Research Laura De Boom

Abstract

For firms to remain productive and competitive, diversity and inclusion (D&I) is crucial as it allows for informational synergies between diverse members. The novel concept of D&I branding – firms' public broadcasting of how they value D&I – has been considered a valuable approach to attract and retain diversity and, ultimately, stimulate firm performance. But the state-of-the-art research has established little comprehensive theorizing and empirical evidence of the success of D&I branding. The present project addresses three fundamental research gaps. First, the concept of D&I branding is so novel that there is no validated metric yet assessing firms' D&I branding intensity. By developing and introducing a composite D&I branding measure to the literature, this project improves the conceptual clarity, measurement, and empirical testing of D&I branding. Second, the limited research has revealed competing findings on the success of D&I initiatives, calling for research on moderators. Building on the signaling theory, this project examines how the impact of D&I branding on diversity attraction and retention is moderated by factors related to the authenticity of firms' D&I branding. Third, it has not been studied if and under which contingencies D&I branding will stimulate firm performance through attracting and retaining diversity. Doing so, this project aims to uncover the overall implications of D&I branding, which has important implications for both theory and practice.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: De Meulenaere Kim
• Fellow: De Boom Laura

Research team(s)

• Management

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

It has long been recognized that organizations can reap the productive informational benefits of workforce diversity if they can effectively manage their diverse employees. In this project, we want to contribute to the limited research on diversity and inclusion management – that is, all management activities of firms that ensure the diverse perspectives of employees are being valued and used and that everyone feels involved in the firm. We do so by exploring (1) the mechanisms underlying the effects of D&I management on proximal workplace outcomes such as perceived discrimination and inclusion and (2) the moderating factors that influence these mechanisms and, in turn, determine when the impact of D&I management initiatives on these proximal outcomes is positive and helps firm performance. The main goal of this project is to unravel how and when D&I management affects firm performance.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: De Meulenaere Kim
• Fellow: De Boom Laura

Research team(s)

• Management

Project type(s)

• Research Project