Organizations have begun to focus heavily on diversity. As a result, organizations spend time and resources creating diversity policies and investing extensively in diversity training programs. While an abundance of research exists on demographic diversity, research has just begun to incorporate employees’ perceptions of diversity as an influential factor affecting organizationally relevant employee outcomes. Employees are a crucial reference in understanding whether organizations benefit from engaging in such actions. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of diversity climate on employees’ organizational identification. Furthermore, I investigate how organizational identification mediates the relationship between diversity climate perceptions and outcomes including turnover intentions, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behavior. I refine our understanding by identifying personal characteristics that influence the diversity climate (PDC) – organizational identification (OID) relationship. This research offers several contributions to management literature and scholars as well as practitioners. First this study empirically examines the relationship between PDC and OID. This connection is important as it identifies the psychological mechanism linking PDC to subsequent outcomes as well as showing how positive climate perception can influence an employee’s sense of belonging. The second contribution is the in-depth identification of personal characteristics and their role in this relationship specifically, demographics, values, and attachment to demographic category. Individuals will differ in their beliefs and thus their attachment based on climate perceptions. Finally, this study links diversity climate to organizationally relevant outcomes through organizational identification.

At present, species are faced with a host of human-induced impacts that have already led to a loss of biodiversity and shifts in species’ ranges. Knowledge of the ecological and evolutionary processes of dynamic species’ ranges, that are either shifting or expanding, will be key to understanding the ability of species to persist and adapt during periods of environmental change. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the effects of range expansion on the genetics and evolution of species, and understand the processes that facilitate the spatial spread of populations. Using individual-based simulation models, this work demonstrates that the unique selective environment of range expansion can have a significant effect on spatial genetics and the evolution of life-history traits. It is found that the survival and spread of mutations, of various fitness effects, is influenced substantially by landscape features encountered by the expanding range. The incorporation of more specific genetic architecture shows that a substantially increased frequency of fitness peak shifts may occur on the edge of an expanding range than would arise within a stationary population. Range expansion is shown to select for increased dispersal and reproduction at the expense of competitive ability on the front of the expanding wave which results in an accelerating spread rate. The survival and spread of a population during range expansion is also affected substantially by the specific movement behaviour of individuals. The exact nature of suitable habitat, in terms of the number of suitable habitat patches and level of fragmentation, will also greatly affect the ability of a population to survive and spread during a period of environmental change. These findings are synthesised within a conceptual framework that is proposed for the evolution of populations during range expansion, where a flattening of the fitness landscape leads to adaptive revolutions.

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The purpose of this study was to develop theoretical insight on the concepts of trust and diversity climate and to empirically test for any possible relationships between these two concepts within a tertiary institution. For the purpose of this study trust was defined as the willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party based on the expectation that the other will perform a particular action important to the trustor, irrespective of the ability to monitor or control that other party. Diversity climate was defined as the employees‟ perceptions of the policies and practices that communicate the extent to which fostering diversity and eliminating discrimination is a priority in the organisation. The study took on a quantitative approach and the questionnaire used in the study was a combination of three previously validated instruments. Trust was measured through a combination of the organizational trust inventory and the behavioural trust inventory. The dimensions used to measure trust, included, propensity towards trust, ability, benevolence, integrity, trust, reliance based trust and disclosure based trust. The diversity climate was measured through a diversity climate assessment instrument that consisted of nine items. The results indicate that the employees agree that the organization is committed towards diversity management and eliminating discrimination. A correlation analysis between the dimensions of trust and diversity climate revealed that all of the trust dimensions, except for the propensity towards trust have some sort of relationship with diversity climate. The results further indicated that the group of employees that only have an education up to Matric/Grade 12 indicated a higher propensity towards trust than compared to the group that has either a diploma or a post graduate degree. Propensity towards trust and disclosure based trust dimensions revealed the only noticeable differences between the Black and White groups. There was no practical significance within the diversity climate construct for the gender, education, ethnic, employment status or level of employment groups and this should be regarded as a positive result for the institution. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The purpose of this study was to develop theoretical insight on the concepts of trust and diversity climate and to empirically test for any possible relationships between these two concepts within a tertiary institution. For the purpose of this study trust was defined as the willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party based on the expectation that the other will perform a particular action important to the trustor, irrespective of the ability to monitor or control that other party. Diversity climate was defined as the employees‟ perceptions of the policies and practices that communicate the extent to which fostering diversity and eliminating discrimination is a priority in the organisation. The study took on a quantitative approach and the questionnaire used in the study was a combination of three previously validated instruments. Trust was measured through a combination of the organizational trust inventory and the behavioural trust inventory. The dimensions used to measure trust, included, propensity towards trust, ability, benevolence, integrity, trust, reliance based trust and disclosure based trust. The diversity climate was measured through a diversity climate assessment instrument that consisted of nine items. The results indicate that the employees agree that the organization is committed towards diversity management and eliminating discrimination. A correlation analysis between the dimensions of trust and diversity climate revealed that all of the trust dimensions, except for the propensity towards trust have some sort of relationship with diversity climate. The results further indicated that the group of employees that only have an education up to Matric/Grade 12 indicated a higher propensity towards trust than compared to the group that has either a diploma or a post graduate degree. Propensity towards trust and disclosure based trust dimensions revealed the only noticeable differences between the Black and White groups. There was no practical significance within the diversity climate construct for the gender, education, ethnic, employment status or level of employment groups and this should be regarded as a positive result for the institution. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The purpose of this research was to develop a taxonomy of workplace diversity and examine its implications for understanding and predicting diversity at work. A 7-dimension taxonomy was originally developed by reviewing contemporary literature on diversity in the workplace. The taxonomy is grounded in Social Identity Theory. Preliminary research found that each of the seven dimensions of the taxonomy were present in 78 critical incidents describing work-relevant diversity dynamics. The current study reports the development and administration of an instrument, the Workplace Diversity Inventory (WDI), which was used to empirically examine the 7-factor model of the taxonomy in over 20 different industries. Exploratory factor analysis using data from 209 respondents supported a six-dimension taxonomy, with one factor from the proposed taxonomy (Leadership) collapsed into two of the included WDI dimensions (Diversity Climate and Organizational Justice). Subsequent confirmatory factor analysis indicated an adequate to good fit for the six-factor model, with the WDI reduced from 47 to 24 items. Results and implications for theory and practice are discussed.

In this manuscript I examine outcomes associated with social networks in organizations. Specifically, I consider how two characteristics of social networks (i.e., centrality, tie strength) can affect the performance and satisfaction of employees at work. Then, I explore the role that perceptions of fit (i.e., person-group fit, person-organization) may play in mediating the relationship between social network characteristics and (a) employee performance and (b) job satisfaction. Moreover, I investigate boundary conditions of the aforementioned mediated relationships (i.e., social network characteristics - fit perceptions - employee performance; social network characteristics - fit perceptions - job satisfaction). First, I consider how individual differences (i.e., racioethnicity, sex) generate employee dissimilarity that likely moderates the relationship between structural network characteristics and perceived fit in the mediated relationships proposed. Second, I examine an organizational variable (i.e., perceived diversity climate) as a first and second stage moderator of the aforementioned mediated relationships. Overall, it is necessary to investigate the relationships proposed in the model, because studying social networks helps us to understand why employees interact with certain individuals (or not with others) and how organizational outcomes are affected by employees' choices regarding their social networks. / Business Administration/Human Resource Management

Diversity is a multi-billion-dollar business. Dating back to the pre-Civil Rights era, what scholars now call discursive strategy–the language and meaning that shape phenomena–has shaped the diversity landscape. Over the past 75 years, we have witnessed a pattern of strategic maneuvering of the discursive strategy concerning diversity from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of the 1970s to affirmative action (1980s) to diversity management (1990s) to inclusiveness (2000s) and most recently to Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG). However, in response to reactions from its stakeholders, firms, e.g., Bud Light and Target have been forced to rethink the word choices, and subsequent actions, that reflect its attention to diversity. To frame these issues for strategy research, I propose that firms expand their strategies to include discursive diversity strategy, which I define as word choices among top leadership that reflect the firm's attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion. / Doctor of Philosophy / Diversity is not just a buzzword—it is big business. From the pre-Civil Rights era to today, language and meaning have been pivotal in shaping diversity initiatives. This study examines the evolution of what scholars term "discursive strategy" within the diversity landscape over the past 75 years. We trace a trajectory from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), affirmative action, diversity management, inclusiveness, and the recent focus on Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG). Recent events, such as reactions from stakeholders, have prompted firms like Bud Light and Target to reassess their word choices and subsequent actions regarding diversity. This research proposes a novel framework for strategy analysis: discursive diversity strategy. This framework expands traditional strategy models to include top leadership's language and word choices, reflecting a firm's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through a qualitative analysis of corporate communications and actions, we explore how firms strategically position themselves in the discourse surrounding diversity. Our findings suggest that firms' discursive diversity strategies reflect not only their internal policies but also deeply intertwined with their external reputations and stakeholder relationships. Understanding the nuances of a discursive diversity strategy is crucial for firms seeking to navigate an increasingly complex and diverse business landscape. By adopting a more comprehensive approach that considers words and actions, firms can better align their diversity initiatives with broader organizational goals and societal expectations.

In today’s workplace, teams are complex, ever-changing, and heavily influenced by team diversity. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs aim to increase the demographic representation of underrepresented groups, which invariably influences team composition and, ultimately, team dynamics. An organization should focus DEI efforts on the needs of a diverse team, given the existing research that shows that organizational diversity influences organizational dynamics and performance (e.g., (Li et al., 2018). Nonetheless, the literature regarding the relationship between team diversity and team dynamics is deficient. Research regarding the relationship between team diversity and team performance is inconclusive and inconsistent (van Knippenberg et al., 2004). Henceforth, my study objectives were to examine how diversity - demographic characteristics (gender, ethnicity, age) and cognitive characteristics (education and functional) influenced team processes (conflict and information sharing) and team performance. I used surveys to gather information about individual diversity. Using correlational and moderated multiple regression analyses, I examined relationships. Ethnic representation demonstrated a negative relationship with information sharing, while gender diversity demonstrated a positive relationship with information sharing. Age diversity and team tenure demonstrated positive relationships with team task performance. Additionally, I determined that different methods of calculating diversity impacted the results. This study showed that team diversity could explain team processes and team performance.Keywords: Diversity, Team Performance, Diversity Climate, Inclusive Leadership / Business Administration/Interdisciplinary

Cette recherche sur articles a pour objectif de mieux comprendre l’impact du climat diversité, considéré comme un climat organisationnel, sur la performance individuelle des salariés. Nous mobilisons ici le cadre conceptuel de Kopelman et al. (1990).Le concept de climat diversité a cependant été critiqué pour ses défaillances conceptuelles et méthodologiques. Nous réalisons dans un premier article une revue de littérature approfondie (Nombre d’études analysées = 62), et proposons une reconstruction du climat diversité en trois dimensions : l’intentionnalité, la programmation et la pratique. Nous nous appuyons pour ce faire sur le cadre conceptuel de HRM system structure d’Arthur et Boyles (2007) et les diversity management system components de Kulik (2014).Dans un deuxième article, nous opérationnalisons le climat diversité tel que reconceptualisé, en développant et validant une échelle de mesure en 11 items au niveau organisationnel. Nous avons mené pour ce faire trois études (N = 150 ; N = 398 ; Nunité = 11, Nindividuel = 221) qui nous ont permis de valider les propriétés psychométriques de l’échelle en termes de fiabilité et de validité convergente, discriminante, nomologique et prédictive.Enfin, dans un troisième article nous testons nos hypothèses de recherche grâce à une dernière étude (Nunité = 34 ; Nindividuel = 509). Nos résultats montrent que le climat diversité organisationnel influence positivement la performance individuelle, et que la satisfaction au travail et l’engagement organisationnel affectif sont des médiateurs de cette relation. La médiation de l’engagement organisationnel normatif n’est pas concluante.Notre recherche a une contribution significative sur le plan conceptuel et méthodologique, en proposant une approche structurelle innovante et une mesure pour l’étude du climat diversité, par-delà les paradigmes dominants du management de la diversité. Elle offre de plus une forte contribution managériale, en proposant une taxonomie des climats diversité dans les organisations et en ouvrant plusieurs voies aux praticiens pour le développer. / This research aims to better understand the impact of diversity climate, as an organizational climate, on individual employee performance. We use the conceptual framework of Kopelman et al. (1990).However, the concept of diversity climate has been criticized for its conceptual and methodological shortcomings. In a first article, we produce an in-depth literature review (number of studies analyzed = 62), and we propose a reconstruction of diversity climate in three dimensions: intentionality, programming and praxis. We rely on Arthur and Boyles (2007)’s HRM system structure and on Kulik (2014)'s diversity management system components conceptual frameworks.In a second article, we operationalize diversity climate as reconceptualized, developing and validating an 11-item measurement scale at the organizational level. To proceed, we conducted three studies (N=150; N=398; NUnit =11, Nindividual =221) that allowed us to validate the psychometric properties of the scale in terms of reliability and convergent, discriminant, nomological and predictive validity.Finally, in a third article we test our research hypotheses with a final study (Nunit =34; Nindividual =509). Our results show that organizational diversity climate positively influences individual employee performance, and that job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment mediate this relationship. Mediation of normative organizational commitment is inconclusive.Our research has a significant contribution conceptually and methodologically, since it proposes an innovative structural approach and a measure for the study of diversity climate, beyond the dominant paradigms of diversity management. It also offers a strong managerial contribution, providing a taxonomy for diversity climates in organizations and opening up several avenues for practitioners to develop it.