Researcher ORCID Identifier
0000-0003-4681-7932
Graduation Year
2021
Date of Submission
5-2021
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Award
Best Senior Thesis in Psychology
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
Reader 1
Shana Levin
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
@2021 Adrienne M Kafka
Abstract
The presence of multicultural values, emphasizing the appreciation of distinct cultural identities in companies’ promotional materials, versus colorblind values, which minimize cultural distinctions, may affect Black/Hispanic/Latinx (BHL) vs White individuals’ cognitive ability employment selection test scores and likelihood of applying to an organization differently depending on the company’s demonstrated leader racial diversity (LRD). Participants (N = 419), recruited via Amazon MTurk, read a hypothetical job application call and mission statement with a specific diversity ideology emphasized (multiculturalism, colorblind, control, Black Lives Matter (BLM)) and viewed headshots of the company C-suite either with low LRD (mostly White) or high LRD before filling out survey measures. Results revealed that BHL participants in the high LRD condition were significantly more likely to apply to the organization than those in the low LRD condition, emphasizing the importance of minority representation, while White participants in the BLM condition were significantly less likely to apply to the organization than in the multicultural condition. Additionally, identity threat, psychological safety, and organizational trust mediated the LRD-Likelihood of applying relationship. BHL participants experienced significantly higher identity threat and lower psychological safety than White participants in the low LRD condition. Analyses also revealed a significant moderation such that White participants low in social dominance orientation (SDO) were more likely to apply in the high than the low LRD condition, unlike their high SDO counterparts. Implications regarding how organization leadership may promote equitable workplace outcomes are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Kafka, Adrienne M., "Seeing Through Woke-Washing: Effects of Projected Diversity Values and Leader Racial Diversity on Equity in Workplace Outcomes" (2021). CMC Senior Theses. 2796.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/2796
