Discrimination and HR Management: The Role of Diversity Management Orientation

Stefano Basaglia, Chiara Paolino e Zenia Simonella

Stefano Basaglia, Chiara Paolino and Zenia Simonella (Diversity Management Observatory - SDA Bocconi) presented Discrimination and HR Management: The Role of Diversity Management Orientation at Bocconi on Women workshop (November 4, 2011).

Abstract: We run a OLS regression models on a sample of 800 employees belonging to different organizations in order to test the following hypotheses: Hp1: HRM oriented to diversity management is negatively associated with the perception of discrimination; Hp2: Communication climate moderates positively the relationship between HRM oriented to diversity and discrimination, such that this relationship is stronger for high level of communication climate.

We measured our constructs of HRM oriented to diversity, discrimination, identification and communication climate, by adapting existing scales from literature. In order to check for endogeneity, we concluded many control variables at both individuals and organizational level. Results support our finding both on the main effects and on the moderating ones. This study contributes to the diversity management and discrimination literature in different ways. First, this paper contributes to study discrimination at workplace in a managerial prospect, by emphasizing which are the relevant organizational dimensions to improve this process. Moreover, we contribute to the debate on the effect of HRM practices on individual behavior, by illustrating their positive effect not only in terms of traditional positive work behaviors, but even considering a negative one, in term of discrimination.