Pro‐diversity practices and perceived insider status

The aim of this paper is to study the effects of pro‐diversity practices on perceived insider status, and explore the moderating role of leader‐member exchange in this relationship. The main and interactive effects on PIS are studied for cultural minority and majority groups.

Research hypotheses are tested with a questionnaire administered to 210 employees working in three Canadian organizations engaged in diversity management.

Results indicate that the main and interactive effects of organizational fairness and leader‐member exchange on perceived insider status are significant. The interactive effect on perceived insider status is higher for cultural minorities than for other employees.

This study shows the importance of perceived insider status in the field of diversity, identifies organizational fairness and leader‐member exchange as two significant organizational antecedents to perceived insider status, and describes the mechanisms linking these antecedents to perceived insider status (the interaction effects).

The main contribution of the research resides in the identification of perceived insider status as a variable that deserves more attention in the field of diversity. The article invites future research to explore the behavioral consequences of perceived insider status in diverse teams, and to pursue the understanding of mechanisms leading to feelings of inclusion.