Is simply being included enough?: A comparative analysis of hierarchial and numerical organization

Abstract

Generally speaking, research has shown that diversity attracts diversity. Consequently, organizations may demonstrate their existing employee diversity in company recruitment material as an “identity-safety” cue to increase minority jobseekers’ attraction. However, despite shifting U.S. demographics, Black-Americans remain underrepresented in most White-Collar organizations. Therefore, we tested the utility of a few Black employees in high-status positions (i.e., hierarchical representation) to compensate for overall low numerical representation by reducing Black jobseekers’ anticipated tokenism at a fictious organization. We presented 379 (59.4% Female; Age: M = 36.36; SD = 10.36) Black respondants with several images of a company’s website depicting their staff (numerical representation: high vs. low) and leadership (hierarchical representation: with vs. without). The respondants then rated their anticipated tokenism and organizational identity-safety. Although hierarchical representation did not moderate the effect of numerical representation on anticipated tokenism (p =.464), organizations with hierarchical and high numerical representation reduced tokenism and promoted greater identity-safety than the organizations without hierarchical representation and low numerical representation (ps < .001) as previously documented (Avery 2003; Purdie-Vaughns, Steele, Davies, Ditlmann, R., & Crosby, 2008). Extending on this work, we also found anticipated tokenism mediated the main effects of hierarchical (0.13, 95% CI: 0.04 – 0.23) and numerical (0.16, 95% CI: 0.06 – 0.25) representation on perceived identity-safety. Thus, these results demonstrate the importance and distinguishment of hierarchical representation as an identity-safety cue separate from general representation. Practically, this works suggests organizations should not only be mindful of their employees but of their leadership demographics as well.