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. 2016 Jun 14;5(1):714.
doi: 10.1186/s40064-016-2499-4. eCollection 2016.

Diversity climate enhances work outcomes through trust and openness in workgroup communication

Joep Hofhuis  1 , Pernill G A van der Rijt  1 , Martijn Vlug  1
Affiliations

Diversity climate enhances work outcomes through trust and openness in workgroup communication

Joep Hofhuis et al. Springerplus. .

Abstract

Diversity climate, defined as an organizational climate characterized by openness towards and appreciation of individual differences, has been shown to enhance outcomes in culturally diverse teams. To date, it remains unclear which processes are responsible for these findings. This paper presents two quantitative studies (n = 91; 246) that identify trust and openness in workgroup communication as possible mediators. We replicate earlier findings that perceived diversity climate positively relates to job satisfaction, sense of inclusion, work group identification and knowledge sharing in teams. In study 1, trust is shown to mediate the effects of perceived diversity climate on team members' sense of inclusion. In study 2, trust mediates the relationship between perceived diversity climate and workgroup identification and openness mediates its relationship with knowledge sharing.

Keywords: Diversity climate; Diversity outcomes; Knowledge sharing; Openness; Trust; Workgroup communication; Workplace diversity.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Structural model of effects of diversity climate on job satisfaction and inclusion, mediated by trust and openness (n = 91). Note A double arrow with a dotted line signifies a correlation between error terms of the latent variables; all reported coefficients are standardized; χ 2(144) = 163.495; p = .127; CFI = .965; RMSEA = .039; * p < .05; ** p < .01; *** p < .001
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Structural model of effects of diversity climate on workgroup identification and knowledge sharing, mediated by trust and openness (n = 246). Note A double arrow with a dotted line signifies a correlation between error terms of the latent variables; all reported coefficients are standardized; χ 2(125) = 173.680; p = .003; CFI = .966; RMSEA = .040; *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001
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