The silent minority: differential effects of diversity climate on silence and burnout depending on minority status
Date
2022
Authors
Rosen, Marisa Ali, author
Gardner, Danielle, advisor
Prasad, Joshua, committee member
Chavez, Ernest, committee member
Albert, Lumina, committee member
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Abstract
The purpose of the study was to examine if diversity climate serves as a resource, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities, that promotes speaking up and reduces burnout from the perspective of Conservation of Resources Theory (COR) and Social Identity Theory (SIT). I tested that supposition in a sample of 502 working adults, split between racial/ethnic majority and minority status, across three time points with one-week time lags. Path analysis demonstrated that diversity climate reduced opportunistic silence, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities. Further, diversity climate had a stronger relationship with emotional exhaustion for minorities compared to majority group members. The study extends the voice behavior and silence literatures because it further investigates the influence of organizational variables and integrates diversity research. Findings also have implications for theory and practices, such that COR and SIT were supported, and organizations should aim to implement diversity climates to benefit both majority group and racially/ethnically minoritized employees.
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Subject
diversity
voice behaviors
silence
burnout