Engaging Employees of Diverse Teams The Mediating Role of Perceived Inclusion Between Inclusive Leadership and Diversity Climate on Work Engagement
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2021-07-19
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en
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Retaining and engaging minorities is essential to benefit from a diverse workforce. Therefore, the Optimal Distinctiveness Theory suggests satisfying employees` need for both belongingness and uniqueness to foster inclusion. This research investigated how inclusive leadership and diversity climate promoted the inclusion of employees in diverse teams and examined how such feelings of inclusion benefited employees' work engagement. Survey data were collected in diverse teams of TenneT's where minorities (females and non-Dutch/non-Germans) and majorities are both represented (N = 223). Data were analyzed by mediation analyses using hierarchical linear regressions and Monte Carlo bootstrapping controlling for gender, nationality, and age. Results showed inclusive leadership was more robustly associated with work engagement than diversity climate. Both diversity climate and inclusive leadership were significantly positively related to inclusion, which was in turn significantly related to work engagement. Inclusion fully mediated the link of diversity climate and inclusive leadership on work engagement. Findings emphasized the importance of inclusive leaders and, to a lesser extent, fair and equal diversity climate in promoting employees` work engagement in diverse teams. Furthermore, it highlighted the role of inclusion as an underlying mechanism in this relationship. Limitations, implications of the findings, and recommendations for future research were discussed.
Keywords: diversity, inclusive leadership, diversity climate, inclusion, work engagement
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen