Background
Diversity will remain a relevant and important matter for both organisations and scholars. The study of perspectives on how organisations manage diversity, also known as diversity climate is steadily growing in popularity. A conducive diversity climate holds benefits for both organisations and individuals. Unfortunately, the opposite is also applicable, especially in environments characterized by prejudice, discrimination, and homogenous workforces. Regrettably, research indicates selected South African environments remain to display signs of discrimination, prejudice, and labour force imbalances.
Hypotheses/Research Questions
The study sought to answer what is the impact of diversity climate on work-related outputs in a South African organisational environment?
Sample Characteristics and Sample Size
The study collected 263 responses from a convenience sample (White = 69.3%; Males = 52.9%; 82.6% = Permanently employed). The sample represented views from the financial, retail, manufacturing, and industrial sectors situated in the economical hub of South Africa.
Design
The quantitative study applied a cross-sectional design. Respondents completed measures of diversity perceptions, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, intentions to quit, and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB). Statistical analysis included, descriptive and reliability statistics, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlation analysis, and standardized regressions to determine the impact of diversity climate on each work-related output.
Results
We found evidence through a validated and reliable model to indicate diversity climate was associated with the selected work-related outputs. The model further indicates an improvement of a diversity climate would result in an improvement of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, OCB, and a reduction of self-reported turnover intentions.
Scientific Contribution
The value of a conducive diversity climate should not be underestimated towards enhancing work-related outputs, especially in the South African environment.