title: Diversity climate enhances work outcomes through trust and openness in workgroup communication.
abstract: Diversity climate, defined as an organizational climate characterized by openness towards and appreciation of individual differences, has been shown to enhance outcomes in culturally diverse teams. To date, it remains unclear which processes are responsible for these findings. This paper presents two quantitative studies (n = 91; 246) that identify trust and openness in workgroup communication as possible mediators. We replicate earlier findings that perceived diversity climate positively relates to job satisfaction, sense of inclusion, work group identification and knowledge sharing in teams. In study 1, trust is shown to mediate the effects of perceived diversity climate on team members' sense of inclusion. In study 2, trust mediates the relationship between perceived diversity climate and workgroup identification and openness mediates its relationship with knowledge sharing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Corporate Communication, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hofhuis
authors.affiliation: Department of Corporate Communication, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pernill G A
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: van der Rijt
authors.affiliation: Department of Corporate Communication, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vlug
keywords: Diversity climate; Diversity outcomes; Knowledge sharing; Openness; Trust; Workgroup communication; Workplace diversity