What Good is Diversity If We Do Not Learn from It? Organizational Climate and Employee Commitment

Abstract

Using the scope of justice theory and the value in diversity hypothesis, this paper examines the relationships between perceived organizational age diversity climate, perceived organizational learning climate, and employees’ affective organizational commitment. We conducted an online survey with a sample of 435 German employees. Results show that perceived organizational age diversity climate is positively related to affective organizational commitment. The positive relationship between perceived organizational age diversity climate for fairness and affective organizational commitment was strengthened by employees’ perceptions of organizational learning climate. However, the positive relationship between organizational age diversity climate for inclusion and affective organizational commitment was stronger when perceived organizational learning climate was weak rather than strong. Thus, organizational age diversity climate for inclusion and organizational learning climate seem to substitute for each other...