Thesis (MComm (Psych))--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An emerging perspective of workplace diversity proposes that a well-managed diverse
workforce holds inherent advantages for organisational performance. Little empirical
evidence exists to support this view, which may partly be due to a lack of operational
frameworks for diversity management at the firm level. This study aims to address
two research gaps through (1) the development of a diversity management
competency (DMC) framework which can guide diversity management efforts, and
(2) the evaluation of the relationship between DMC, different diversity management
outcomes (DMO), and firm performance.
A mixed method approach was followed, which entailed an initial qualitative phase to
explore the DMC construct and to develop a DMC measure. Next, a quantitative
phase followed that tested (a) the reliability and validity of the instrument, as well as
(b) the hypothesised relationships between DMC and important firm outcomes. Data
were generated in the qualitative phase through interviewing managers (N = 12),
using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). Content analysis of the transcribed
interviews culminated in distinctive diversity management competencies (DMCs),
which represent clusters of diversity management practices, and a DMC measure
which was subsequently content validated through both the Content Validity Ratio
(Lawshe, 1975) and Cohen's (1960) approaches. The DMC questionnaire was then
pilot tested on managers (N = 25) from three large companies to make final
modifications. The final questionnaire consisted of eleven subscales (DMCs) and 98
items. The data for the quantitative phase were collected by administering on-line
questionnaires measuring the study variables (DMC, DMO and firm performance) to
managers (N = 77) from different medium to large companies (k = 33). The measures
were item analysed and the hypotheses tested through correlation analysis, using
SPSS. The measures indicated high internal consistency. A firm-level analysis of the
research data showed that DMC, DMO and firm performance were strongly and
significantly correlated, as hypothesised. This study makes three major contributions. First, it develops a firm-level DMC
framework that outlines specific clusters of diversity management practices expected
to contribute to firm performance by means of enhancing key DMOs. Second, it
develops and validates a DMC measure which, along with the DMC framework, has practical utility for diagnostic and developmental purposes. Last, the analyses
revealed that DMC, DMO and firm performance are significantly and strongly
correlated, which may indicate that diversity management has a significant influence
on firm performance. Because of the limited sample size, the results of this study
should be cross-validated in larger samples. However, the present research creates an
agenda for further confirmatory and exploratory studies on the relationship between
diversity management and important firm outcomes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ‘n Ontluikende perspektief van werkplekdiversiteit stel voor dat ‘n goed bestuurde
werksmag inherente voordele vir organisasieprestasie inhou. Daar is egter weinig
empiriese bewyse om hierdie siening te staaf, wat gedeeltelik onstaan as gevolg van
‘n tekort aan operasionele raamwerke vir diversiteitbestuur op die firma-vlak. Hierdie
studie beoog om hierdie navorsingsgaping aan te spreek deur (1) die ontwikkeling van
‘n raamwerk vir diversiteitbestuursbevoegdheid (DBB) wat pogings tot
diversiteitbestuur kan lei, en (2) die evaluering van die verwantskaptussen DBB,
verskillende diversiteitbestuuruitkomste (DBU), en firmaprestasie.
’n Gemengde-metode benadering is gevolg bestaande uit ’n aanvanklike kwalitatiewe
fase om die DBB konstruk te verken en om ‘n DBB metingsinstrument vir DBB te
ontwikkel. Vervolgens het ‘n kwantitatiewe fase (a) die betroubaarheid en geldigheid
van die meetinstrument bepaalen (b) die hipotetiese verwantskap tussen DBB en
belangrike firma-uitkomste getoets. Data is in die kwalitatiewe fase gegenereer deur
onderhoudvoering met bestuurders (N = 12) met gebruik van die Kritieke Insident
Tegniek (KIT). Inhoudsanalise van die getranskribeerde onderhoude het in
onderskeibare diversiteitbestuursbevoegdhede (DBB’e) gekulmineer wat groeperings
van diversiteitbestuuurspraktyke verteenwoordig. ’n DBB metingsinstrument is
gevolglik vir inhoudsgeldigheid getoets deur beide die Inhoudsgeldigheidverhouding
(Lawshe, 1975) en Cohen (1960) se -benaderings te gebruik. Die vraelys het
vervolgens‘n toetsloop by bestuurders (N = 25) van drie groot maatskappye
ondergaan om finale aanpassings aan te bring. Die finale vraelys bevat elf subskale
(DBB’e) en 98 items. Die data vir die kwantitatiewe fase is met behulp van aanlynvraelyste
wat die konstrukte van DBB, DBU, en firmaprestasie meet, verkry, wat deur
bestuurders (N = 77) van verskillende middelslag tot groot maatskappye (k = 33)
ingevul is. Die metingsinstrumente het item-ontleding ondergaan en korrelasie-analise
deur middel van SPSS is gebruik om die hipoteses te toets. Die metingsinstrumente
het hoë interne bestendigheid getoon. ’n Firm-vlak analise van die navorsingsdata het
getoon dat DBB, DBU, en firmaprestasie het sterk en beduidend met mekaar
gekorreleer, ter ondersteuning van die navorsingshipoteses. Die studie lewer drie hoofbydraes: eerstens, ‘n firmavlak DBB-raamwerk is ontwikkel
wat spesifieke groeperings van diversiteitbestuurspraktyke omlyn wat na verwagting tot die verhoging van belangrike DBU’e en uiteindelik ook firmaprestasie behoort by
te dra; tweedens, ‘n DBB metingsinstrument is ontwikkel en gevalideer wat, tesame
met die DBB-raamwerk, praktiese gebruikswaarde vir diagnostiese en
ontwikkelingsdoeleindes het; en, laastens, het die analises getoon dat DBB, DBU en
firmaprestasie beduidend en sterk met mekaar korreleer, wat moontlik aandui dat
diversiteitbestuur ‘n beduidende invloed op firmaprestasie het. As gevolg van die
beperkte steekproefgrootte, behoort die resultate van hierdie studie gekruisvalideer te
word in groter steekproewe. Die belowende resultate van hierdie studie skep egter ‘n
agenda vir toekomstige bevestigende en verkennende studies oor die verband tussen
diversiteitsbestuurspraktyke en firmaprestasie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/79847 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Carstens, Jennifer Gytha |
| Contributors | De Kock, F. S., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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