Comparing and Contrasting Diversity and Inclusion Concepts: An Identity-Blind and Identity-Conscious Application

This dissertation systematically investigates the differences between diversity and inclusion concepts. Notably, this dissertation focuses on exploring the differences between diversity and inclusion climates and recruitment messages. This paper first explores the theoretical traditions that are often applied to diversity (social identity theory) and inclusion climate (optimal distinctiveness theory) and offers guidance on why individuals may react to diversity and inclusion climates differently from the basis of these theoretical foundations. Additionally, this dissertation expands existing theory by promoting a more novel approach of differentiating diversity and inclusion through exploring their relationships with identity-blind and identity-conscious human resource practices. The first study intends to demonstrate that diversity and inclusion climates are differentially associated with identity-blind and identity-conscious practices. The second study is a randomized, experimental design that manipulates diversity and inclusion recruitment messages to assess their relationships on identity-blind and identity-conscious programming. Study 3 is a randomized, experimental design that manipulates identity-blind and identity-conscious policy statements to assess their relationships on organizational attraction. Further, Study 3 provides four potential theoretical moderators that influence the relationship that identity-conscious policy statements have on organizational attraction. Study 2 and 3 together employ a causal-chain experimental design as outlined in Spencer et al., (2005) to provide stronger inferences of causation associated with the theoretical model being proposed.