diversity framework. Our analysis suggests that evaluating

diversity training’s effectiveness requires looking beyond trainee characteristics, training

design, and workplace environment, as Baldwin and Ford (1988) initially proposed. Instead, it

emphasizes the critical role of the organizational context within client companies, advocating

for its comprehensive and systematic consideration.

The effectiveness of diversity training: previous research

Research on the effectiveness of diversity training predominantly stems from the Anglo-

American context, using quantitative methodologies. This body of work, comprising

literature reviews and meta-analyses, seeks to delineate the general dynamics between

diverse influencing factors and the heterogeneous criteria for training success. Commonly,

studies reference the conceptual framework by Baldwin and Ford (1988), designed to

encapsulate the overall training transfer process Baldwin and Ford (1988) identify trainee

characteristics, training design and the work environment as key determinants of training

outputs in terms of learning and maintenance. Yet, Baldwin and Ford (1988) fail to consider

the specifics of diversity training. Subsequent research varies, with some studies aligning

with Baldwin and Ford’s framework, others presenting new findings specific to diversity

training, and a few concentrating on its efficacy assessment. Kalinoski et al. (2013) found

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