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COMMUNITY MATTERS! The Spillover of Community Diversity Climate to the Workplace

This study explores the impact of community diversity climate on the workplace and how it affects employees. The findings reveal the spillover effects of community experiences on work-related variables such as turnover intentions, job search behaviors, and stress symptoms. The study also highlights the importance of an inclusive community climate in retaining talent and suggests strategies for organizations to create positive community climates for diversity.

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COMMUNITY MATTERS! The Spillover of Community Diversity Climate to the Workplace

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  1. COMMUNITY MATTERS! The Spillover of Community Diversity Climate to the Workplace Dr. Belle Rose Ragins University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

  2. Life is Not Left at the Workplace Door • Organizations are embedded in communities. • Community experiences change people and these changes are brought into the workplace. • Complete understanding of life within workplace requires an understanding of life outside of it.

  3. Community images from the past

  4. And from the present…..

  5. Community Reactions: The Good…

  6. the bad, and the ugly…..

  7. Key Questions • What is the impact of community diversity climates on the workplace? • Do these experiences spillover? • Is there a business case for getting involved and changing communities? • The Milwaukee experience

  8. The Spillover of Community Diversity to the Workplace(Ragins, Gonzalez, Ehrhardt & Singh, 2012) • National survey of 2,045 accounting professionals living in communities across the U.S. • Supported by Roger Fitzsimonds Distinguished Scholar Award.

  9. Dorothy Harlow Award (2012) • Saroj Parasuraman Award (2013) Belle Ragins, Kyle Ehrhardt, Jorge Gonzalez, Romila Singh

  10. Our Model

  11. Measures • Community Diversity Climate • “My community welcomes people of different races and ethnicities.”; “People of different races and ethnicities would want to move to my community.” “My community fosters a positive climate for people of different races and ethnicities.” “My community is a model for valuing racial and ethnic diversity” • Racial Diversity in Community • Zip code/Census data: Racial/ethnic similarity to community. • Intention to Move • Ex: “I will probably move from my community in the next year.” • Work Turnover Intentions and Job Search Behaviors • Physical Symptoms of Stress at Work (e.g., experienced shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pains at work)

  12. Our Findings (Academic Version)

  13. Our Findings: User-Friendly Version Racial Similarity to Community Community Diversity Climate Moving Intentions Work Stress Whites Work Turnover Intentions & Job Search Behaviors (-) (-) People of Color All People

  14. Climate Spilled Over • For both whites and employees of color: • Diversity climate in the community predicted moving intentions, which in turn predicted work turnover intentions, job search behaviors, and physical symptoms of stress at work. • Relationship between climate and moving intentions stronger for people of color than whites. • Controlled for home ownership, length of residence, presence of partner, whether organization is situated in community, respondent’s annual family income, and the per capita income of their residential zip code.

  15. Community Racial Composition Mattered, but only for Whites • In line with racial segregation/”White Flight” research, whites who lived in communities that were more dissimilar to them (diverse) were more likely to want to move than those who lived in primarily white communities. • For people of color, similarity to community did not predict moving intentions. • For people of color – it was all about the climate. • But climate played an important role for whites too…

  16. Community Climate to the Rescue! • Racial diversity in community predicted moving intentions for whites. • But this effect was diminished when the community was also experienced as having an inclusive climate. • White flight may be less in racially diverse communities that are inclusive.

  17. IMPLICATIONS • Climate Matters • Toxic climates spillover. • Affects quality of life within (and surely outside) workplace. • Recognize the Business Case • Community climates may either help or hinder organizations’ ability to retain talent. • Organizations recognize importance of positive climates within workplace – need to extend scope to outside workplace. • Organizations must get involved! • Organizations need to work with their communities to create inclusive climates for diversity. • Create opportunities for positive intergroup contact. • Create equity and economic opportunity.

  18. Questions about the Study?

  19. Diversity Dialogue: Creating an Inclusive Milwaukee: Challenges and Solutions • 3 challenges for creating an inclusive climate for diversity in Milwaukee. • 3 things that could improve our community’s diversity climate. • (Focus on race/ethnicity for now….)

  20. Diversity Dialogue: Closer to Home: • One thing you can do to change Milwaukee. • One thing your company can do.

  21. Questions, Comments, Ideas?

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