Discovering the differences that make a difference: racial majority and minority responses to online diversity statements

Abstract

The presented research the effect of Ely and Thomas’ (2001) three diversity perspectives—integration-and-learning, discrimination-and-fairness, and access-and-legitimacy—on perceptions of organizations as a function of their implied ideologies (i.e., multiculturalism, colorblindness, and tokenism). It was hypothesized that the organizational websites that enhance multiculturalism, such as the integration-and-learning perspective, will be perceived more favorably than websites that emphasize ideologies of colorblindness and tokenism, such as the discrimination-and-fairness and the access-and-legitimacy diversity perspectives, respectively. Additionally, expanding work by Plaut, Thomas, and Goren (2009) the study proposed that websites portraying the latter two perspectives will be perceived more negatively by Blacks than by Whites. In contrast, diversity perspectives that emphasize multiculturalism, such as the integration-and-learning diversity perspective, are hypothesized to be perceived more favorably, regardless of racial group membership. The main dependent variables of focus are the organizational outcomes of organizational attraction, organizational trust, P-O fit, and perceived justice. Findings suggest that racial group membership does not operate as a significant moderator of the relationship; however, the hypothesis that diversity perspectives would have varying relationships with diversity ideologies was partially verified.