Actions speak louder than words: Outsiders' perceptions of diversity mixed messages.
To attract a gender diverse workforce, many employers use diversity statements to publicly signal that they value gender diversity. However, this often represents a misalignment between words and actions (i.e., a diversity mixed message) because most organizations are male dominated, especially in board positions. We conducted 3 studies to investigate the potentially indirect effect of such diversity mixed messages through perceived behavioral integrity on employer attractiveness. In Study 1, following a 2 × 2 design, participants (N = 225) were either shown a pro gender diversity statement or a neutral statement, in combination with a gender diverse board (4 men and 4 women) or a uniform all-male board (8 men). Participants' perceived behavioral integrity of the organization was assessed. In Study 2, participants (N = 251) either read positive or negative reviews of the organization's behavioral integrity. Employer attractiveness was then assessed. Study 3 (N = 427) investigated the impact of board gender composition on perceived behavioral integrity and employer attractiveness using a bootstrapping procedure. Both the causal-chain design of Study 1 and 2, as well as the significance test of the proposed indirect relationship in Study 3, revealed that a diversity mixed message negatively affected an organization's perceived behavioral integrity, and low behavioral integrity in turn negatively impacted employer attractiveness. In Study 3, there was also evidence for a tipping point (more than 1 woman on the board was needed) with regard to participants' perceptions of the organization's behavioral integrity. (PsycINFO Database Record
Reinhard-Mohn-Institute for Management and Corporate Governance.
Leon
L
Windscheid
College of Business, Western New England University.
Lynn
L
Bowes-Sperry
Department of Management, Marketing & Entrepreneurship, University of Hartford.
Deborah L
DL
Kidder
Department of Psychology, George Mason University.
Ho Kwan
HK
Cheung
German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer.
Michèle
M
Morner
Department of Personnel Management and Work and Organizational Psychology, Ghent University.
Filip
F
Lievens
D000328:Adult; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D010560:Personnel Selection; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult