Research on diversity management, leadership and inclusion awarded with best article 2015
On March 19th 2016, the editorial board of the journal Review of Public Personnel Administration awarded the article of Tanachia Ashikali and Sandra Groeneveld: “Diversity Management in Public Organizations and its Effect on Employees’ Affective Commitment. The Role of Transformational Leadership and the Inclusiveness of the Organizational Culture” with the best article of 2015.
The article discusses the important role of supervisors in managing diversity. Using survey data of more than 10,000 employees in the Dutch public sector, the study shows that diversity management improves employees’ affective commitment to the organization. When employees perceive their organization to implement policy instruments to enhance the organizational diversity, that supervisors are committed to a diverse workforce and work well with employees with diverse backgrounds, employees feel more committed to the organization.
The supervisor’s leadership style, in particular, is of great importance. When supervisors display a transformational leadership style, they act as coach with attention for the individual’s development. At the same time, a transformational leader strengthens the social cohesion by emphasizing a collective vision or goal. Transformational supervisors in this sense are crucial actors in managing diversity and creating an inclusive work environment which is free of discrimination and in which differences are recognized, valued and utilized.
The awarded article is part of the dissertation in which Tanachia Ashikali studies how supervisors in public organizations can contribute to an inclusive organization and by doing so the quality of public services.
For more information: t.s.ashikali@fgga.leidenuniv.nl