Managing Diversity : How Organizational Efforts to Support Diversity Enhance Affective Commitment and Reduce Turnover Intent for Employees Who Experience Discrimination at Work

Using the Interactional Model of Cultural Diversity and social exchange theory, we examined how the negative effects of perceived racial discrimination on affective commitment can be attenuated by perceived organizational efforts to support diversity. Across three studies, we found that perceptions of workplace racial discrimination are negatively related to affective commitment. However, this negative relationship became weaker as employees perceived more organizational efforts to support diversity. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated these effects in two employee samples with different demographic characteristics. Study 2 also extended these results by showing that these dynamics ultimately influence turnover intent. Study 3 replicated the findings of Studies 1 and 2 using an experimental design. Results suggest that organizational efforts to support diversity can restore affective commitment for employees who experience racial discrimination at work which, in turn, reduces turnover intent