Diversity-Valuing Behaviors as a Performance Asset instead of a Liability: The Role of DEI Accountability Mechanisms

Abstract

Women and racial minorities are perceived negatively when they engage in diversity-valuing behaviors (i.e., behaviors that promote demographic balance), which increases negative perceptions of their competence and performance effectiveness in modern organizations. Although organizational attention to the topics of workplace equity and inclusion has increased, Black women continue to be excluded from leadership positions motivated by race and sex-based judgments of intellectual inferiority and leadership incongruity. Diversity management continues to be an important research domain to ensure the effective implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) relevant strategies to reduce bias and discrimination. This work infuses accountability for DEI into a performance management system to address the backlash Black women receive for engaging in DEI-relevant behaviors. I used accountability for DEI as a relevant structure to test whether holding employees accountable for diversity-valuing behavior (i.e., promoting DEI goals) through competence mitigates negative performance evaluation and promotion rating of a Black woman. In the current study, MTurk participants (N = 280) with employment experience were surveyed about their evaluation of performance and promotion ratings. Participants were randomly assigned to receive information about dimensions of an employee’s annual evaluation, including “Diversity and Inclusion” (DEI accountability condition) or “Corporate Social Environmental Responsibility” (CSR; control condition). Dependent on participant condition, participants received more information about extra-role behaviors (i.e., diversity-valuing behavior vs. organizational citizenship behaviors) demonstrated by a Black woman. Results were not statistically significant but showed that participants reported more favorable performance evaluation and promotion ratings toward the fictitious employee in the DEI accountability condition who engaged in diversity-valuing behavior compared to the fictitious employee in the CSR (control condition) who engaged in diversity-valuing behavior. These results suggest that organizations that embed a framework for measuring and evaluating DEI efforts among all employees may reduce negative competence perceptions, which in turn, can help mitigate negative performance evaluations and increase promotion ratings among Black women.